Stuck Continental F163

[kolo]

bought a Lincoln welder with a stuck engine, conti F163. What is the worst engine you guys have brought back without a total rebuild. I drained over 2 gallons of water from this rig, and no oil came from the pan either. Story is it's been sitting 3-4 yrs. I have filled the cylinders with diesel and know at least the head will be coming off.Radiator is also empty. This rig was in North East but don't know it it had seen the winter with the water in it or if it built through the summer. Freeze plugs are intact and no outward signs of cracks or problems. I really don't have the time to tear it down now, but if quick action is required I would. I would like to put this off till winter when I'm not busy and I can bring it in the shop and take my time with it. Any quick first aid I can do to buy time or does it matter at this point. I did get a look at the cam, it gunky and black but not all brown red rust. And I think I can get the valve cover off without to much trouble next. Any advice welcome.

[Arlie Levy]

You will probably have to totally dissemble it. If you can get it un stuck you will have to pull the pistons and free up the rings or replace them. I don't think there is any quick fix to this engine.

[Andrew Mackey]

If you can't work on it right away, drain out as much water as you can. Fill the crankcase with kerosene or diesel, as well as the cylinders, as much as it will hold. The idea is to bury the entire internals in kero or fuel, so as to keep things from rusting further. Once you drained the water, you exposed all immersed items to air, which will now rust, now that air is there.

I tore down an American La-France V-12 that had 3 gallons of water in the crankcase, for over 10 years. When our department got the truck, the water was drained, the crankcase was filled with diesel, and the engine was left sitting for a month. The diesel was then drained, the case refilled with more diesel, and the starter was tried. After some serious bumping, the crank freed up, and the engine was then spun over for a couple of minutes with the Diesel in it. The fuel was drained, 8 Quarts of SAE 30 put in, and again the engine was cranked with the starter for several minutes. The ignition was then turned on, and the carbs primed, and the engine fired right up. It ran on 7 cylinders until I got to look at it right before our town's fire department had it's 100th anniversary parade. I got it to hit on 10 of 12 cylinders after messing with points and 4 stuck valves, 2 cylinders having no compression due to stuck rings and seriously corroded valves. After the parade it was decided to rebuild the engine, and refurbish the truck. If you look in the truck and car engine forum, you can see pix of the restored engine. By the way, when opened up, the crank and rod bearings, although under water for 10 years, had absolutely no rust on the journals. The only rust in the block was in the 2 cylinders that got water in them thru the open carb throats. This rust was easily honed out.
If you get oil or kero on the crank quickly, you should save yourself a lot of $$$ . Make sure to put in as much as the engine will hold, (probably up to the top of the dipstick).
Andrew

[kolo]

I have already done what you suggested but motor will probably hold more deisel than i used. Really can't hurt at this point. I can see if the crank were submerged in whatever, long as it didn't see air , it might be OK. Thing is getting it clean enough to run, thanks I'll give it a try.