Best Fix For A Stuck Engine - Viewers Choice. Marvel Mystery Oil, vs ATF, vs Acetone, vs Vinegar

We took four rust seized pistons and gave them a 24 hour soak in solutions chosen by our viewers to see which one would give us the best chance of saving a stuck engine.
Automatic Trans Fluid, Marvel Mystery, White Vinegar and an ATF/Acetone mix.
In the end, only one stood out as a clear winner.
#projectfarm #classiccar #engines
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[@beachboardfan9544]

Put the failed ones in the vinegar to see if it frees them up as well?

[@SinsBird]

Of course it would.

[@chuckthebull]

Like to see it work in an actually stuck engine. But how to get the vinegar out after ,, or will it eat the block alive..how to neutralize it after? Hmmm

[@SinsBird]

@@chuckthebull It neutralizes as it reacts with metal. By the time pistons get unstuck there will be barely any vinegar left. Unless you pour a whole cup into the cylinder for no reason.

[@chuckthebull]

@@SinsBird I left a tool in a tub of vinegar one time to derust it..got distracted and forgot about it.. Nothing was left but the plastic parts. It desolved the entire tool. Anyway I get your point. Still I suppose flushing it with gassoline and fresh oil would work out.. If you are not going to rebuild it ,,you already don't care that much...seen lots of vids of people taking old flatheads and getting them unstuck and they run just fine. I'm rebuilding a 1930 VL Harley engine. I have a 62 sunbeam, 73 Pontiac lemans, and an mg midget.. So I'm no newbie to engines.

[@SinsBird]

​@@chuckthebull Exactly, you say you left it in the tub so it was probably way too much vinegar for the job. It's best to use the smallest container that your part will fit in laying flat and add just enough vinegar to fully submerge it. And we're not even talking about different concentrations of vinegar available. I'm just gonna say that 9% is VERY strong vinegar.

[@jmshssk2]

Project Farm or not, youre still a pretty cool guy to watch. I learn something new evertime i watch your videos. You've got a wealth of sensable knowledge and wisdom to learn from.

[@chrisvandecar4676]

Now soak the other three in the vinegar to see if it frees those other pistons. Great vid, as always.

[@garysgarage.2841]

I have a tote half full with vinegar I toss rusty parts in. They always come out completely rust free. The vinegar is well used and black like old used motor oil but still does it's job perfect.

[@kurtzimmerman1637]

Mint!

[@jaksierra7]

I heard leaving it in the sun too helps? What I heard from a metal worker/fabricator I'm not an expert

[@volvo09]

Crazy, I'll have to try that knowing it doesn't wear out as quickly as I would have imagined.

[@Spectre528]

White vinegar can easily replace about 90% of household cleaning products. Nice to know it has a place in the garage as well!

[@DL101ca]

Should try molasses. Removes rust like nothing else.

[@LimitedGunnerGM]

Project farm is a real world product testing Channel. Good stuff!

[@rawbsworld6604]

👍 but I find him hard to follow / focus dude took the Evelyn wood speed talking class! Don’t watch him, but if something makes me go 🤔 I just scroll it thru to the end for the results! 😳🤷‍♂️

[@ssnerd583]

@@rawbsworld6604 ....Watch his vids on .75% speed

[@rawbsworld6604]

@@ssnerd583 why?

[@rawbsworld6604]

Haha thought it said this vid! Oops🤦 I hear ya but that’s more effort I’m willing to do to watch a vid 😳 good idea though 👍haha this is a click & watch society now 🤣 .. I already feel I do my part for the algorithm , I like & sub to those I like and comment on those that comment back.. and those I really like I even let the commercials play out 🤷‍♂️ I ain’t gonna jump through hoops to watch content , 🤷‍♂️ just the way I am! .. thanks… ✌️🤙

[@AutoMotivate]

@@rawbsworld6604 I love watching Project farm

[@buslife8076]

I can’t say enough good things about MMO. It has saved my butt lots of times, made me easy money and also saved me lots of money. The latest save was a 1956 330 Desoto hemi that had been stuck for 30 years. I poured some in each spark plug hole, removed the oil pan and hung the motor from my gantry crane. Then I slid a pan of hot coals under it and let it warm up to about 150 degrees. It broke loose with a screwdriver on the flywheel. Spins nice and free now. I have a picture of the setup but I’m not sure I can attach pictures here. I did this on thanksgiving weekend. It seemed the appropriate time to roast that turkey. MMO works much better if you can warm the motor up. It’s best miracles are when the motor will run and you can add it to the oil and fuel. Then it will remove carbon deposits from the combustion chamber and valves.

[@ronosga4391]

I knew an old guy that his first step to unseizing and engine was to use distilled water. He would reactivate the rust then dry it out and use penatrating oil and he was a very smart guy, that restored many steam and early gas engines.

