HOW TO USE ENGINE RELEASE
Just identify your engine type and follow the link for full instructions.
Dismantling an Engine for Rebuild
Automotive engines
Motorcycles:
two-stroke
Motorcycles:
four-stroke
Cars
and light trucks: Gas-powered
Cars
and light trucks: Diesel-powered
ATVs,
skidoos etc.: two-stroke
ATVs,
skidoos etc.: four-stroke
Home and garden equipment
Our advice applies to all forms of engine-powered home and garden equipment. This includes:
Lawn
mowers
Lawn
tractors
Leaf
blowers
Garden
tillers
Edgers
and trimmers
Chippers,
shredders and mulchers
Portable
compressors
Chainsaws
Snowblowers
Pressure
washers
Generators
Click any of the above links and use the information there to identify your machinery's engine type. There are two types. The approach differs depending on whether your machine has a type 1 or type 2 engine.
Agriculture equipment
Agriculture equipment falls into three categories. Identify your engine type and click the link below to read instructions on using Engine Release to free your seized engine.
Agricultural
Diesel engines
Agricultural
Gas engines
John
Deere horizontal engines
Marine engines
We have split our coverage into three areas: two-stroke outboard motors, four-stroke outboard motors and inboard Gas or Diesel engines. Click the links for full instructions on using Engine Release to free seized-up marine engines.
Two-stroke
outboard motors
Four-stroke
outboard boat motors
Inboard
Gas marine engines
Diesel marine engines
Industrial engines
We will be happy to advise on an individual case-by-case basis for industrial engines.Please contact us with your requirements by clicking here.
Lawn garden tools with seized engines are an easy repair with Engine Release
Lawn garden tools have four types of starting systems, regardless of their engine type. The four types of starting system must be approached differently.
Not sure of your engine type? Click here to identify your engine.
A. Manual pull start
Follow instructions below.
B. Manual pull start with battery assistance
Follow instructions below for manual pull starting. Use battery assist only for cranking, testing your spark plug and final starting. Do not use battery assist to break free the engine.
C. Manual pull start with 110 Volt back up starter
Follow instructions below for lawn garden tools with a manual pull start. Use 110 back up starter only for cranking, testing your spark plug and final starting. Do not use battery assist to break free the engine.
D. 12 Volt battery starter
Remove cover over motor cooling fan. Follow instructions below for manual pull start. Use 12 Volt battery start only for cranking, testing your spark plug and final starting. Do not use 12 volt battery start to break free the engine.
Regardless of how your engine is equipped for starting, we have a procedure designed to work with your type of engine.
Warning: Read safety warnings on the Engine Release container before continuing. Click here to read the safety information online.
Preparing Type 1 & 2 engines for an Engine Release treatment
Tools of choice:
- Impact Wrench: electric or pneumatic
- Sockets, breaker bar/ratchet
- Large pry bar or screwdriver
Remove all spark plugs. If corroded or seized, a few drops of Engine Release on the plug's threads will make frozen plugs easy to remove. ( Let it soak in for 15 to 20 minutes before removing spark plug.)
The two pictures below show you how to inject Engine Release through the spark hole into the cylinder bore of the lawn garden tools:
To
get the Engine Release placed in the cylinder bore right where the
piston crown meets the cylinder wall, use your Engine Release injector
bottle. Inject 1oz of Engine Release into each cylinder, once a day for
two to three days, then let the Engine Release soak in for a week.
Your are
now ready to try a pull or two on your pull starter to see if the lawn garden tools
engine will turn. Before you do, put a rag over the spark plug hole to
catch the Engine Release that will be blown out of the cylinder as you
crank the engine.
WARNING: Engine Release will damage paint finishes. Keep your face away from this area. Be careful not to break your starter cord.
If the engine turns:
If the engine turns, add another ounce of Engine Release to your engine and crank the engine 10 or 15 times using your pull start. If everything seems to be turning freely, check to see if your spark plug is producing a good spark. If it is, install it.
Make sure you have sufficient oil and fresh fuel to start your lawn garden tools engine and run it for 5-10 minutes. If it runs fine, change your oil and spark plug and you're good to go. Now is a good time to give the exterior of your engine a shampoo or steam cleaning to remove all traces of Engine Release.
If the engine does not turn:
Remove your pull starter. Usually three or four small screws or bolts hold the whole mechanism in place. You have now uncovered the engine ratchet ring and the large nut that holds the engine fan on the crank shaft.
If the engine does not turn, you have three choices of action:
First Choice: impact wrench and socket
Our first choice for breaking free a seized engine is an impact wrench and socket on the engine's fan nut. The best tool for breaking an engine loose is an impact, either air or electrically powered. Don't have one? Rent or borrow it. It's the best tool for the job and makes all the difference!
Hammer blows from the impact wrench set up vibrations in the engine that, with the help of Engine Release, dislodge oxide crystals from one another, freeing up the engine. Short bursts of the impact (1 or 2 seconds duration) are all that is required.
Once the engine starts to turn, stop! Also if engine refuses to turn, stop!
Your lawn garden tools engine may need more Engine Release and time to free up. If so, use another half oz of Engine Release twice a day for another two or three days and then go through the process again.
If the engine turns, add another ounce of Engine Release to your engine and crank the engine using your impact in 10-15 second bursts for 2-3 minutes.
If everything seems to be turning freely, check to see if your spark plug is producing a good spark while you crank the engine. If so, install it. Re-install your pull start. Make sure your have sufficient oil and fresh fuel to start your engine and run it for 5-10 minutes. If runs fine, change your oil and spark plug and you're good to go.
Now is a good time to give your lawn garden tools engine a shampoo or steam cleaning to remove all traces of Engine Release.
Second Choice: socket on fan nut with breaker bar or ratchet
Our second choice is a socket on the fan nut, with either a braker bar or ratchet. It really does not give you much control, but is effective.
Go through the process as described above and as soon as the engine is broken free, re-install your manual pull start as soon as you can for cranking purposes.
Third Choice: long screwdriver or pry bar in ratchet holes
Our third choise is a long screwdriver or pry bar, using the holes in the ratchet ring of the starter for leverage. It works!
We consider this choice your last resort; make sure you don't use tools that are too long to control.
One benefit of this approach is that once the piston is broken free, the lawn garden tools engine can be turned left to right and right to left without danger of unscrewing the crank nut. This back and forth travel is the best way to clean out any corrosion that may have formed in the cylinder.
Keep your face away from the spark plug hole. Keep it covered with a rag while using this technique.
Go through the process as described above and as soon as the engine is broken free, re-install your manual pull start as soon as you can for cranking purposes.