Farmall H seized

Dan Handy · Mar 20, 2011

What's the best recipe to soak stuck cast iron pistons in a Farmall H? I bought it stuck and don't know how long it has been.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 20, 2011

Take the hood off, head off, put diesel and gas mixed into the cylinders, light it and let it burn. The gas is necessary to keep the diesel burning. If it's not loose after one burn, do it again until it's loose. I've done this several times and sometimes it takes 3 to 4 burns. Good luck. DH

eric wettengel · Mar 20, 2011

i would take the head off and oil pan and see how much rust their is and scrap it off best you can then get a torch and heat the sleeves and block then get pb. blaster sold at auto parts stores spray in cylinder where pistons are top and bottom while its still warm its a good penetrating rust preventive lube, i love un seizing old tractor engines i have un seized 5 tractors

Jason the Red · Mar 20, 2011

Try removing the spark plugs pouring in your favorite concoction of oils/fuels/lubes etc. Let that sit for a couple of days, add a little more, then put the transmission in high gear and GENTLY rock it back and forth a few times a day. This is how I unstuck a 300 utility that wasn't badly stuck. It took 3-4 days.

sflem849 · Mar 20, 2011

(quoted from post at 15:45:33 03/20/11) i would take the head off and oil pan and see how much rust their is and scrap it off best you can then get a torch and heat the sleeves and block then get pb. blaster sold at auto parts stores spray in cylinder where pistons are top and bottom while its still warm its a good penetrating rust preventive lube, i love un seizing old tractor engines i have un seized 5 tractors

Scrape, you don't want to take it to the junk man

I would hate to see the guy get confused.

I have heard good things about all of the methods. If you are unsure of how long it has been stuck you are going to have to take the head off anyway so you might as well do it now. This will help your penetrant work better.

I saw first hand a successful ATF and Acetone unsticking. A lot of guys like that method on the board, too.

You can get most penetrating oils in bulk rather than spray cans. You would be more economical doing that for this type of project.

El Toro · Mar 20, 2011

Do what HickDale suggested, but make sure you're away from any building and remove anything flammable. I would only heat one at a time and have the rod cap off the piston you're heating. Take a piece of 2 X 2 oak and a big hammer and tap on the oak with the hammer and see if the piston will move. You can use a puller on the sleeves once you have the pistons out. Always take pictures, make notes and a few sketches. Use a memory card too. Hal

old · Mar 20, 2011

First off make sure you have no water in the cylinders. Then fill the cylinders with ATF and walk away from it for a month. Put the plug back in so as to keep dirt etc out. I have freed up more then 20 that way and do it this way all the time. Ya it does not work all the time and time is the key to freeing one up. After a month put a 12 volt battery on it pull the plugs and try the starter with short fast taps of the button. I have had most pop free that way including 2 1940 Hs that I have

gene bender · Mar 20, 2011

I would look in the sparkplug holes and you can see how bad the walls look. If they are covered with rust dont wast any time pull the head and pan as the engine is probably junk. I just tore an engine down after looking at the walls when the plugs were removed. I could have soaked forever and that engine would not have freed up.

sflem849 · Mar 20, 2011

(quoted from post at 17:50:46 03/20/11) I would look in the sparkplug holes and you can see how bad the walls look. If they are covered with rust dont wast any time pull the head and pan as the engine is probably junk. I just tore an engine down after looking at the walls when the plugs were removed. I could have soaked forever and that engine would not have freed up.

IMO, you should pull the head anytime because if the motor was stuck there is a pretty good chance a valve could be stuck as well.

The Gambler pulling team · Mar 21, 2011

I have a H that was seized and I drilled down the sides of the piston. Then I knocked the piston out in pieces. After they were out I pulled the sleeves. Now the block is ready for a rebuild. When you knock the pieced out you just need to get the ring area out and the rod and remainder will slide right out.

El Toro · Mar 21, 2011

A few years ago there was a man that had an H that was stuck. He used a hydraulic press to remove the pistons after removing the crankshaft. I haven't seen any of his postings for a long time and I forgot his name. He always posted pictures of his project. Hal

toymaker 27 · Mar 21, 2011

I used a block of wood and a eight pound sledge hammer to drive the pistons out after they had been soaking for six months. when the pistons came out the rings had to be chipped out of their groves. does this ATf stuff free up the stuck rings?

pete 23 · Mar 21, 2011

If you intend to make this a decent running tractor the only way to go is to take it apart other wise you may very well do significant damage. I know many are just "unstuck" but that is not a reliable way to do things.

sflem849 · Mar 21, 2011

(quoted from post at 09:12:59 03/21/11) I used a block of wood and a eight pound sledge hammer to drive the pistons out after they had been soaking for six months. when the pistons came out the rings had to be chipped out of their groves. does this ATf stuff free up the stuck rings?

My grandpa will make a pressure plate type thing using the studs/bolts in the head. It works good and puts constant pressure on the pistons. You reminded me because he puts a piece of wood between the piston and the presser.

neblinc · Mar 21, 2011

This would be a last resort working with a bare block to press the pistons out.
The Farmal H

Randy

Dan Handy · Mar 21, 2011

Thank you to all of you who gave me ideas. I should have given you more specifics: the head is off, pistons 1 & 4 are at top of stroke, 2 & 3 are pretty much at bottom of stroke and had some water in them at some time. They will be the stubborn ones, I'm sure. Also, I want to save the cast iron pistons if I can. I know I'll probably have to remove them and maybe replace the rings. This is an interesting 1941 H. I've never seen one so plain. Magneto, no other electrical system at all(no light bar, no generator, not even the bracket, no instrument box on steering pedestal), no PTO, no belly pump(just a cast iron cover on the bottom of clutch housing), no fenders, was on steel, was converted to 36" rears, and is a distillate, just missing the starting tank. By the way, does anybody know where I could find a starting tank? Also, when I get some different tires on it, I'll have one 11-36 Firestone Gum Dipped old tread style tire(continuous or connected tread bars) if anybody is looking for one. Thanks again for all the ideas.

Deryl Sewell · Mar 28, 2011

I just finished unsticking a B that had been stuck for four years. Remove the head, fill the two stuck cylinders with half ATF and half Acetone. Wait about four or five days, use a turkey baster and remove the solution, add new.
Wait about four or five more days and then rock the tractor in gear. If that doesn't do it, shave a two by four so it will slide into the cylinder, take a small sledge and give it a few good "love" taps. Worked on mine.

Farmall H seized

Dan Handy

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eric wettengel

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old

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