[@JD-vs6is]

Can you, my friend, apply a video in your channel?

[@bavarianautotech2096]

Kroil& Vinegar

[@radleybradford1356]

@@bavarianautotech2096 and balsamic on endive & dandelion

[@bigbaudiboiis-ne8gd]

@@JD-vs6is yes, quite!

[@derekbowbrick6233]

C.L.R. and a six pack, C.L.R. to soak them and beer to help with the watching.

[@johnstuartsmith]

Totally (or 90%...) off topic, but I'm amazed at the great job that tomato ketchup does on cleaning copper. Smear it all over the tarnished copper, leave it for an hour or two, and rinse it off. (Consider ketchup as vinegar in a gel formulation.) Ketchup or vinegar can also enhance the flavor of Tater Tots and fish and chips, while Brasso or Seafoam won't. So there's that.....

[@jontrudell7529]

I've used Food grade white Vinegar to clean out several Gas tanks with Great success! Its cheap, easy & non toxic. It Eats rust like crazy.

[@brentmiller3951]

I have used that to strip rust and paint off guns

[@superduty4556]

Yep, pour on the ground without worry.

[@richbon9904]

In the late 80s I had an 73 dodge charger and put a four speed in it. Had a bearing noise in fourth gear while cruising. It got so annoying I dunoed a quart of marvel mystery oil in gear box. A couple days later I realized the noise was gone. Then I drove it for five more years and no issues. My buddy had a Toyota with five speed and was moving from palm beach to Titusville. His trans had a similar noise. Told him dump marvel in it. They all said it wouldn't work. By time he got to Titusville the noise was gone. He drove for years after as well with no issues. I mite if just got lucky. I don't know but I trust the stuff

[@bradleynelson5915]

@@richbon9904 , as a lubricant Marvel works great. As a rust/carbon removal, not so much. I works well for what it's designed for.

[@thesetruths1404]

I have a 2005 5.3L automatic 4x4 Yukon with 223,000 miles. It holds 6 qts of oil. I changed oil (10w30 conventional) and filter (walmart brand base filter) before a 6,500 mile mostly intestate trip from CO mountains to Mid-Atlantic to South and then back up to CO mountains. In the first 4,000 miles of trip Yukon burned 1.75 quarts of oil. Before making the last 2,500 miles of trip (uphill to CO) I added .75 quart MMO (conventional formula) to bring level to Full. It burned none in 2,500 miles to and around CO before I changed the oil/filter. So it went from burning 1.75 qts in 4,000 miles mostly downhill driving to not burning any in the next 2,500 miles of uphill and mountain driving. On the trip I averaged between 16.8 and 18.1 mpg, checked by gallons and miles tracking and compared to vehicles MPG gauge. The computer was very close, always within .1 to .2 mpg. Can someone explain this dynamic? I'm going to test it again on another 3,500 mile road trip soon to South and back to CO again. If I have to add a quart I'm going to add 1 qt MMO to see if it stops the consumption again.

[@FlingingWrench]

I’m surprised there won’t more votes for diesel. I will sometimes mix diesel & marvel mystery oil with success.

[@shidukirider]

Under what conditions, is it rusty cylinders or sticky rings like from excess old fuel residue. Im freeing up an engine right now. I’ve used marvel in the past and it worked well for a motorcycle that sat in storage for 10 years, but I also soaked it for several days and rotated the engine every so often

[@ElectronikHeart]

Personally I use acetone with 10/20% atf. Acetone works pretty well on its own but after that the cylinder walls are so dry it makes the rusty rings stick even more to the walls. Acetone works best when it's carbon sticking the rings. Vinegar is the best choice if it's rust sticking everything in place. But the exposure should be as short as possible as it will eat the walls and rings. If you don't want to disassemble the engine after that the engine will require a very good clean for sure. And lube it as fast as possible to prevent it to rust again as soon as the vinegar is out. ATF, it's doing nothing else but lube it up and free some debris. It's mostly acetone doing all the job.

[@ssnerd583]

I have used 50% Dexron ATF and 50% acetone mixed for years and it works fine for me......i never trusted Marvel Mystery

[@Torakitty2322]

Down side to white vinigar. If you do not rinse it off pronto it will rust back quick fast and in a hurry lol.

[@williwass6837]

isnt it normal to put a cleaned enginepart direktly in some engine oil?At least i learned that as a car mechanic!

[@Daniel-fd3wp]

It’s amazing how an item we can find in the grocery store can definitely do its job to free up those rings.🤷‍♂️👍👍👍

[@user-iy6de7qi1r]

While this wasn't at all surprising, it was good to see old ideas and practice again well validated. I've been wrenching on old machines for better than fifty years and this correlates with long experience. Thanks, Tony.

