Expert: Brad Sears - 2/14/2011

Question
I had my engine rebuilt about 15 years ago which I know is not original to my truck.  However it has been in storage for about 10 years and hasn't been started ever since.  What is the chance that the motor has seized or froze and how may I determine that before taking it to a mechanic? I know I will need a new battery and tune-up before even trying to crank it. How can I determine weather it froze?

Answer
The odds are that the engine is not seized unless it froze. Unfortunately there is no magic bullet to determine problems before trying to turn the engine over or start it. The procedure that I would use would be to remove the spark plugs and pour a table spoon full of marvel Mystery oil in each cylinder. The I would check the front end of the crank shaft at the pulley to see if there is a bolt head there. If there is get a big wrench like a socket on a breaker bar, making sure that the transmission is in neutral and try to turn the engine over. If it turns turn it over a few revolutions to spread the mystery oil up and down the cylinder walls. If there is no bolt head, get a battery and use the starter to see if the engine turns. If it turns fill the cooling system with water and watch for leaks. If there are no obvious leaks check your local tool rental place and see if they have a radiator pressure tester or check some of the auto parts supply stores, some have loaner tools. Use the pressure tester and let it set with pressure on the cooling system for more than several hours. If the pressure drops there is a leak some where in the system. Check again the outside of everything and if no leak is visible then it is internal and could be from freezing. If the pressure drop is very little I would proceed getting the engine running. That will require clean fuel, an oil change, new spark plugs, and checking or replacing the ignition points. Once the engine is running monitor the oil pressure and cooling temperature. Good luck.