Warbird Information Exchange

We have a P&W 1830 engine that was in a can for about 7 years. the problem is that the preservative that was used in it has dried up and we can not get the prop to pull all the way thru. does anyone have any ideas on getting the cyl. freed up?

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Robert Rice
President
American Flight Museum
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I have mixed jet fuel and 60 weight oil 50/50 and filled the cylinders and let them soak. It surprises me that the "preservative" material has dried to the point that the engine can't be turned with a turning tool. If the cylinders are steel, the rings may have frozen to the walls.

Sparrow

Marvel mystery oil is better and it will loosen the rings too

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Regular old Jet B or A works. Just pour some in the plug holes everyday. Takes a few days but if it's only frozen preservative she'll come loose.

I still say if you hook a cargo strap to the low blabe and hook it to a tug. Works every time it's trid. JF

Does it turn at all or is it complete locked?

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

it turns about 180 degrees when you move one of the props. Jake if it were your engine I would do it but since it's my engine I think I will be a little less hard on it

Any chance there's something in it? I actually saw a screwdriver inside a fresh -1340 once.

Dan

I hope not ! it came from the Israeli air force, which had pickled it with about 350 hrs on it.

Well if it turns some, it can't be locked up from pickeling. You must have a mechanical or hydraulic issue somewhere. If the 180 degree movement is free and easy but stops at that point and all the plugs are out something is physically stopping the rotation. Can you look in the cylinders with a procto light and see if all the pistons are moving when you rotate the 180?

When it stops, is it a "mushy" stop or a solid one?

_________________
"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

Ya, he's right - that doesn't sound right to me either. I'd take a look in all the cylinders if you can. If it's turning at all I wouldn't expect it to be a pickling issue, unless it's a hydraulic lock that turned solid, but that's kinda reaching. Is the engine upright or on it's back?

We have looked in the cyl. and you can see where the preservative oil has dried on the walls. it sat in this engine can for 7 years in the heat and I think it just dried out. We started out by putting in some mouse milk which started to free it up, I think we will just have to keep working it until it softens up to where we can pull it all the way thru and then start it. the engine is hanging on the plane and we have taken all the plugs out and when you look in the spark plug holes you can see where the preservative has dried to the walls.

Is the travel progressively increasing? It could just be really galled up with cosmolene. If that's the case then just keep filling it with Jet A or B and keep wiggling it. Just don't force it.

So you have a ridge built up in the cylinder that just stops the travel? How many cylinders are affected, can you tell?

I would try to position the affected cylinder in the 12 o'clock position on the engine stand if you can. Does your stand allow you to position the engine with the prop shaft horizontal? Then I'd fill the cylinder, with the piston up at the hardened schmuck, and just let it set. I'd probably try some mineral spirits if the mystery oil or jet fuel mix doesn't work.

You may have a problem when this junk turns to goo, it's going to want to gum up you rings too. It may be easier to just pull the affected jugs and clean them up off the engine?

Hate to see any of that crap get deeper into the motor to clog an oil passage, bearing or something.

_________________
"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

It is moving more now than when we started, I think it will free up it is just going to take time.