The Classic Machinery Network

So my 1981 Leyland Engined 3CX has seized.

Was sat up digging g with the back actor and it started to labour, I picked the revs up a bit but it was struggling, idling OK, I knocked it off immediately and it stopped far too suddenly, like the instant the stop cable was pulled.

Long story short, oil leak, very low oil (1mm on bottom of dipstick maybe) left it to cool, topped up oil and fixed leak. Tried to start hours later but the starter clicks and stalls, engine is turning a fraction each time you give it a thump with the starter so it's not totally seized solid but obviously serious damage has been done.

Question i's, could it be salvageable? I'm thinking big ends, spun bearing, tightened up. Or am I dreaming there's any chance it's not totally trashed, bores wrecked, crank scored beyond repair??

Maybe a total finger in the air question but hoping someone has some level of experience with similar.

Hi Greg; sorry to hear of your mishap, the simple answer is there is no way to say for certain until you drop the sump and take a look at the damage inside, you may be lucky enough to get away with a crank grind and shells, only looking will give you some idea.

Jeremy

Like Jeremy says.
if you're lucky it will be a "quick" fix.
If you're very unlucky this could turn over a big bust
when you take the engine out, and take it apart,much will come clear.
pray for the best

Hi,
As has already been said you wont know till you strip it down.
The fact that you stopped the engine before it seized completely may be in your favour. If it wasn't knocking you may be in luck.
I don't want to build up your hopes but I have saved an engine on a couple of occasions,(including a D8 68A), when the bearing meatal has adhered to the crank and caused seisure without damaging the journals.
If your lucky and this is the case you should be able to clean up and save the crank with patient use of emery ribbon and oil.
If so I doubt you'll have much problem with the pistons.
Good luck.
Fred

As Fred says, you may be lucky. Removing bearing metal from journals with fine emery is a tedious but effective process but has to be worth a go. Of late my experience of recovering oil starved engines that have "gone tight" has been with small lumps with aluminium con rods running directly on the crank so the transferred metal has been a "variety " of aluminium and the bulk of that transferred metal can be removed with muriatic (hydrochloric ) acid - very effective and saves a lot hand work.
If it comes to the crunch it may be worth investigating whether it will work with whatever material is transferred from thin wall shell bearings. Just observe normal eye and skin protection procedures and add to that - a well ventilated place.

How did you get on?