Barn find montego

[H48HPE]

I've bought the montego this morning... pictures on way hopefully.

The main (massive) problem is the engine is seized.

i've put oil in the plug holes as suggested, but when it became evident it wouldnt turn over we put WD40 in there to try and penetrate the problem.

tried starting it on the starter but this just wont turn it. then jacked the o/s front wheel up and put it in 5th gear tried for ages to turn the engine with the wheel but no movement what so ever.

Suggestions please??????

Also is the engine going to be a runner when its freed up or will it be dead, it was running before it was parked up.

[H48HPE]

pictures of it 'as found'

quality not great but it was off a mobile and lighting wasnt very good

[Guest]

Fill the bores to the top with diesel and keep an eye on the levels in each cylinder it will creep past the rings and free them of if the engine is not badly seized! I have used this on many ocaisions on car,s that have stood for years!

[Guest]

-Also put a ring spanner on the crank pulley nut with the other end hanging down at an angle, put a jack under the end and put pressure on the spanner so its trying to turn the engine, then leave it for a day, or longer. The combination of oil down the bores (I prefer diesel) and pressure on the crank should hopefully free it off.

[Jeff Turbo]

That looks an interesting find

[H48HPE]

what about if it does free up, will the engine be ok to start and then run, or would it require a re-build etc?

I can imagine the answer pepends on the severity of the problem, but what in your experiences have you found?

[Austin-Rover]

what about if it does free up, will the engine be ok to start and then run, or would it require a re-build etc?

You're likely to have to treat the bores with oil or diesel as suggested for anything from a few days to a week or more depending on how badly it is seized.

You'll only know the condition of the engine after you've got it started and running. That's going to be the only tell of its condition unless you find something so obviously wrong now that will tell you it's a write off or in need of some serious TLC. As you have been told the car was running when it was laid up tells you something of its condition (ie; there's not likely to be much wrong with it). There's not going to have been a lot happen to it being stood still, is there? ...not apart from the aforementioned perishing of rubber and seizing of the engine through lack of use.

Once the engine frees off, you should stand a good chance of getting it to run. One it runs you can then play around with it and better assess its condition and if it is a viable unit. There's no point sending it off for a rebuild until you know it's going to need one. It may not. Having revived an S Series having been stood for a few years - it ran as sweet as a nut following a full service.

Good find, by the way. Early estate cars are not often seen. It will be good to see how you get on not only with the engine, but the rest of the car too!

[Guest]

Looks a nice car. Hope you get the engine unstuck. Diesel should do the trick unless you're unlucky and its really stuck.

Did you buy the Metro as well?

[Oli]

The tow it and rip the clutch up trick worked wonders for my seized S.

[H48HPE]

it was definitely running when it went into the garage we know that, the previous owner was helping me today to sort it out.... I've just been looking at the service history, its been on the road for exactly 6 years then stored for 19 years, its been serviced every 12 thousand miles by local dealers, it was bought in scunthorpe.

having had a second look there are a few marks on the body and a couple of bits of surface rust, both front and back bumpers have minor but noticable cracks.

I'm sure it'll look presentable when its sorted...

Andy

[H48HPE]

Roperman: the Metro is stuck in its garage till the summer, the garage door is an old sliding wooden one that is seriously stuck. hopefully the warmer weather will see it move open, also it requires a lot of stuff moving to get to it.... The owner cant really tackle any of it till summer.

I've said I'll buy the Metro, but need to see this Montego going first - I really like the Metro though...

Oli: i really wanted to try and tow it free earlier but the back brakes are stuck on! perhaps this is lucky as I could have caused more mess than I sorted!!

[Guest]

The engine should be fine if it is just dry siezed but if it has wept colant into a cylinder it will be a diferenf story! Just fill the bores up with diesel and leave for a few days! Then try to turn the engine by hand if it turns over it will more than likley be fine aslong as it dose not take a ring with it!

[H48HPE]

update:

after following advice here i filled the cylinders with diesel. after an hour or so I thought i'd try pushing it in 5th gear, this has released the engine, which then started spewing diesel out of the plug holes...


I tried turning it over with the battery off my focus which is massive, this worked well and i did it 3 times about 10 seconds each with the plugs out...


I then fitted a new battery from the local motor factors and added 15 litres of fuel (with lead substitute mix) added to the tank which was nearly empty. we tried to start it, but after about 6 attempts at 10 seconds each no luck

I've checked the ignition system and each plug is sparking ok. the fuel pump is running ok and has delivered about half a pint of fuel into a container which I did to try and get some of the fresh fuel through.

runing the starter to get the fuel pump to spit fuel has finished the battery off, so thats charging over night to have another go tomorrow.

Advice now needed on getting the thing started! bearing in mind this is at a house just off a main road so bump starting isn't really an option...

any proven ideas welcome!!

Its a shame i'd like to get this to my house ASAP but it really needs to go for an MOT driven from its current home, then driven to mine.... I'd love to get it in my garage but untill I get my Maestro out of there which is in pieces pending delivery of one of those plastic fuel filler pockets of the MGM group - I cant... (wish I'd not started that now) i needed it finished and able to go outside within the next 2 weeks.

[Guest]

Bottle of full suger coke always done the trick for me.
pour it down the bores as previous suggestions state.

works wonders and is cheap.

Once you have it running, drop the oil out and refill with oil for a TD car.
Run it on that for a few hundred miles then drop out and flush, replace with correct oil.

MG John, of Triple-m fame (and Turbo Guru) follows this procedure when recommisioning cars that have stood for very long periods, always worked for him, and using the TD oil with its detergents built in, cleans all the crap out of the engine.

But be warned, you will get fam more out than you put in, so have a second bowl ready.

Mal.

mal.

[Guest]

Theres a chance that the excess diesel is fouling the plugs, or maybe the carb is full of gunk.

Take the air filter off and lob a little petrol down the carb, if theres a spark it will fire and run for a few seconds- this can help to get things moving! E-Z start is also great for this.

Wish I was local, I love dragging old cars out of garages and bringing them to life!