[@hemihead68]

You never cease to amaze me Tony with the just the great great videos you produce

[@peterrudy9207]

There are White vinegars that have different percentages of acidity . I've read where cars that had been sitting for years and engine had seized . Were unseized by the use of Marvel Mystery Oil . By removing spark plugs and pouring it down each hole and letting it soak and then to manually turn the engine over .

[@stevophillips4121]

When I worked as a heavy line engine tech at a Ford dealer in the 1990's. Ford had this additive that cleaned carbon up really GOOD! I forget the name on the small brown bottle. I used to use it on the heads combustion chambers, and intakes. Fill up the pockets, let it sit a few hours while i did other things. Go back and ALL the carbon was gone, then wire brush it for faster results. That stuff was awesome to clean up parts, even the piston rings....Even though I was replacing the rings anyway, so did it to those a few times only. Years ago, my dad had a van type RV, driving thru the desert back home to Arizona, from S Cal, he blew a radiator hose on a steep grade. All he had a lot of in the camper was ATF, so he fixed the leak, and filled the cooling system with the ATF.....He made it home fine, 100 miles without cooling issues, but dayyyyum that was a mess he had to clean up later hahaha.......I laughed and he said "yeah well, liquid is liquid, and it worked" I Miss the ole man

[@christian8970]

my Ford edge 2011 engine just froze up. i drove it a day before the freeze. will this white vinegar work?

[@stevophillips4121]

@@christian8970 Depends on how high your mileage is on the car/engine...2011 models are POS with expensive electrical and engine problems @ or near 150,000....Rarely will it see the upside of 200,000 miles. Could be lot of variables as to why yours just locked up? Sat long? drove it then it locked up? Might be cheaper to dump it, and buy something else. I dunno not there to see/hear. Good Luck

[@highwaymen1237]

Another material to try is polyether amine sold as CRC turbo and intake valve cleaner. It's the same additive as Tektron that's used in Chevron gasoline.

[@zcarzach]

I'm not a chemist but I read a lot, and I restore old woodworking tools as well as cars. The trouble with vinegar, or any acid-based cleaning technique, is that it can cause hydrogen embrittlement of iron. I'd be reticent to use it on a part that is subjected to intense stress out of fear that it would cause cracking later.

[@brokentoolgarage8609]

Very nice! Yes, Project Farm does a great job on this kind of stuff.

[@craigelectric5241]

I freed up an old 351m through the spark plug holes marvel mystery oil 👍 I had an old Carter AFB ran like s*** until I added a shot of marvel in the gas. Night and day. My truck was hooked on it like dope... This s*** is gold.

[@Sedan57Chevy]

This was fascinating! Really interested to see more tests in the future, in this same vein.

[@nicksnarski5973]

It would nice to see Berrymans the stuff you put carbs in when refreshing. I think that would work really well.

[@crankyyankee2475]

I used marvel oil to free up a stuck Briggs and Stratton one-lunger. I poured some into the plug hole and filled the case. After letting it sat a few hours I turned the crank back and forth until I got a full revolution. I spun it over about fifty times or so, added a little more oil through the plug hole, and let it sit. I drained and refilled the crank then replaced the plug and after a couple cranks it took off. after a little smoke, everything ran fine. I really never expected to save the engine without tearing it down but it is still running after two years.

[@rockyloccgarage2040]

My motor smoked so much in the lil frontier after mmo in the cylinders overnight

[@Hillbillygarage1215]

Berryman's B12 worked amazingly on my stuck oil rings from my 5.7 HEMI repair. You can see the results over at Hillbilly Garage. Thank you for being a GREAT teacher Uncle Tony.

[@sccarguy8242]

I’m surprised Diesel did not make the list, that’s a go to for stuck rings.

[@hooptierescue2540]

diesel is very similar to ATF in viscosity

[@LeverPhile]

Fwiw, the Marvel Mystery Oil has kerosene in it (I think), which is basically like diesel oil.

[@markrahner2065]

Any acid is going to be more aggressive than any oil, particularly if there’s rust. That’s great when you want something to be aggressive. But acids etch metals so you don’t want to leave metal in acid too long and you want to be sure to neutralize it when you’re done. A good rinse with water or acetone will do that. If you use water, you’ll need to dry it to prevent rust. If rust is the main problem, electrolysis and chelation (e.g., Rust911) will aggressively remove the rust without the possibility of etching.

[@buckeyejim2989]

Popping them rings with an oak , butt end of hammer handle helps free em up😁 Thanks for sharing Tony

[@kst357]

What a surprise! I never thought of using vinegar to soak engine parts but have used it for rust removal on tools & other rusted metals. The cool thing is that it's way cheaper than the other products & comes in a gallon jug. It can also be safely heated and you can add a variety of additional detergents & degreasers to it.

