How to Free a Seized ‘69 440 Engine: Ep. 2

We take it to the next level, Roger brings out the big guns and a wild technique to free the very, very stuck # 4 piston on this rad unmolested '69 440 block! #mopar #musclecars #440bigblock We manage to get the entire engine taken down, perfectly ready for a future rebuild for the '69 Super Bee project we snagged earlier this year! Tag along and watch me learn and laugh with Roger, what great memories!
Be sure to show us some love and visit our website for some Fanelli Restorations gear! fanellirestorations.bigcartel...

[@kennethtaylor6347]

I've been following your channel from back when you built up your latest beast. You are actually the motivation that I needed to put my 67 2dr hardtop coronet on the road after I made it home from the Gulf War. I built an rv 440 and transplanted it into the coronet. Upgradedeverything from a small block car to the rt clone. I kept blowing 727s so it has sat for over 13years. You my friend have inspired me to do it again. Thank You. I will have to rebuild the 440 and take the tranny to grt rebuilt by Phoenix Transmissions in Weatherford,Tx. Thanks again.

[@FanelliRestorations]

I’m at a loss for words after reading that…wow!! I’m truly honored that you say I’ve inspired you, that made my day! Not to mention I’m proud of you for getting it going, it’s not easy something to pick back up something that’s sat and push yourself sometimes, but you did it! Thanks for having served our country man and happy thanksgiving 💪🏼🏁

[@cyclesaviorn2700]

​@@FanelliRestorations i know its old news but reasonable heat and candle wax has done miracles for me in pistons and bolts! Love your content!

[@kathypriddy8430]

Thank You!! Reminds me of back in the 50s working, holding the drop light really, with my Dad at night at his 2nd job trying to support all of us ungrateful kids. Bless him, he taught me tenacity, honest to my self and to all I dealt with. It has worked for me very well these past 72+ years..

[@FanelliRestorations]

glad to bring you back some great memories, thanks for tuning in!

[@mrd.808]

I think several days of electrolysis rust removal (or when the process stops bubbling) in a large plastic storage container with a cathode and anonde would free those rusted seized rings. Add arm and hammer laundry booster to help the chemical process. Use a 12v battery attached to a battery maintainer/charger. Awesome YT channel much ❤

[@FanelliRestorations]

thank you for the support and I agree that could have worked too, we took the Roger Route and it was fun in its own way!

[@1962pjb]

It's amazing the fusion capacity that time, water and metal has.

[@FanelliRestorations]

Very true indeed, that piston was S T U C K 😂💪🏼

[@rodneybyrd9516]

I have worked-free pistons in B-engines since 1985. The first was a 400HP from a '72 Fury l cop car. I used Liquid Wrench spray and a propane torch, trying to save the piston, but that cylinder had a residual rust ring and pits, so I saved it for a rebore. Didn't even know then that it was the best main webbing block available, besides the super rare cold weather block (more external ribbing). Next was a '69 383HP from a Road Runner. It was too far gone to save the pistons, as it had been sitting out in the weather as a shortblock. Had to wrap a friend in a work jacket (shrapnel protection!) and use a small diameter lead pipe and a sledgehammer to remove the last 2-3 pistons. That block was later used in a customer's '66 Newport with freeze cracking on the original block. 25 years later he sold me the car!! (Sometimes they come back!) Lately I did a '65 413, mostly for the crank but I ended up using that, one piston/rod assy and one rod only, to repair another '65 413 I bought just for the bare block, but the guy threw the rods and pistons in and 7 pistons and 7 rods were perfect and the bores looked good. I use a (bent) 727 OUTPUT shaft, cut off past the governor part, and a 3lb. sledge to remove pistons I'm not going to reuse. That method, with penetrant and sometimes heat, has never failed me.

[@FanelliRestorations]

Glad you found some techniques that work for you, and those sound like some really cool builds! Right on man💪🏼

[@richardmarino5658]

Wow Roger is a master craftsman. What can be learned from him is terrific. Good luck going forward. I hope to see the follow up.

[@FanelliRestorations]

Thanks man, he sure is!!

[@jittychitty]

Those pistons were really seized! Good job you guys.

[@FanelliRestorations]

yea they really were, super bad, thank you!!

[@billhacks]

Nice job! He really does make it look easy. You are absolutely correct about core/freeze plugs.

[@FanelliRestorations]

Thanks for the feedback man, he does!!💪🏼

[@dogdoc1]

I recently purchased a '70 440 and had it shipped to a local garage for rebuild to replace my 383 in my '69 Roadrunner. Hopefully it won't have any major problems and maybe it will be finished by Spring/Summer. 👍

[@FanelliRestorations]

That’s great I hope it’s an easier start for rebuilding than this one was too!

[@dh2360]

Very cool, really enjoyed the shop video.

[@FanelliRestorations]

Thank you for the feedback, glad to share it with you 💪🏼

[@kwseth]

Thanks to Roger for sharing his knowledge!!

[@FanelliRestorations]

He loves to share it!

[@kwseth]

You’re VERY LUCKY!! I enjoy your content!!

[@PLKdiversifiedtech]

Clearance Clarence… That guy looks like he’s reading the newspaper…no grunts, hollering or sweating… probably has more “get you outta a bind” remedies and knowledge with engine work than we can imagine.

[@FanelliRestorations]

After 55 years Roger has seen it all, and then some. He never gets worked up or frustrated, always knows how to handle any issue.

[@inthegarage342]

Im getting ready to do the same thing with my matching # 283 in my 57 belair. Froze solid. I think im gonna need a bigger hammer.

