Seized engine!

[Write2Paul90277]

Hi People,

Has anyone ever seized their GL1200 engine (or GL1000 or 1100 for that matter)?

I'm taking totally frozen. And not from laying around getting rusty, either. More like running without coolant (don't ask me how I know this!!)

More important, has anyone ever un-stuck a seized GL engine?

Thanks,

Paul W.
Redondo Beach, CA

 

[Omega Man]

Hi Paul welcome to the forums. The gurus will be along shortly but it doesn't sound good.

 

[joedrum]

oh my welcome to classic ..... that dont sound good ....you can take plugs out and try soakin it with ATF or diesel....me i would probably take heads off and just see what up in there ... who knows could be not that bad to just plain junk ...

 

[brianinpa]

Not much help other than a welcome to the forum.

 

[Write2Paul90277]

I appreciate the welcome, folks.

If I go the ATF / Marvel Mystery Oil / penetrating oil route, should I drop the exhaust headers so they don't fill with oil if and when the motor turns over?

Thx

Paul

 

[slabghost]

I'd forget the oil now. Drop the exhaust and remove the heads. See how bad the damage really is. If not too bad you may get lucky thumping each piston with a hammer and a block of wood on the pistons and it may break free. A bit late now to say but for those who may get one over hot next time. Keep the motor running and cool it down. Soak the motor with a garden hose if need be to cool it.

 

[Steve83]

Hi Paul, and welcome from up the road a bit in Altadena! Plenty of engines have been un-stuck, but I don't know about the chances of reveving one that seized while running overheated. Did it stop suddenly, with a clunk, or slowly stop turning? Have you pulled the timing belt covers and tried turning the crankshaft directly?

Severe overheating usually warps heads, which will cause the head gasket to blow, so you might as well pull the heads anyway. Once you see the cylinder wall and piston condition, you'll know it it's salvagable.

If you decide to tear into it, start a new thread and take pics for us all to see. We'd like to see the bike, anyway! Best of luck with it!

 

[backlander]

Welcome to CGW.

 

[Ansimp]

Welcome from Oz. Sorry about your stuffed engine!!

 

[Joep]

First welcome from North TEXAS DFW area... haven't had that.. Will send pm.

 

[mcgovern61]

Welcome to the site from New Jersey! :clapping:

Aluminium engines don't like to get that overheated. Best advice was already stated above.

 

[backyardtrouble]

Hello Paul, Welcome to the forum, let us know how that engine looks if you decide to take the heads off, post some pics.

 

[Write2Paul90277]

I just figured out that the engine WAS NOT SEIZED after all -- at least not in the traditional sense.

I removed one of the cylinder heads and discovered that when I was swapping out spark plugs, A SMALL SCREW HAD FALLEN INTO THE SPARK PLUGH HOLE (of all places!)

When the engine was started after that, the screw became jammed between the piston and the combustion chamber, locking up the engine.

As soon as the head was off and the screw fell out, the engine turned over just fine.

Both cylinder head and the piston were damaged, but mostly the head. I should be able to keep the piston and just replace the head.

Another harsh lesson in the game of life.

Thanks for all your feedback.

Paul

 

[Steve83]

Check the piston very carefully! If there's any sign of a crack, you don't know how deep it is. You also don't want the top of the piston bent down around the edge, which would jam the top ring in its groove. I hope all is good!

 

[Write2Paul90277]

Good advice. It looks pretty minor but I will get up close with a strong light and magnifier for a closer look.

Thx

Paul

 

[slabghost]

Sounding like a lot better situation now!

 

[Trak]

my dad has a 65 chev conv. 283,, I drove it like one time,, throttled hard off a stop, and it started knocking,,,, after a lot of time spent trying to figure it out,, and had the engine out ,, and to a shop,, a screw had came out of the carb and jammed on top of the piston.... fun fun

 

[Write2Paul90277]

Here's the damage to the combustion chamber and piston, as well as the dang screw that fell into the combustion chamber and caused the damage. (See pics)

I ordered a used cylinder head. The piston looks usable.

Comments?

Paul

 

[dan filipi]

Looks ok to me.
Cylinder head too maybe.

 

[joedrum]

lucky ... it seems ..still check for slop at tdc turning crank by hand ....