[@user-iy6de7qi1r]

Try electrolysis with either vinegar or in a saline solution. You might be surprised, I've been using it since the sixties, out of popular mechanics back then.

[@rtchow3000]

Ty for the video viewing. I had used MM on the floor jack when it would not hold pressure even when I stand on it. somehow I reason the use of MM on fuel and oil system may be used on any thing with o-seal. i have an old Sear 2 ton floor jack, nearly threw away or give it away. Than i thought i give a try fill the floor jack with MM and prime it few times. i let it set overnight to get the seal rejuvenate. sure enough i pump the jack to work the internal seal. this time i stand on the lift plate. it held pressure and repeated over and over just to be sure it work. this time i jack one side of the car which kept pressure over half a day. i did that on my 1971 MGB GT when it was leaking on the rear shaft area. after adding MM into the oil system and ran for couple hours, l set it overnight, the leak slow down and later no leak at all. the MM does work to reshape the o-seal when the seal got old and a flat area created. MM does work on seal if is not torn.

[@rafaelallenblock]

Before watching I'm guessing 50/50 ATF/Acetone. I've heard amazing things about that combo, including how it protects, lubricates and helps maintain contact on model train tracks.

[@lonewolf744]

Damm. I wouldn't have thought the vinegar would have been the best choice here. Nice. Learn something everyday.

[@craighansen7594]

Vinegar, suprising! All viewers who suggested Purple Cleaner, know that most of that carbon would have rinsed right off. It's an equal to chem-dip but cheaper and way less stinky.

[@Tommy_Mac]

I think it's probably less toxic too. I use a lot of that stuff. I like Evapo-rust in an ultrasonic works pretty well too. I had cancer, so I stay away from chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents (carb dip)and the benzene in gas, both are known carcinogens.

[@jasonchristopher2977]

Used MMO for decades on stuck engines. Soak for a week and breaker bar to crank nut. Worked a few free this way. The piston going up and down will move those rings slightly on each stroke. Good test but if stuck it's going to be stuck in cylinder. I took a rusty exhaust clamp and pit in a old butter tub with ACV for 24-48 hrs and that baby was spotless. Guy used to take some heat to the bottom of pistons and swore that helped. Idk. I know a dip in a hot tank will get blocks very clean and help too. Depends on which way u wanna go. I used salt water and peroxide to rust clean clamp and then used muratic acid for 10 min. Clean as can be. Dried fast after wash in water then put Ospho on it. Still no rust months later. Stuffs great for that kind of stuff. Ospho can save alot of time and money for surface and bad rust. Get chunks and flakes off and soak with Ospho. My Pap got a formula for rust proofing in 50s. 1 quart any new used oil, 1 quart any new used trans fluid, 1 tube or tub of grease, 1 wax ring toilet flange gasket. Mix and heat on burner. When mixed spray, brush, pour etc on frame, body, seams etc. I've used this for decades. Fights north east rust better than fluid film, blaster, NH wax, etc. Alot of that has no oil base in it. Yes wax will coat metal but when it's wore off or whatever it rusts. Best is ospho for rust, seal it all up so it never can rust, use favorite coating of primer, zinc paint etc. Then the rust formula and you can forget about it for years.

[@guywerry6614]

Many years ago I worked with the cleaning crew at my university. Waxed tile floors - the cleaning solution was white vinegar in cold water and it worked well on pretty much everything.

[@Brock_Landers]

See, I've always been partial to Carburetor Chem Dip for soaking my pistons and rods when I rebuild an engine. That'd DEFINITELY free those stuck rings.

[@HeadFlowInc]

100% carb dip will melt carbon and coked engine oil.

[@craighansen7594]

Stinky, Nasty stuff

[@matthewcalifana488]

Yes that would be the best! / Carburetor cleaner like : gumout might help .

[@johnnicol8598]

So will Pine Sol. Carbon wipes off.

[@doctorromex7804]

We used to use carb dip for pistons and lots of other highly grimy parts when I was in Vocational school back in the early 1990s and it worked great and left aluminum pistons looking like new after soaking and rinsing. The school had about 4 five gallon buckets in use at one time so we really soaked everything that would fit in there. It's amazing how much u use something when it's not on your own dime...lol

[@brianalbrecht4423]

Intersting video..."stick with me were going to the top"...another U.T. clasic...lolol...thanks tony for all the videos...!

[@-loki-7727]

On a bench, I'd probably use the vinegar, but with an engine in the car, ATF/Acetone. Well done!

[@corysimones736]

gotta love this guy. teaches you at the same time of learning and trying new things himself

[@adamredden2007]

He does and I like listening to him talk 😄. Just a normal guy...

