Looking for advice w a frozen engine

[Peters02]

Have a 72 charger that is coming apart slowly.  Need to pull the engine but it has not turned in 18 years and it is stuck/frozen.
As I understand it, in order to disconnect the engine from the transmission, I need to turn the engine to remove some bolts connecting it to the transmission.

Advice has led me to periodically spraying PB blaster into the s-plug holes and trying to turn it w the bolt on the crank pulley.  So far no luck.
All I have achieved is nearly pulling my arms from their sockets.
I was thinking I might pull the pan off this weekend and see if anything comes to mind from that angle.

Any other suggestions?
I fear a breaker bar will break me or worse, the bolt or another part of the engine.
It's a 318, automatic, if that makes any difference.

Thanks
Peter

[dstryr]

If you pull the heads you might find just one or two pistons had some water and you might be able to free them by tapping from the top.  Otherwise, turn it over, pull the rod caps and with a large hammer and block of wood try to tap the pistons out from the bottom side. 

Once you start getting it apart and the crank out then you can work on the pistons much more easily.

[Peters02]

Thanks.  I was hoping to pull the engine and then deal w the heads, but you make a good point.

Peter

[StockMan]

You should be able to pull the trans from the motor leaving the torque convert attached to the flywheel.  You would need to pull the engine/trans out of the car together in order to do this I believe.

[flyinlow]

The converter and flex plate are not suposed to carry the weight of the transmission.

However if you support the rear of the engine,  I have taken the trans. off leaving the converter bolted to flex plate. Use care to come straight back

until the converter neck clears the trans. pump. This assumes the converter is not rusted to the pump.

Would be easier to do if you take the engine/trans out together and then remove the trans. 

[flyinlow]

On the stuck engine, I pulled the heads on a ring rusted 440 ,soaked the pistons with a good rust buster. Tapped (not beat) on the pistons with a rawhyde mallet a few times over a day or two. Finnally broke loose with starter. Car had sat for a year.

One other trick is make your 318 an air motor. Pull plugs soak cyclinders . Pull valvecovers ,remove rockershafts, plum shop air into sparkplug holes and use the pistons to turn the crank.

[FJMG]

   When I was a kid I bought an old swather that had a frozen (prob for decades) 4-cyl. An old farmer told me to pour diesel fuel into the cyl. and let it sit. Each day I would top up the diesel fuel and gently try to turn motor (this was a hand crank motor). After three days it was free. After changing oil, this same farmer then told me to remove the valve cover and spray the guides/tems with oil, try and start it and as soon as it starts, begin spraying ATF into the intake (just enough without stalling) for a few minutes. This motor has ran since then (is still in use today) and was never taken apart. I have an oil press. gauge on the block and this thing has better pressure than my 97 Ram.
I couldn't believe it!

[lisiecki1]

pull the heads and fill the cylinders with marvel mystery oil and let soak for a couple days.....worked for an old boat my dad had....

[Finn]

Might want to pick up a brass hammer for tapping stuck engine parts, though as said before a block of wood would be the cheaper alternative.

[Sublime/Sixpack]

pull the heads and fill the cylinders with marvel mystery oil and let soak for a couple days.....worked for an old boat my dad had....

That is good stuff!

[Peters02]

Thank you all for the input.  I am soaking the heck outta things and trying to get the head bolts to turn (yes, another headache I am having).
My last resort will be to pull the engine and transmission together.

I guess since everything else on the car came apart without a frozen or rusted nut or bolt, I deserved and should have expected that my luck would run out.

[62 Max]

pull the heads and fill the cylinders with marvel mystery oil and let soak for a couple days.....worked for an old boat my dad had....

That is good stuff!

Diesel fuel works well also.

[Peters02]

Solution - #6 piston was stuck beyond compare.  Soaking did not work.
Had to drop the oil pan and push (to be read - hammer) the piston out from below.

Thanks for all the help and advice.

Peter

[lisiecki1]

glad you came up with a solution 

we're all here to help if you have any other questions......

how bad was the cylinder rusted?

[Peters02]

The kicker was that there was a little rust on the lip near the head, but nothing on the cylinder walls leading down to the piston which was about 2/3 down the cylinder.  Looks to be just enough around the rings to have been the cause of the headache.
I guess the lesson here is a little rust is all it takes to ruin a weekend.
I guess I will know the true extent of the damage when I bring the thing to the machine shop.  But that's likely a year away.  I have more than enough body work to contend with.