Bought a 61 Buick Skylark 2 door!

Yeah, the guy that put the 300 in also hacked the heater box out. Never had heat again.

kroil in each cylinder let it stay for several days
it will free the pistons

Reason I'm saying is that a complete rebuild kit is almost $2,000 and that's not machine work included

No I didn't unbolt the torque converter because I can't turn the engine over. And I'm sorry you have to go for a funeral

Oh wow 2000 whole dollars? A set of pilot sport cups cost that for my 911. I went through three sets this summer at the track.

Stop being poor if you want to play with cars.

You won't pull the engine with the torque converter on the crank. Gives you an easy decision on pulling engine and transmission together.

Thanks... Maybe one good thing about the trip, guy offered to give me a 69 or 70 Cougar. Long trailer pull home though.

Oh wow 2000 whole dollars? A set of pilot sport cups cost that for my 911. I went through three sets this summer at the track.

Stop being poor if you want to play with cars.

Just saw a rebuild kit on eBay for $205, rings, bearings, and gaskets.

So you just need to crack it open and see what it's going to take.

And I did take my pressure washer and wash off the whole top and the engine bay and I know there's a lot of Grease everywhere in this engine bay I plan on degreasing it and painting the engine before it goes back in and painting the engine bay as well

Should probably spray some lube all over the lifter valley and cylinders, so that water doesn't start more corrosion. Pressure wash was good, I've used oven cleaner but Castrol Super Clean is a good degreaser, just don't want it on glass.

If you go back a page or two, there's some pic posting instructions back there.

Another thing that car has going on, it's a hardtop not a sedan. Hardtop is more desirable.

I'm in the South so it's mostly surface rust except for where the driver side floorboard is and the driver's door has a little crease in it that can be fixed. My question is it has the 215 aluminum engine experimental engine that is! Yes I'm excited about it but the engine won't turn over everything is seized and hasn't been ran since 1972. The intake is now off of it and the heads are about to come off to be redone but a rebuild kit is through the roof. What are you guys thought about loosening it up and if the Pistons are tight and everything else is tight just getting the heads done and putting the manifold back on and running it that way? Anyone?

Well I do have fun working on old cars so..

I'll toss a few things out here.

Your cylinders are cast iron and the two upper rings on each piston are also cast iron. It sounds as if you have been attempting soak the cylinders with various methods and penetrating lubes.

With rusted components, two very effective "treatments" in releasing rust are 1. heat and 2.shock/vibration.

With lots of combustible material in close proximity, heat is not a good choice.

A. Shock: Shock in the form of a piece of oak that will fit in the 3.5" bore and a short handled sledge or a heavy ball-pen hammer should do the trick. (caution, you're only trying to shake the piston around a little allowing some penetrating oil to find its way around the rings, DONT GET TOO HEAVY HANDED) do this on all 8 cylinders, keeping a small amount of penetrant visible on all cylinders. You will likely need to repeat this process several times.

I don't know which method you're using attempting to rotate the crankshaft. 1. removing the starter to access the flexplate ring gear is one location.

2.Removing the vibration damper, reinstalling the keyway key in its grove and a large crescent (adjustable wrench)clenched on the shaft so that it catches on the key when rotated will provide some extra torque too.

B.Vibration: will entail the use of a pneumatic muffler gun and some creative tool building.

I have a phone call from an old buddy on hold, I'll come back later and explain a little more on using vibration.

I'll toss a few things out here.

Your cylinders are cast iron and the two upper rings on each piston are also cast iron. It sounds as if you have been attempting soak the cylinders with various methods and penetrating lubes.

With rusted components, two very effective "treatments" in releasing rust are 1. heat and 2.shock/vibration.

With lots of combustible material in close proximity, heat is not a good choice.

A. Shock: Shock in the form of a piece of oak that will fit in the 3.5" bore and a short handled sledge or a heavy ball-pen hammer should do the trick. (caution, you're only trying to shake the piston around a little allowing some penetrating oil to find its way around the rings, DONT GET TOO HEAVY HANDED) do this on all 8 cylinders, keeping a small amount of penetrant visible on all cylinders. You will likely need to repeat this process several times.