[@larryburns4605]

Brake fluid , ATF, and a little solvent mixed it frees up stuck rings 20 plus years family had a wrecking yard it works

[@FanelliRestorations]

I’m sure sure that worked on the ones you tried, this one was a bit beyond the average stuck engine. Roger’s 50+ years got it done here💪🏼

[@lilcray99]

So i drop it in the cylinder holes and let sit for how long before i remove them??

[@mikee2398]

Pob a silly question to old timers, but the welder in me says why not use a torch or something similar to heat the block around the piston to free it?

[@FanelliRestorations]

Not silly it’s logical to think that way, however consider in order for that to work you’d need to pretty evenly heat all of the surrounding metal on the cylinder walls which would take some time with any torch due to the thickness of the cast iron to heat and then would only localize the heat to about a 2-3” circle but still have to do that about 10 more times around the block inside the cylinders. At this point even if we managed to do that as you saw the rings were so heavily stuck to the walls they wouldn’t have just snapped free.

[@UW_Dodgers_Fan]

Cool video 👍🇺🇸

[@FanelliRestorations]

Thanks dude!!

[@chriscatarcio2983]

Hole saw works good. Then saw the wrist pin. Pull the crank with the rods on. Then knock out the pistons

[@FanelliRestorations]

1000 ways to skin a cat man!

[@patrickshaw8595]

Next time save yourself a sheet-ton of trouble and douse them with 50-50 ATF/Acetone and then bag it. At least use PB Blaster. MMO is for dissolving tetraethyl lead, graphite, carbon - not rust.

[@91rss]

rust =apple cider vinegar not white. loosening stuck stuff=oil of wintergreen we were told. you can use the Kleen strip metal and concrete etch as its the same as Ospho, and its not water into acid its acid into water

[@marlobreding7402]

Ready to meet us I'd like to know where you get the MAR-VELLE I can only find Marvel Mystery Oil.

[@FanelliRestorations]

It’s a mystery!

[@juneramsey5417]

I've always heard that an engine with good rings would stick easier that a wore out engine.

[@FanelliRestorations]

I could certainly see that, this engine probably did have good compression, and maybe was out of some old lady’s 69 Chrysler 300 that had low miles for all we know!

[@Mr572u]

You can remove those valve keepers with a socket wrench and a hammer.

[@frankroy9423]

Clean as much out of bore you can, add wd40 and at, let it sit for couple weeks. Clean and blow out. Try with a breaker bar to turn. If won't move repeat procedure. It will eventually come free.

[@FanelliRestorations]

maybe for other engines sure, but as I said in the video, it sat for a few weeks each with diesel, then atf, then marvel...braker bar and solid whacks to the top of the piston each time, nothing. Then muriatic acid, more attempts, nothing. That piston wasn't coming out as you see in the video, it had rusted itself to the wall.

[@super1079]

Hey man are you still working for Kindig ? Haven't seen you on the latest shows

[@FanelliRestorations]

Hey there not anymore I went back to active duty with the army and work on cars in my free time, had a great experience working there tho!!

[@IsakGIR]

Pro

[@joe-hp4nk]

The bigger the hammer the better the mechanic.

[@lilcray99]

What’s the name of that y shaped tool he used at 1:36??

[@FanelliRestorations]

It’s a pickle fork for disconnecting ball joints but Roger has many uses for it!

[@lilcray99]

@@FanelliRestorations thank you so much 🙏🏾

[@budlanctot3060]

FFS, when you take the rod cap off, tap the rod bolts out first before you get the rod and bolts all jammed up against the crank journal and the engine block wall. I know it takes some brute strength to pound out stuck pistons but using that short picklefork on a deep skirt mopar RB block is not sound thinking. You only showed a fleeting glimpse of the crank rod journals, but it looked like you and your buddy got a little carried away and gouged the rod journal unnecessarily.

[@FanelliRestorations]

That buddy is a master machinist whose been at this over 50 years and knows more than most people around. The crank was not gouged in a single place, what looked harsh to you was finesse for him. Thanks for your input and for watching tho💪🏼

[@randyhamilton2863]

Lol you guys need never mind a SLAP

[@Mr572u]

Why not remove the crank and then cook the block.

[@FanelliRestorations]

the connecting rods lock the crank in place you have to rotate the crank around to access all the rod caps, you can't just pull out the crank if the engine is seized like this

[@tomwinkle1597]

Buy him a sledge and save a ton of time. It's like trying to frame with a finish hammer..

[@FanelliRestorations]

Thanks for trying to correct a 50+ year master machinist/mechanic…we’re not trying to crack the block but you can do that on yours!

[@tomwinkle1597]

@@FanelliRestorations if you can crack a steel block beating on an aluminum piston you would be magical. 1st off you knock them down, not up. Crank weight working with you, not against you. Da..

[@tomwinkle1597]

@@FanelliRestorations I was cleaning rust off of steel in the 60's so I guess I would be a 60 year master. I did not invent the saying, you need a bigger hammer", but if that was not obvious to you then you need a bigger brain. Master means you have all the tools and know how to use them. 1 , you soak in diesel. 2 ,remove main bolts, 3 , get an oak 4" x 4" and a BFH. Don't judge til you've tried it!

[@jamesdoyle6839]

Never used acid on a block... remove crank. cleaned with brake cleaner top U bottom of cylinders.... spray with PB blaster... use block of wood and small eledge hammer.. Never strike engine parts with Metal Ever....... Always removed pistons even after 70 years with success...

[@FanelliRestorations]

You can’t remove the crank when all 8 pistons are frozen because the rods lock it in place and can’t rotate the crank to expose caps, but good try

[@johnhegarty1761]

Baking soda will neutralize the acid real quick.

[@lt.columbo5919]

good vid...i will be digging into a 440 myself...sitting since 1981...hopefully won't make it to acid stage

[@FanelliRestorations]

Thanks for watching, I hope that your 440 revival goes smoother haha💪🏼💪🏼