[@danstark3035]

The 50:50 Acetone/ATF is best for unsticking rings in an assembled engine. Vinegar is best in a disassembled engine. Would you pour vinegar into an assembled engine to unstick rings? I don't think so.

[@Mlive722]

What about for heavy sludge ?

[@simoncochran9824]

I'm glad he's helping somebody like him

[@BBQDad463]

Thank you for this video. Seeing vinegar win was way cool. I agree, Project Farm is totally awesome on testing.

[@shedred1967]

Wow. I used marvel and diesel mixed and did a good job but no where near that white vinegar!!!!!!! Definently going to use that on the next stuck engine I work on.

[@Chevrolicious.]

Well damn, I learned something today. I always used the Acetone/ATF, but if white vinegar does that good of a job without having to mix anything together, I'm sold! Thanks for the vid!

[@troymcgregor]

And a lot cheaper to get

[@dirtrider3526]

Not even ganna lie. These results surprised me alot! I have used and sworn by atf my whole life. I don't own old cars no matter how bad I wish I do, I have used atf in lawn mowers and quads sized up in ppls yards after sitting for years

[@dexterousx92]

*That is a very surprising win. I was banking on the atf and acetone mix. This was a good video and it showed us the power of a house hold cleaning product. Great video.*

[@kmoecub]

The one thing that the vinegar has going against it is that if you're freeing up the rings without tearing down the engine the vinegar probably won't stay in the rings long enough to do much good.

[@baileyhatfield4273]

Same with most of it, but i get your point, most will just go past the rings. This test does show that it has more juice

[@kmoecub]

@@baileyhatfield4273 the ATF and Acetone mix (ATF and Diesel works too) Wicks into the voids and stays there. It generally tests better then the high-dollar penetrating oils, even better than Aero-Kroil.

[@tcorris]

@@kmoecub Kroil is probably best for times when you’re heating the stuck parts with a torch to aid penetration of a penetrating oil. Something I’d never try with an acetone mix.

[@greddmyles3677]

Right it's fir rust anyway, but I've seen plenty engines freed up with Marvel

[@AlejandroRamirez-vl8mr]

I'm amazed by how great the vinegar worked! I was betting on the 50/50 acetone and ATF

[@captainjohnh9405]

I bet a higher percentage of acetone would help a ton.

[@MixedGoku]

Great experiment I was curious about using gumout part cleaner but then again that's what it's made for.

[@UnProj]

I'm a metal fabricator and use concentrated vinegar to remove rust and mill scale. If you let steel sit over night it will usually be totally clean with a quick wipe from a rag in the morning, but it will start rusting again almost immediately. Once it gets coated in oil it would probably be fine, but it will rust any other steel/iron it can get to

[@SuperBigdanno]

Try some throttle body cleaner on the other piston, will clean the carbon and oil out fast. Spray it on and brush it in a little and spray it off again and those rings will come free. Worked for me on a rotary engine that sat for about 30 years.

[@HeadFlowInc]

Berrymens carb dip will melt the carbon off the pistons and most likely free the rings.

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

I was thinking that as well

[@PapaVrooom]

Yup. I just cleaned mine. Well the last 7 and then the first one again... Tried most of the other stuff. Not even close. When you say melt that is exactly 💯 what it did.

[@thesetruths1404]

Yes, I've filled clogged radiators up with vineragr and let them soak for 3 to 4 days. If rinsed out first, then soaked, it works great!

[@adammcilmoyl4278]

I saved this video to watch later tonight... I've got an old 400 Pontiac shortblock sitting in an oil drum soaking in diesel fuel right now in an attempt to get it unstuck. I don't think it's badly stuck, but I didn't want to try turning the crank with a dry engine. The rusty cylinders are the problem, the crank and rods actually look brand new. I'm hoping having it soak in diesel fuel for a few months will help free it up without damaging anything any more than necessary.

[@saganworshipper6062]

I've done this but with Kerosene which is basically the same thing.

[@adammcilmoyl4278]

@@saganworshipper6062 how did it work out for you? I just want to release the pistons from the block in the safest way possible, I don't care about the pistons or rings, just want to save the block

[@DL101ca]

A lot of the acetone evaporated since you left it uncovered. Might have affected outcome. I would suggest trying molasses. Works well on removing rust from metal parts.

[@GhettoWagon]

Now clean the oil off and put the super stuck ones back in the vinegar

[@danw6014]

We run into this with antique tractors. A couple of times I have bought an old tractor that was seize. I removed the plugs and fill the cylinders with seafoam, chained the tractor loose enough so it could rock back and forth on the trailer in gear and by the time I got home they were unstuck. If you rescue a car with a manual transmission it would be worth trying.