I don't know which method you're using attempting to rotate the crankshaft. 1. removing the starter to access the flexplate ring gear is one location.

2.Removing the vibration damper, reinstalling the keyway key in its grove and a large crescent (adjustable wrench)clenched on the shaft so that it catches on the key when rotated will provide some extra torque too.

B.Vibration: will entail the use of a pneumatic muffler gun and some creative tool building.

I have a phone call from an old buddy on hold, I'll come back later and explain a little more on using vibration.

I love this thread.

Kroil is one of the few things I will endorse as having near magical effectiveness.

My machinist father introduced it to me 50 years ago.

When the cheap stuff wouldn't work, you cracked out the Aero-Kroil.

To this day, I regard the unique smell of Kroil as the smell of SUCCESS, and even to the point of dabbing some on my my neck as cologne sometimes.

It's expensive for a real good reason.

I'll toss a few things out here.

Your cylinders are cast iron and the two upper rings on each piston are also cast iron. It sounds as if you have been attempting soak the cylinders with various methods and penetrating lubes.

With rusted components, two very effective "treatments" in releasing rust are 1. heat and 2.shock/vibration.

With lots of combustible material in close proximity, heat is not a good choice.

A. Shock: Shock in the form of a piece of oak that will fit in the 3.5" bore and a short handled sledge or a heavy ball-pen hammer should do the trick. (caution, you're only trying to shake the piston around a little allowing some penetrating oil to find its way around the rings, DONT GET TOO HEAVY HANDED) do this on all 8 cylinders, keeping a small amount of penetrant visible on all cylinders. You will likely need to repeat this process several times.

I don't know which method you're using attempting to rotate the crankshaft. 1. removing the starter to access the flexplate ring gear is one location.

2.Removing the vibration damper, reinstalling the keyway key in its grove and a large crescent (adjustable wrench)clenched on the shaft so that it catches on the key when rotated will provide some extra torque too.

B. Vibration: will entail the use of a pneumatic muffler gun and some creative tool building.

I have a phone call from an old buddy on hold, I'll come back later and explain a little more on using vibration.

[link to imgur.com (secure)]

I rebuild my own engines but the rebuild kit is close to $2,000 and the Machine work would be probably six or seven hundred

Oh. It took a half inch impact gun just to get the spark plugs out and fighting it at that. Then I put a solution of half acetone half transmission fluid to soak but it still won't bust loose

You're in over your head. Most likely the block can't be saved.

Today, all-aluminum engines are commonplace throughout the American auto industry. The novelty wore off some years ago. But back in 1961, Buick’s aluminum V8 was a bold innovation for the Motor City. That year, General Motors launched its senior compacts, the Buick Special, Oldsmobile F-85, and Pontiac Tempest. These three products included a number of advanced technical features, and the new 215 cubic-inch lightweight V8 was one of the more noteworthy items.

[link to macsmotorcitygarage.com (secure)]

A LONG PHONE CALL!

I just read that you have an air hammer, usually they come with an assortment of bits, if you have a longer one that you're willing to sacrifice, cut it off to be flat on the bottom leaving it as long as possible. You'll need a 1/4" to 3/8" thick steel disc, slightly smaller in diameter than the depression in the top of the piston. Weld a short length of pipe about 1.5", vertically in the center of the steel disc. The pipe ID. should be such that the flat bottom bit can slide freely.
Install the new tool in the gun, being careful not to touch the trigger(it's possible to dangerously eject the entire tool until it is firmly held against the piston.) using about 90 psi connect the air hose.

Center the disc in the depression, insert the flat bottom tool in the vertical pipe. Holding downward pressure on the gun use short bursts as you slightly shift holding pressure.
Do this on all 8 cylinders. Bare in mind that penetrating oil on the piston may splash back at you.
Also, your mission is just vibrating the piston and rings.