Frozen 1944 Farmall H pt 2

RyanKve · Apr 29, 2022

Hello again

For anyone who hasnt been following along: I bought a frozen 1944 farmall H a few weeks ago with a frozen motor. I pulled the motor from the tractor, put it on an engine stand, and successfully removed the crankshaft (after using a special wrench)

With the crankshaft out of the motor, I am still unable to tap out all four frozen pistons. I have now soaked all of the pistons overnight with aerokroil and both sides (Upside down and right side up). I have tried mixing ATF and gas and burning it on top of the pistons with a rag and still to no avail. I have broken 3 2x4s by trying to tap the pistons out.

The ideal goal is to save the pistons, bore hone the sleeves, and replace the rings.

Im looking for any thoughts / ideas on how to remove the pistons again. Im all out of my ideas. The pistons in fact are aluminum by the way. Once again. Let me know if you would like any pictures.

kurt v · Apr 29, 2022

I would fill the cyl with the krol and let them sit for a few days and see if any of the fluid leaks out the bottom, they don't look bad at all.

kurt

RogerinIowa · Apr 29, 2022

Post some pictures of the sleeves, top and bottom, close up. We're trying to come up with ideas.

J.Wondergem · Apr 29, 2022

Could take it to a machine shop and have them press them out.

Charlie M · Apr 29, 2022

Maybe a better piece of wood and a larger hammer?

thehickdaddy · Apr 29, 2022

agree with kurt V

let them sit for days or weeks or longer. They don't look bad at all. A little patience goes a long way

they didn't get stuck overnight, so don't expect them to free up overnight.

rustcollector · Apr 29, 2022

Ryan,

If you can make a plate out of 1/2 inch X6 flat steel, use the head gasket to mark and drill holes for the head bolts. Drill and tap a hole in the center of the cylinder for a 1/4 NPT thread and screw in an air hose fitting. Put 2 to 3 ounces of your best solvent mixture on top of each piston. Make a thick paper gasket or use the old head gasket and bolt the plate on top of the engine block with 1.5 inch long bolts of appropriate diameter and thread. Connect each cylinder to an air hose with a regulator and slowly raise the pressure to 50 psi and let set overnight. If the piston has not moved, increase the pressure in 10 psi increments up to 100 psi letting the pressure sit for a few hours with each increment of pressure. The first overnight with solvent will force the solvent around the piston and rings. Not necessary to add solvent for additional pressure increases. This will be the least destructive force on the piston and cylinder. If the piston does not move when you reach 100 psi, turn the crankshaft side up and see if the liner, piston and rod can be driven out with a wooden block. At that point, you are in for a new set of sleeves and pistons. Good luck; keep us posted.

Richard G. · Apr 29, 2022

I agree.

Gambles · Apr 29, 2022

I overhauled an H about 40 years ago when I was fresh out of tech school. The local farmer had left it outside with no can on the exhaust for a couple or years. I knocked the pistons out with an OAK 2X4 (much toucher than the construction 2X4s of today) and the sleeves came with it. I bought new sleeves, but reused the pistons. (Or did I use Tractor Supply high-domers? Been while) Since this engine is a dry sleeve, you don't have to worry about sleeve o-rings. Be prepared to buy new sleeves, but good luck trying to keep the old ones.

Steve A W · Apr 29, 2022

Here's a video of R Aikin of oldfarmjunk101 youtube.
oldfarmjunk101 video

grandpa Love · Apr 29, 2022

Correct!

rlp in Co. · Apr 30, 2022

Maybe find a fence post just a little smaller than the bore. Raise it up and slam it down on the piston. I haven't done this. It's just an idea.

rlp in Co. · Apr 30, 2022

I like your idea with the plate a lot! If air pressure doesn't get it, maybe squirt a little starting fluid in and make a little trail of fluid over to the hole and toss a match on top! I bet something will give!!! PS. Wear goggles and body armor! That's how I seat tire beads!

used red MN · Apr 30, 2022

How big is the hammer you are using? You need at least a 3 lbs one and bigger is better, a 5 pounder would not hurt. Finding some oak to pound on is not easy. Not sure if the big name home improvement centers carry anything like oak posts. If you had some what we called ..hedge.. in Kansas or proper name is Osage Orange you could cut a limb out of one of those. Then you would have you something that would stand up to some pounding. Just FYI for when or if this project comes full circle to a running tractor. These Farmalls have a pipe the muffler goes on that threads into the exhaust manifold. Often those threads do not totally seal. So even if you have a can or rain cap on the muffler water can run down that pipe past the threads and into the motor. Good thing to be aware of incase you are storing the tractor outside.

caterpillar guy · Apr 30, 2022

With a pulling puck with a board or 2x4 under it and a heavy bar or plate like I described in a previous reply on this engine. You could put pressure with a 1 inch or larger bolt to the top of the piston and it will move or pull the studs out of the block. With some diesel fuel it should move. Might even put pressure on and leave it till it does move some hitting the top of the bolt each day or tighten slightly each day.

RyanKve · Apr 30, 2022

(quoted from post at 03:40:22 04/30/22) How big is the hammer you are using? You need at least a 3 lbs one and bigger is better,.

Im using probably a 3 lb hammer. Its old and not written on it, but it has a good bit of weight.

RyanKve · Apr 30, 2022

John-MI · Apr 30, 2022

Try acetone mixed 50-50 with auto transmission fluid. I had a Ford 8n that had sat outside about 20 years, and was set up sotight that we could not break it loose by towing it. Put in the shop and pulled head. Hitting with a wood block and large hammer didn't help either. I filled the pistons with this and let set.. After a day it started drinking the mixture. In a few days Engine rolled over easy.

TomA in CA · Apr 30, 2022

Set CV a chunk of dry ice on each piston.

RyanKve · Apr 30, 2022

(quoted from post at 20:22:16 04/29/22) Post some pictures of the sleeves, top and bottom, close up. We're trying to come up with ideas.

The pistons have a little bit of black from burning ATF, Acetone, and Gas

Fritz Maurer · Apr 30, 2022

Just remember that when you are pounding on the pistons, you can break the top off of the sleeve of the sleeve moves instead of the piston. That stuff all does look real nice, Id try to save it too. J. Wondergem has the answer.... let someone press them out straight and carefully.... pistons will come out of the sleeves easily once the assembly is out of the block.

Frozen 1944 Farmall H pt 2

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