[@marcgendron6745]

The best thing is vinegar is dirt cheap compared to the other products ! Use it all the time on metal detecting finds ! Cool vid 👍👍

[@JHACbiz]

Evaporust is a product worth trying as well. I've been soaking stuff in white vinegar for a while now. I've always just used the gallon jug from over by the salad dressing. You have to give it time but it works. Trying it now on a Predator harbor freight piston.

[@edwardmulder3777]

Evaporust is good cos it only works on the rust not the metal

[@madmanmechanic8847]

I tried Evopo on a customers boat engine 454 total bust it did not work and it was just from sitting covered up for one season

[@RockymountainRobert]

Vinager works well for cleaning, it actually cleaned the grime of my rims better than any other products.

[@user-ee8oy8sw3u]

Thanks for the video. The vinegar worked great for me on a Honda GCV 160 single piston pressure washer motor. Unfortunately, the oil ring assembly on this piston has a tiny, hair like, chrome or steel trim ring bonded to the outer edge of the ring. Maybe that's a wiper? Anyway, the vinegar destroyed that. There was also pitting on the wrist pin after soaking for a day in household vinegar then another day in 30% vinegar. Just a heads up to anyone working on this motor.

[@scottsullivan1464]

I am so glad I have a Stuck Ford 223 full of ATF/Acetone as I watch this. I'll pull the head. I enjoy watching your vids

[@duramax78]

Too make your test more accurate Tony you should of put the stuck ones in vinegar, that would of ruled out different degrees of stuck ness.

[@Sagina1999]

MMO needs to work in the engine with heat and running. Stuff works. Would you run vinegar in your engine? Would you run acetone in your engine?

[@robsim4692]

How are you gonna run a motor that's seized which you are attempting to reverse or has no compression due to stuck rings

[@Sagina1999]

@@robsim4692In a seized situation, then soak the cylinders with MMO. What other choice do you have. If it runs, then work it in with running time.

[@robsim4692]

@@Sagina1999 you could flip it, smack it and rub it down and then have it do me ( you)

[@ronbunker5778]

Good info. I'm starting to try this now. Thanks for the video!

[@thatsonebadhatharry8610]

If your try to unstick the rings in the engine I would not use the vinegar, like others have mentioned it would not stay put long enough to do any good. If the engine is capable of running then the MMO is a much better choice as would be BG44T to put in the crank case. Just follow the manufacturers instructions. If your cleaning the pistons out of the engine then just stick them in a gallon can of carb cleaner.

[@MikeBrown-ii3pt]

As soon as you mentioned white vinegar, I knew what the winner would be. I never thought of using vinegar but even the stuff you can buy in a grocery store for salad dressing, pickling etc. is about 5% acidity and would've freed up those rings given enough time. The cleaning vinegar that you used is much stronger, therefore faster. Now I remember why people used to use white vinegar and old newspaper to clean glass.

[@RealWorldGarage]

Best glass cleaner ever. Now it’s harder to find news papers. It used to be a ready supply before the internet.

[@mccoma11]

I hated cleaning windows with newspaper. I worked at a car lot when I was a kid and that's how they wanted it done.

[@gliderp]

@@RealWorldGarage Even if you could find newspapers they would be severely contaminated with what comes out of the southern end of a north-bound bull.

[@gliderp]

Before I spent a couple of bucks on some muriatic acid, I used vinegar to strip galvanize off of some big washers I wanted weld to something. Not fast, but amazingly it worked. I could have gotten some hydrochloric acid from work, but I was afraid to transport it.

[@RealWorldGarage]

@@gliderp I don’t even like messing with muriatic acid.

[@agostinodibella9939]

I wonder if after 2 or more days the ATF and MMO would have freed up the rings. The white vinegar sure did a great job. I liked this experiment, but my favorite was the battery video!

[@That1776Show]

Marvel Mystery Oil takes at least a week. But probably better than dumping vinegar into your engine

[@johnwilburn]

That battery is in my van now and still doing awesome! I drove it today.

[@RealWorldGarage]

You should check out puddins fab shop. He’s done at least one and I think 2 rust stuck motors with white vinegar. Then made them run. Never took them apart.

[@ElectronikHeart]

I don't know for MMO but ATF I tried it several times and I never got any results. Acetone got the job done most of the time, pure or with added ATF to help things stay lubricated. Vinegar, I never had the chance to find a good engine to try. I never got a rusted stuck engine.

[@hooptierescue2540]

I've been able to successfully free stuck rings numerous times by putting b-12 chemtool in the cyls and oil and cranking it with the spark plugs out then putting them in and running the engine until the smoking stops

[@philliphall5198]

My mechanic Dad was doing this to old farm tractor and it works great, even store viniger

[@cj599]

Ive used that viniger and evaporust works better both will pit steal and cast iron so id be careful with either at least the atf acetone would do less damage

[@johnkufeldt3564]

Tony, you rock. Project Farm is a very well done channel. You are a little more random and also a real gearhead from my own generation. Cheers from Calgary, AB, Canada. PS; Mopar or no car.

