engine seized

[jorge figueroa]

hello my name is jorge figueroa of Puerto Rico
and am the proud owner of a 1981 delorean
I belong to the club delorean Puerto Rico
can see us on facebook:

* http://www.facebook.com/Deloreanpr

I have restored several delorean that were in very poor condition
and have participated in many classic car events in island

we have participated in several delorean car show (gettysburg and florida)
we have a great time

Now I'm about to restore another delorean has not worked in 7 years
and I found a problem the engine seized

notifies the owner of the delorean you may need another engine
try to do my best to restore the engine
I need to know if anyone in this forum had the same problem
and how it can be fixed

[dvonk]

while ive never worked on the PRV, i have gotten an engine unseized before. i had a 1952 Pontiac with a cast iron 268 cu. in. straight 6 that had been sitting for years and was frozen stiff when i got it--i poured Marvel Mystery Oil into the cylinders through the spark plug holes and let it soak for a couple weeks, then used an 24" breaker bar to turn the nut on the harmonic balancer to finally break it free. i kept turning it over by hand to loosen it until the starter could turn it over.

that being said, your engine would probably benefit from a rebuild. and with an aluminum block you may have other issues as well...

but i could also be totally off base here since ive never worked on a PRV. if others have more beneficial information, please correct me.

[jorge figueroa]

This friend suggested this method to try unlocking the engine:

Buy some marvel miracle oil. Remove the spark plugs and poor it directly on top of the cylinder heads. Let it sit for a few days. You can speed up the process by attaching a weight to the large pulley at the bottom of the engine. After letting it sit for awhile. Suction the tensing marvel miracle oil off the cylinder heads. Try starting the engine with out the spark plugs installed. I would place a towel over the engine. Reason being with the pistons start moving the remaining oil will get blow or the spark plug holes. Then reinstall the plugs and start the engine it will smoke like s fright b train. Let the car idle try not to have the rpms very high. My car sat for 20 years. I did this and my car was just fine.



so far I'm working on the engine using this method
I have here some pictures:
Here we see the engine full of marvel mystery oil
we can also see the braker bar two feet long
and at the end of the bar is placed a 50-pound weight
so that the crankshaft has a more or less constant pressure of 100 pounds
as long as needed

197071970619705

[Jonathan]

I've not done a great deal of dismantling of the engine on my car (knock on wood), so I ask this partly out of ignorance...

Is there a difference in which way to rotate things while attempting to free up this seized engine? You know, like 'lefty loosey-righty tighty' sort of thing.

I could go out and look at my car, but I'm on the couch at the moment... do our belts rotate clockwise or counterclockwise?

I just saw the orientation of your breaker bar and didn't know if going the other way mattered at all?

[DMC5180]

I've not done a great deal of dismantling of the engine on my car (knock on wood), so I ask this partly out of ignorance...

Is there a difference in which way to rotate things while attempting to free up this seized engine? You know, like 'lefty loosey-righty tighty' sort of thing.

I could go out and look at my car, but I'm on the couch at the moment... do our belts rotate clockwise or counterclockwise?

I just saw the orientation of your breaker bar and didn't know if going the other way mattered at all?


Direction of rotation does not matter in this case. It just needs to be able to move (rotate). Now would be the perfect time to crack the Crank pulley nut loose (CCW), since it's always a pain to keep the engine from turning.

[Ron]

Clockwise for a D. Rule of thumb is the way it runs -- much easier on tensioners, cams, and, said to be less likely to break a ring "since most of any build up is on top of or behind them" (but I never understood that part since half of the time they are going in opposite directions...).

[DMC5180]

Clockwise for a D. Rule of thumb is the way it runs -- much easier on tensioners, cams, and, said to be less likely to break a ring "since most of any build up is on top of or behind them" (but I never understood that part since half of the time they are going in opposite directions...).

I can see the cam tensioner possibly be effected IF the valves were stuck. Reverse loading on the Chain would be trying to pull the chain straight as it bares against the tensioner shoe. I don't see it as being an issue if just slowly hand turning a "Free" valve train. Yes generally speaking it is best to turn the engine in it's normal direction of rotation. I can think of at least one (aircraft engine) ROTAX 912 in which the manufacturer states NEVER rotate the engine backwards. In this case the engine oiling system is so tight it will pull oil out of the Valve lifters.

[1batt4u]

Direction of rotation does not matter in this case. It just needs to be able to move (rotate). Now would be the perfect time to crack the Crank pulley nut loose (CCW), since it's always a pain to keep the engine from turning.

I have been offering a flywheel lock tool for sometime now.

[Ron]

I can see the cam tensioner possibly be effected IF the valves were stuck. Reverse loading on the Chain would be trying to pull the chain straight as it bares against the tensioner shoe. I don't see it as being an issue if just slowly hand turning a "Free" valve train. Yes generally speaking it is best to turn the engine in it's normal direction of rotation. I can think of at least one (aircraft engine) ROTAX 912 in which the manufacturer states NEVER rotate the engine backwards. In this case the engine oiling system is so tight it will pull oil out of the Valve lifters.I agree on a "free" valve train, but you never know on a seized engine like the OP has.
More to the rule of thumb ideal, even on a Delorean where the tensioner is powered with oil pressure AND on an "arm", it's not a good idea to push the piston back. If it sticks, and it probably will, you are probably going to have a bad day when you fire it up.... Ever let a tensioner come out one trillionth of an inch while changing a cam only (SOB will not go back in w/o pulling the cover, it's touchless LOL...I digress...more similar here, ever watch what happens to the "armless" shoe type tensioners (say a Toyota, or many others) while turning it backwards -?- It grinds the crap out of the blunt end, now the leading edge, because force is from the other direction... And keep in mind force from the oil pressure taking up slack is no where near the resulting force of the big cog pulling it... Then getting way out there maybe, there is the idea that cam break in is a major portion of its lifetime wear,where slow is bad -- Backwards and slow in old syrup (and maybe who knows what) can't be good at all.
In any event, a DeLorean deserves a tear down, IMHO....but :devil:

[DMC5180]

I have been offering a flywheel lock tool for sometime now.

