bertram31.com

Well, gang, here's the sad tale from the beginning. For those who have followed from the first, skip on down.
When I bought Dreamsicle I found a pair of Cummins 6BTA's out of another Bertram. 1990 models with 600 hours. Since this was to be an extended project (never envisioined five years though) I had the yard mechanic pull the injectors and pour Marvel Mystery oil down the tubes, stuff the tubes with paper towels and have kept the engines dry since. Yesterday I applied battery power to them and one turned over like it was chasing Michael Vick. The other is stuck! Pulled the starter, tested it and tried to move the engine with a screwdriver at the flywheel. Not too hard though, didn't want to chip a tooth.
Talked to Tony Athens last night about air cleaners and told him my sad tale. He suggested first to try turning engine from the front with a socket on one of the pulley bolts or two socket wrenches if I have the room. He also suggested using the alternator (3 - 1 reduction) to assist in the turning. If this doesn't work and before I start dismantling the beast is it possible for a stuck valve to hold things firm? I've had this on gassers and have given the valve stem a whack and loosened the engine.
I'm grasping at straws here in fear and trepidation of having to pull and rebuild.
Hep me, I've fallen and can't get up.

Shoot CX down the bores, let it sit for an hour or so then "bar" the engine over from the front using a long socket handle....probably not a valve, just a stuck piston.

UV

Marvel Mystery Oil Hydro-Lock?

Mikey: I have a 3/4" breaker bar and 3/4" impact sockets if you need to use them. I also have a long pipe! I also have a borescope that may fit through the injector hole.

Vic, Already have Marvel in the holes.
Mike, No injectors.
Rawleigh, Could use the bar. Trade in for the bar to move my cistern lid. That worked. Damned near killed me doing it though.
Getting the barring tool to properly turn the engine. Probably be tomorrow before I can get back to the engine. Keep you posted. As Always, thank you my frens

DONT get to turning engine over to fast yet. Try to wrench counterclockwise and if it doesnt budge then a piston ring is probably stuck. if it moves backward and then locks up going clockwise it is probably a stuck valve. Whatever you do dont muscle it over too much it will bend pushrod and valves as well. Once i had a Topaz w/165 Volvo thats piston was stuck for a week sitting with mystery oil. One day it broke free with a wrench backwards and i spun over w/injectors out filled with new mystery oil and let sit for another week kept wrenching over by hand. Removed oil with starter and injectors out installed injectors and believe it or not that engine ran for years with no problems. even seemed to run better than the other one we rebuilt. Dont to forget to put a towel and something heavy to hold it there before spinning over with the starter. I learned that the hard way!!! Mystery oil will shoot out of the injector holes with a veangance. P.S this way may possibly lead to scuffed cylender walls and need a rebuild soon afterwards. I got real lucky. Good luck

Mikey, Marvel ain't CX, hear me?

UV

That's why it's a mystery.

CX in the holes. Just watch turning the breaker bar counterclockwise. You undo the nut before the engine rotates. I would go clockwise easy first. When I say easy Mikey you can probably jump up and down on the breaker bar. If you find some musclehead to turn the bar tell him to go easy! I would really lube things up with CX including the rocket arms. Hope you get her cracking over.

Vic,
What do I do about the MM oil in the cylinders now? Sucking it out with a turkey baster will not get what's down next to the rings, so will doing all of that provide enough CX at the critical point to make a difference? CAn't stir or shake to mix; hole too small engine too heavy.
Need more CX. Rawleigh and I would like to split a case of aerisol cans when you solve the shipping problem.
Got the proper tool for barring the engine over and will attempt it today, hopefully. First I'll try the valve routine then the gentle barring.
Had a Jag engine stuck once and pulled the pan, place a jack under the engine, put pressure with the jack on a rising piston, put oil in cylinders, left it and two days later returned to find no pressure on the jack and the engine turning. Thought about doing the same with the barring tool.
Damned depressing.

Mikey
One option to use to remove the Marvel oil is to take a trip to your local autoparts store. They make a blower that attaches to a regualr air hose that also has a siphon hose attached that you can stick down in the injector hole to evacuate the excess oil out of the cylinders.
You may have to do some "Harry engineering" to reduce the hose to a size that will actually pass thru the injector hole. Just take the injector with you to the autoparts store to assure that you get the correct size hose.

Normally this attachment is used to apply a cleaning agent like Simple Green or gunk but I use it to clean chips and debris from the botttom of tapped holes etc.

Keep your chin up..........you gonna be okay

Harry Babb

Mikey - The red CX will cut thru the MM pretty quick. I can drop ship a case from CX in Dallas to you guys, just email me with an address....VLR@RKKDLAW.COM.

I'm still having trouble with small shipments....

UV

Don't think your cylinder rings are a total seal, the MM is slowly draning down into the crank case as we speak. You should have room to put the CX in as well by now.

ScottD

how big are the injector holes (see i just pull the plugs to get in the cylinders, a rare victory for gas)......i have a pump mike and i use to change oil...the smallest tube is pretty small and might work