[@Banditt42]

Nice video. I use normal vinegar to clean rust off of tools but it takes a couple of weeks. But it does a good job and is super cheap.

[@hasanapachi9111]

The best solution is car brake oil, brother, most of the car dealerships use this method, we pour 10 cc of brake oil into the spark plug hole of the car, which we opened before, and after half an hour, we close the spark plugs and start. we hi

[@dtruth5769]

Project Farm is an amazing show.

[@FlamingTightyWhiteis]

50/50 acetone and atf are my go to, acetone carries the atf in pretty well and makes the carbon soft rather than drying it out in my experience

[@miltonhindman1635]

😊

[@RetroCaptain]

Acetone isn't really intended to clean grease and oil it's a paint product. MEK is for quickly breaking down oil and hardened grease and Tar. It's cheap and available in hardware store. I've had great success with it. It evaporates just as fast so it needs to be covered up to prevent drying

[@jerrykast7713]

Thanks, you, guys. I appreciate this experiment.

[@robhargis6980]

I've use ATF/ Diesel for 2 stuck slant 6 motors. Both times freed them up in 2 days. Both motors ran great afterward.

[@uasparts]

I’d be shocked if nobody suggested what I’ve used. I thought about this years ago before I executed a plan to remedy it in the most effective way I could cook up. The problem with stuck rings is going to be two things- the expansive nature of iron oxide corrosion (rust) in combination with the pre-existing buildup of hydrocarbon crud caked up between, and behind the rings. I figured since the use of a chemical reactant that would eat rust isn’t really an option, as the options most effective for that tend to be highly corrosive, as well as possibly consuming aluminum, so I opted for eliminating the other side of what was taking up free space, the hydrocarbon buildup. The best thing I’ve found that will absolutely liquefy hydrocarbons where they wash away easily is Berryman’s carburetor dip. That stuff will eliminate the hydrocarbon gunk and give the rings a much better chance at freeing up, since the rust will have that much more space it no longer is competing with. After they free up, an excellent corrosion fighting lubricant like ATF with help the rust to naturally wear away with the normal up and done movement of the pistons in their bores once they are free to move again.

[@Zahgurym]

Always used MMO soak in the cylinders with the 2x2/mallet method. The pounding must help free stuff up because I never had one smoke for more than a few minutes after running. Never would've thought to try vinegar for this though.

[@jackszumski7118]

What’s the 2x2 mallet method? I haven’t come across that before.

[@Zahgurym]

@@jackszumski7118 take the head off and use a bit of 2x2 board and a mallet to beat the pistons into moving.

[@jackszumski7118]

@@Zahgurym thanks for clarifying, I now understand :). I appreciate you sharing

[@mattcrain6893]

Way to shout out Project Farm. That guy is awesome and so are you guys!

[@joshrandall3632]

Nice video and I appreciate the nod to PF. I had a push mower that cut like a champ but used as much oil as gas and blew black nasty oil out of the exhaust. I put about 2 oz of SEAFOAM in the oil and mowed the front yard (20 minutes). Topped off the oil and cut the back yard (30 minutes). When I finished the back yard there was no change in the oil level and no more black oil in the exhaust. I assume I had a stuck ring the Seafoam worked on for a few minutes. Either way it was nice to not have to buy a quart of oil every other time I mowed the yard.

[@mongomay1]

Just remember getting to the rust is the most important that is why vinegar worked, but did not clean the gunk. It reduced the rust from its oxidation phase. There is some science behind what the target of concern when parts/engines are stuck. Next in series, what is the best gunk cleaner? Dawn, TSP, lye or other cleaning agents that will not harm steel/iron/aluminum parts/components. Thank you UTG.

[@PerpetualProjects]

Cheapest option for the win! 😂 your “scientific mixing” was great

[@kevindoherty2716]

old style carburetor cleaner gallon can (not spray can garbage ) that comes with a dunking basket will ment carbon and make all carboned up ,stuck ring pistons, come out looking like new ... I've been out of the auto stuff since about 2000 but back then the petroleum based stuff worked great but not sure about the environmentally safe water based stuff .. Be interesting to see you try both!! The new stuff might be good also ,because carb gunk is stubborn so please give it a try you will be very impressed ..

[@craigcontofalsky4387]

Never would have guessed the vinegar? Great for cleaning your Windows too!!! I have a old 340 short block I bought years ago with the heads off. It was frozen then (25+ years) with lots of WD40 sprayed on over those years and still won't rotate. Guess I'll try some vinegar!😀

[@spudnickjquesanar1678]

I'm in the same boat Did it work?

