On Jul 30, 1:37 pm, Steve > wrote:
> Nza wrote:
> > I recently pulled my uncle's 1949 chrysler Royal out of storage. It
> > was sitting for 27 years in the garage... anyway, aside from the
> > wiring being totally useless and in need of replacement, the only
> > problem i have is the engine has no compression. I have put marvel
> > mystery, motor oil, even a little gear oil down the cylinders, but no
> > return of the compression.
>
> > This has the flathead "spitfire" 6 cylinder engine. It spins over
> > freely... way too freely.
>
> > Anyone have a method i might not have considered? I'm willing to try
> > a lot of things before i pull the engine from the car... i'm hoping to
> > at least get it running before I have to do that. The thing only has
> > 92,000 original miles on it.
>
> Mopar flatheads tend to get very sticky valves when parked for a long
> time, and they have pretty light valve springs so the valves may stick
> open when you crank the engine after a long period of sitting. You can
> drown all the cylinders in marvel mystery oil, rotate the engine by hand
> a few times (with the plugs out) and then let it soak on the valve stem
> seals for a week or so, then crank it over (still with the plugs out) to
> clear the oil and then test compression.
>
> But after 27 years, it could be too much for mystery oil to un-stick,
> and it could also be that the rings are completely shot from scraping on
> surface-rusted cylinder walls.

yeah, ideally i should have just pulled the motor out and
reconditioned it from the get go. too bad i didn't really realize
what a sweet car it is until a few years ago.