I now have my Chummy home and the engine is rock solid, the crankshaft does not move at all. However on looking inside the engine (photos attached) it is very clean and with no surface rust. I have tried to move the crankshaft from below with a large spanner and it is solid.

My only thought is that is may not be the engine, maybe a wasp has build a nest around the flywheel...I will go have a look.

Any other suggestions welcome.





Cheers

Mark

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

I have the same problem with a Riley 9 engine. Looks clean but is locked solid. I've been pouring diesel down the bores for months to unstick the rings in case they are seized but no luck so far. After I assemble my A7 engine I will strip the Riley one down to see what the issue is. Definitely some penetrant down the bores can't hurt. I'd appreciate tips on what to do for a seized engine too!

Simon

Location: Wellington

If it's rock solid it looks like one or more rings have stuck to the bores, being at TDC and BDC there's less leverage from the crank on the pistons. Diesel down the bores is the standard solution easing the flywheel back and forth with a screwdriver on the ring gear. A little tap with the end of your hammer shaft might help. A more radical way (that I haven't tried myself) is to put a small piece of firelighter on the top of each piston and heat the piston up. Once you get the slightest movement; don't try to push it all the way round - more diesel and each day work it back and forth by hand.

It all looks good inside so if you can carefully unstick it you potentially have a good engine. I hope you get it away without breaking anything.

Dave

Does the flywheel rock at all Mark?

I did eventually get the engine to turn with a grinding noise. It looks like it was not the engine (internally anyway) photo below. Now the gearbox will have to be removed to extract the culprit. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.



Cheers Mark

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

Those are directly in line with bolts that hold the starter motor down...

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

You you have any rock on the flywheel?

Could it be the middle sump bolt at the back? Too long a bolt may foul the flywheel.

Location: Wales

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

The middle sump bolt can foul the flywheel if it is too long.If you have removed the sump and it is still seized, it won't be this!

Location: Wales

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

I had the same trouble with A-series engines, block looks clean but siezed solid. Turned out that the piston pins rusted solid in the piston and rods. Turn the block upside down and pour diesel in the pistons and wait a few days and then try if there is any movement

Location: below sealevel

Mark,
I would remove the flywheel. Surely the shiny area on the flywheel suggests something is trapped between flywheel and bell housing. A friend and I just had the same problem. We found a 5/16" spring washer trapped between flywheel and bell housing. Do be carefull not to use brute force and crack the bell housing.
Dave.

Location: Sheffield

Mark,
I forgot to mention that we tried a feeler gauge all round the gap between flywheel periphery and bell housing and located the zone where the feeler gauge would not pass.
Dave.

Location: Sheffield

I hate to introduce the thought, but the only time I had a similar scenario, the crankshaft was broken (not by me - the only one I've ever broken was another that belonged to Ian Dunford!). Sincerely hope I'm wrong. Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

Mark,

You said that the Starter Motor hold down bolts have been removed- but in the photograph the nearside bolt hole appears to still have something in it - and as mentioned the flywheel 'mark' is directly in line with this.

If something had just fallen in I would have thought the mark on the flywheel wouldn't be quite so straight.

No other suggestions.

Cheers, Tony.

Location: Melbourne. Victoria, Australia.

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

Mark,

They look like a hex head so unscrew and fit proper helicoils - with suitable short bolts for the starter !

Cheers, Tony.

Location: Melbourne. Victoria, Australia.

Or if the starter fits well onto these - maybe the holes in the starter housing have been opened out to suit - just take the 'Helibolts' out and file the bottom at the angle of the bellhousing to give a clearance - and reuse them? I suspect the threaded holes in the crankcase will be too big to get the right size proper Helicoil in?

Dave

Location: Rokeby, Victoria, Australia

I'm glad you were able to work it out Mark - I had a feeling it was something in that area causing the jam