[@OscarGarcia-sk8px]

Good experiment! Why don't you try pouring white vinegar into the spark plug holes of a stuck engine. Let it sit for longer than a day since the pistons can't be immersed in the vinegar the way you did.

[@carllmack2287]

Vinegar will run down faster because it's so much thinner. ATF or Marvel will sit longer due to the viscosity and have a chance to penetrate better. Not to mention vinegar is more corrosive and could damage the cylinder walls by pitting.

[@allanmcelroy9840]

@@carllmack2287 50?50 mix then?

[@danielboughton3624]

@@carllmack2287 I put atf in a motor with the heads off and let it sit for a week. It didn't go anywhere at all. The vinegar is much much thinner and of course dissolves rust because it is an acid. Would it free up a stuck ring in a motor - dunno.

[@radleybradford1356]

@danielboughton3624 I'm about to find out, might cut it with ATF though just to be safe. It can sit a week for all I care, I just want it freed up.

[@topenddean]

I like how you give each product the "Sniff Test" LOL

[@georgecurtis6463]

Well, back in the day we used atf. Thisxwas for stuck pistons in the block.Never failed so had no reason to try anything else. For rust of any kind, I just use white vinegar which also has never failed. Again, no reason to try anything else. Great test.

[@notajp]

All I know is, I used MMO when I had a Honda CX500 with a stuck engine, and it did the job.

[@chriskulpa4056]

Interesting. I've heard using diesel fuel with rusty parts to get them unstuck. Maybe you could try that with the next round of name brand trials. Vinegar makes sense as it has acetic acid to help eat away at the rust. Cool test

[@ole-mariusbergesen7818]

I was suprised that diesel wasnt in there. But new diesel is not the same as real diesel

[@chriskulpa4056]

@@ole-mariusbergesen7818 fair point. We be interesting to see if it does anything though. Not sure if the lack of sulfur perhaps was the key.

[@67L-88]

Vinegar is an acid so you are dipping them in a mild acid. Would you fill the cylinders with that mix? The oils wouldn't really hurt anything in the engine

[@fireballxl-5748]

Sure. You just have to use common sense.

[@Yophillips3272]

Acetone is too. I don't think it would hurt anything unless you let it sit for months and probably because it would rust worst.

[@JimTheZombieHunter]

This video just freaked me out .. i wonder now what questions I haven`t asked, never mind having the answers. i just necromanced my stovebolt which has been sitting 5 years .. squirt of 5-20 down the bang holes, rotated by hand a few revs .. and gave it the starter and fresh gas. All seems well - sounds good with 20 inches of vacuum. I had been worried about rust rings on the cylinder wall .. never thought about rings stuck in the piston lands. I expect there are a lot of viewers going the long haul on projects .. or with a field full of dreams. Curious to many questions. For example .. is an unstuck engine still a daily viable, or a primed grenade? Does a bit of rust on the cylinder wall just go away after ten minutes - or you may have well poured sand down the carb? I know there are a thousand variables, but it would be interesting to see you cover 'junkyard jewel resurrections' from 'if it goes, run it' - to 'you need a machine shop'. I have six projects here which haven't run from five to thirteen years. i stay awake at night wondering if some of them haven't simply become trash.

[@garycrawford6912]

I used to boil carburators for dirt bikes quads in vinegar in a stainless pot on the stove. If you put a little heat to it ,it actually runs down the venturies and holes boils it out like you wouldn't believe but i still think ATF is a good penetrateer. Ive used it so many times im freeing up a stroked SBC now in diesel fuel i also like mystery oil they all work for different applications. Atf has detergent that cleans aluminum it might take longer but it goid too. Awesome job in the demonstration. Good content

[@edge2sword186]

Hydro Seal by Gunk or other immersion carb cleaners would clean the pistons and rods like nothing else will. Some toilet bowl cleaners will remove carbon and varnish the same way.

[@hoscarnag]

That HydroSeal is some stinky stuff...but yes, it works great!

[@edge2sword186]

@@hoscarnag We put it on a real filthy garage floor one time and when I got home the bottom of my shoes were melted when I got home. Also if you left a Holly base plate in too long the throttle bushings would melt .When you stick a cyl. head in Hydro Seal the paint and valve seals disappear along with carbon.

[@gunsandguitars6678]

Be interesting to take the failed Pistons and stick them in the vinegar and see if it would free those up also?

[@donaldgilbreath4200]

I commented on your video about cleaning the water passages once and asked if you ever tried filling the block with white vinegar. This is why asked that. I've been using vinegar to clean and remove rust from parts for about 20 years now. I don't rebuild engines much but I do know how well vinegar cleans off rust and gunk. I actually predicted the results of this test.

[@AlienLivesMatter]

I've used vinegar as my first step in stripping back old mower parts and bike parts.