Stuck rings

Lyle

Senior Member
Hello I have a 52 truck engine with everything execpt the carburator. I found a carb. Turn
ed it over all cylenders have compressi:pon exceept # 1 . I think it is just stuck rings. Wh at wiuld be good to use to unstick rings. It is running .but not that good yet.
 
pull the plugs and put marvel mystery oil in each cylinder, let it soak for a couple of days. My best guess would not be stuck rings but a stuck valve, flatheads are very prone to this. What is the compression in the other cylinders? One on occasion I could see the stuck valve thru the spak plug hole, rolled the engine over enough for the other valve to open then put a wood dowell to the other valve and tapped with a hammer-you could hear it pop closed, had to do this a few times to get it to stay unstuck. Good luck
 
if it is stuck open spray some marvel oil or some penetating oil down under it if possible to help get rid of what is holding it open.
 
If you can get it to start, the valves and/or rings usually unstick when it warms up. I'm assuming they are lightly stuck and not badly rusted.

On the other hand... sometimes disassembly is the only option. If you had to break the engine loose you could have a cracked ring hiding in there. I usually replace the head gaskets at a minimum, which give me a chance to look at the valves and cyclinders.
 
Thanks for the answers. ajohn and I ran it a few times with a old carb, that I rebuilt. We ran it till it got a little hot then killed it. Used burnt motor oil and used transmission fluid. The heads were removed and I think Ajohn ridge reamed slightly and honed the top end of the cylinders lightly (just to remove the crud) Wire brushed the head area.After the third run it started running on all eight. The fourth run and it started with a bump of the starter and runs smooth. This Flathead will go in my C cab TT truck
 
The suggestion of riselone is good.Marvel mystery oil will get it wet but that's about all.Try spraying some Castle Thrust on top of the piston,letting it soak the rings.I have seen this work on very stubborn stuck rings.Drop by and I'll give you an aerisol can of Thrust. James
 
Hello there James A.K.A. ajohn what are you doing with a 46 chevy PU truck in front of your work shop. You did a good job with the truck Flathead engine.Are you going to install a ford in that( Blue smoking behind) Blue flame 6 cylinder 46 chevy ???
 
If the compression refuses to come back up, you may have a broken ring. If that is the case, it can eventually score up the cylinder walls.

Kerby
 
Compression is good. Runs like a top. No smoking. Good oil pressure. Ajon changed the oil a time or two, or I am thinking about another Flathead.There are so many of them. Ajohn seems to be a Flathead magnet. He even dragged in a Flathead 6 Plymouth about a 46 or 47.It runs good. (Funny to me)the first time he started it the starter hung up and became a hand grenade. (not funny to ajohn rebuilt starter over 125.00) Lyle Hello ajohn.
 
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