I know, I have one and I was just kidding. As In. (As long as the motor is locked up, now would be convenient time to break the pulley nut loose :biggrin:)

[Ron]

LOL...I was thinking HE was kidding...and told myself not to say he already has a "free one", as a joke, as it would be as confusing as corny....

[David T]

Using Marvel Mystery Oil is good but you can also use kerosene or Diesel fuel. Anything light. The longer you can let it sit the better. The biggest problem is a ring stuck to a cylinder wall because of rust. You take a big chance of breaking a ring or a piston but what choice do you have. Once you get it to move you should continue in the same direction, preferably in the direction it would run. As soon as you can go a full revolution drop the oil and fill with fresh. Do NOT try using the starter until you have manually rotated it several times at least. Do a compression test. Do not be tempted to try rotating it back-and-forth, that will most certainly break rings. Once you get it to rotate and can do a compression test check for oil pressure with a manual gauge. If everything looks mechanically good you can try getting the fuel and ignition systems working and see if it will start and run. Don't need the cooling system just to see if it will run for a couple of minutes.
David Teitelbaum

[jorge figueroa]

after many attempts at unlocking the engine
was decided it was time to pull the engine
and send it to a machine shop for restoration
and hope it is not too damaged25120251212512225123251242512525126

[jorge figueroa]

25439254382543625437

[opethmike]

Holy smokes, that engine is not looking very happy. Good luck with the repair!

[jorge figueroa]

not looking good:dead25614256152561625617256182561925620:dead:

[sdg3205]

What is all that stuff?

[DMC3157]

If you end up purchasing a whole new engine, I would be interested in buying that bottom-end/oil pan assembly from you...

[David T]

If you end up purchasing a whole new engine, I would be interested in buying that bottom-end/oil pan assembly from you...

Is there any evidence the car was ever flooded? From the pix it would seem so. Make sure you open the transaxle too.

[DMC5180]

Is there any evidence the car was ever flooded? From the pix it would seem so. Make sure you open the transaxle too.


Good point ! Although I would think you would have water line rust above the pistons. It is kind of interesting that the lower portions of the piston tops have no carbon build up. I would expect them to uniformly covered. This engine seems as though it was just subjected to long term salt air or a high humidity environment.

This one is quite nasty. I gives me pause to think about what's going on in some of these " hasn't run in 10-15 years" resurrections.

I'd like to know the story behind this car. Where was this car found? or if the current owner had actually driven the car prior to it sitting for 7 years.

[David T]

Good point ! Although I would think you would have water line rust above the pistons. It is kind of interesting that the lower portions of the piston tops have no carbon build up. I would expect them to uniformly covered. This engine seems as though it was just subjected to long term salt air or a high humidity environment.

This one is quite nasty. I gives me pause to think about what's going on in some of these " hasn't run in 10-15 years" resurrections.

I'd like to know the story behind this car. Where was this car found? or if the current owner had actually driven the car prior to it sitting for 7 years.

Because the car is on an island and they get frequent hurricanes it is not unreasonable to believe the car could have been flooded at some point in it's past. This kind of damage and the amount seems like more than just "sitting" although with all of the salt air I suppose it is possible. By closely examining the rest of the car you might be able to figure it out. Look for dirt, sand, debris washed up into nooks and corners in the underbody where it would not normally get to just by driving. Pull the carpets and see if there is any moisture or mildew in the padding.

[jorge figueroa]

the original owner of the delorean was a businessman
traveling between Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic by boat (ferry)
so busy with his business the permit expires to use the car in Puerto Rico roads
after several years without using the car decides to sell it to my friend
crils colon
delorean that was in good condition for the time
cris then is diagnosed with cancer
to this difficult situation decides to leave everything for treatment against cancer
the car was practically abandoned for more than seven years

I met a Christian in the year 2007 autoshow (cancer clear)
It was several years later cris decide to restore his car
by then the delorean was very negleted
when I start the restoration of the delorean I find that the engine
is seized (very badly)
completely filled with water and oil

[David T]

the original owner of the delorean was a businessman
traveling between Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic by boat (ferry)
so busy with his business the permit expires to use the car in Puerto Rico roads
after several years without using the car decides to sell it to my friend
crils colon
delorean that was in good condition for the time
cris then is diagnosed with cancer
to this difficult situation decides to leave everything for treatment against cancer
the car was practically abandoned for more than seven years

I met a Christian in the year 2007 autoshow (cancer clear)
It was several years later cris decide to restore his car
by then the delorean was very negleted
when I start the restoration of the delorean I find that the engine
is seized (very badly)
completely filled with water and oil

So if I understand you correctly the car was basically abandoned and when you got to it, found the motor (crankcase) was overfilled with motor oil AND water. That would suggest that it had to have been flooded at some point for the crankcase to get filled with water (presumably the oil was already in there). If a large quantity of water got into the crankcase and sat there it would make sense the motor would be seized up and everything inside corroded.