Can an Engine "Get Stuck" for Sitting 2+ years..? (pistons)

chris kelvin

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Sep 11, 2005

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Dec 10, 2005

#1

• Dec 10, 2005

• #1

I'm wondering, let's say you have a car with an aluminum block (steel i believe doesn't expand/contract much) that has been sitting for 2+ years... Is it possible for the piston to get stuck/seized in the piston wall.? Wont the piston wall eventually shrink alittle causing the piston to be wedged and almost slightly crushed in place..even with the piston ring..?

My buddy told me thats why there are piston rings..so the piston will always be able to move up and down..?!???!?

 

Josh-'96 GT

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Jul 28, 2005

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Dec 10, 2005

#2

• Dec 10, 2005

• #2

chris kelvin said:

I'm wondering, let's say you have a car with an aluminum block (steel i believe doesn't expand/contract much) that has been sitting for 2+ years... Is it possible for the piston to get stuck/seized in the piston wall.? Wont the piston wall eventually shrink alittle causing the piston to be wedged and almost slightly crushed in place..even with the piston ring..?

My buddy told me thats why there are piston rings..so the piston will always be able to move up and down..?!???!?

Click to expand...

Even on an aluminum block, the bore sleeve is still steel. If it sat unused for 2 years, it can cause the piston rings to get corroded to the bore, essentially "freezing" the piston assembly to the bore. When you try to turn the motor over, the ring can actually break.

 

1LowGT

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Sep 4, 2005

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st louis mo.

Dec 10, 2005

#3

• Dec 10, 2005

• #3

its not likely,the only time i had that happen is when the cars was outside and water got in from the hood scoop and rusted the cylinder walls,but id say not really if its a distributor car pull the dist and prime it with oil while turning the engine over with a ratchet to feed oil.what kind of engine is it? most fuel injected cars you can just press the accelerator to the floor and turn the key and it will rotate but not start to help with feeding oil to a sitting engine.

 

triggz

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May 15, 2002

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Gadsden, AL

Dec 10, 2005

#4

• Dec 10, 2005

• #4

the siezing isnt due to expansion, its due to rust and other corrosion. if its sitting out in the weather, the iron block/heads can rust easily.

the piston ring is just a sliding seal because of tolerance in chamber size. 100% of the chambers wont be perfect so there has to be a gasket to seperate the compression from the crankcase.

if everything is aluminum..meaning block, heads, pistons, rods, crank, bearings, etc. then it cannot rust and sieze. but i dont know of any 100% aluminum motors. its probably got some corrosion inside.

 

Pearl02

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Nov 27, 2004

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Kansas City

Dec 11, 2005

#5

• Dec 11, 2005

• #5

I bought a car that had sat for a couple of years. the ignition switch went bad and the old boy just let the car set. I payed 50 bucks for the car. All I did was pulled the spark plug out and sprayed wd-40 into each cylinder. I turned the engine by hand with a breaker bar. I drove that car for 3 years before the engine broke a connecting rod. The engine had about 289000 miles on when that happened. Pearl02.

 

jstreet0204

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Jun 26, 2003

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Winston Salem, NC

Dec 11, 2005

#6

• Dec 11, 2005

• #6

It can seize, or worse, the rings may be just slightly stuck, and possibly break when you turn it over. If it has sit that long. Get some "Marvel Mystery Oil" take the plugs out, and pour some down each cylinder, and let it sit over night, then turn it over by hand with the plugs out. It is also a good Idea to change all the fluids, change the fuel filter, and drain the gas tank before you start it up. It may seem like a pain, but these extra steps could mean the difference between a running car, and a car you are going to spend the next few weeks working on. Better safe than sorry imo.. Good luck with it.

 

chris kelvin

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Sep 11, 2005

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Dec 11, 2005

#7

• Dec 11, 2005

• #7

Well thanks alot everyone. No i was just curious.. A couple days ago my bro got his 91 lincoln continental up and running, he had to get a conversion kit because the stock shocks/air ride BS bottomed out and the car sat for about over 2 years. We put in a new battery, some gas..she started right up. It ran, and runs like a top. The engine is a 3.8 v6 which i believe is aluminum.?

Either way i was just having a conversation with a friend saying i thought the engine would be seized...he then fed me some info..which i thought was bs..lol.

Thanks again guys.