More Marine engines are lost every year because of poor storage conditions than for any other reason, whether gas or diesel Engine Release can save you unneccessary repairs and lot of aggravation!

Marine engines of all types can be saved by Engine Release from internal damage caused by high humidity entering your engine during the off season lay-up.

Regardless of the type of engine/application you intend to work on we have specific instrcutions for your project on our site. Click the links on the left-hand menu to be directed.

Inboard marine engines (gas)

These pages provide instructions for using Engine Release to free up seized inboard motors of all types. It works, OR YOUR MONEY BACK. Click here for more about our no-quibble return policy.

VERY IMPORTANT!

Once you have read these instructions, if technical support is required with your project please email us for advice, we will reply ASAP.

The following instructions are for engines equipped with either one large nut located on the front crank pulley or Engines equipped with Harmonic balancers. We show a variety of adapters for your impact that you can easily make at home yourself, to make freeing up your engine easy.

Instructions for treating a Seized Gas inboard motor with Engine Release

Shut off the fuel supply before working on your engine.

If you think your marine engine's seized because water got into your cylinders:

Remove all your spark plugs. If corroded or seized, a few drops of Engine Release on the plugs' threads will make frozen plugs easy to remove. (Let it soak in for 15 to 20 minutes.)

Identify each ignition wire with a piece of tape and a number as you disconnect them, so as not to mix them up when you reconnect them. To empty out the marine engine's flooded cylinders, purchase a large plastic turkey baster and about 24" of clear plastic hose that will tightly push fit over the end of the baister and still have a small enough outside diameter to pass through your spark plug holes.

Now one by one check your cylinders for water using the baster. Also if you have failed to free up your engine previously using Mystery Oil, vinegar, water, ATF, diesel fuel, WD40 or others, it's important to remove all traces of the above with your baster so as not to dilute the Engine Release you inject into your engine.

It’s a good idea not to try and force more hose down the spark plug hole than is required to just touch the top of the piston so you can remove the majority of what you may find. Pushing more hose into the cylinder than is required will just force the end of the hose to curl up in the air defeating the purpose of this exercise.

If your marine engine's seized because of prolonged inactivity while stored indoors or under cover and you are sure only air-borne humidity entered your engine, don't bother with the turkey baster.

Once you've got your ignition wires disconnected from your plugs and identified and you've removed all your spark plugs, use your Engine Release injector bottle to wet each cylinder with 2oz of Engine Release daily for two days.( Inline Engines)

Take a look at the above photo. This shows how to get the Injector bottle tube located right at the edge of the piston crown and cylinder wall.

The idea is not spray Engine release onto the top of the pistons, but by using our injector bottle, deposit the Engine Release between the cylinder wall and the edge of the piston crown in each cylinder. If you allow the Engine Release time to seep in and around the marine engine's rings over a period of days, you will easily free up your Engine.

Let the Engine Release soak in for a week.

Here is a photo of our second option works exactly as the photo above with the same results . If you can't get the injector tube right into the gap as shown in the photo above, position the injector tube anywhere on the cylinder wall and slowly inject the Engine Release on to the cylinder wall, letting it run down and fill the gap . between piston crown and cylinder wall . Repeated treatments of 2 oz daily for a few days will insure that the Engine Release is seeping into the gap.

Cover all the spark plug holes with rags to keep the Engine Release from being blown out of the engine. WARNING: keep your face away from this area when cranking the engine.

Now is the time to free up the engine. If the marine engine's equipped with a large nut on the front crank pulley, use either a pneumatic or electric impact wrench with socket on the large crank pulley nut, or Harmonic balancer located on the front of the engine crank shaft.

Don't have an impact? Rent or borrow one if you have to: it's the only tool for the job! Hammer blows from the impact wrench set up vibrations in the engine that, with the help of Engine Release, will dislodge oxide crystals (corrosion) from one another, freeing up the engine. Short bursts of the impact (5 to 10 seconds) duration are all that you need.

Once the engine starts to turn STOP! Let your engine sit for a day or two before trying to completly rotate the engine. This gives time for the Engine Release to work on corrosion it has just come in contact with, making freeing up your engine easier and damage free. Also if engine refuses to turn, STOP! The engine may need more Engine Release and time to free up.

depending on the brand, size and vintage some gas engines have what looks like a harmonic balancer mounted on the front of the crank of the engine, instead of a simple pulley.

Once the engine breaks free and starts to turn, STOP! Add the remainder of your Engine Release to each cylinder and then crank the engine with your impact for an additional 30 to 60 seconds to flush way any accumulated corrosion.

If the engine doesn't break free on the first try, add one additional ounce of Engine Release to each cylinder, let it soak in for an additional 3-4 days and go through the process with your impact one more time. Don't forget to replace your rags before cranking.

Once your engine is turning freely, replace your spark plugs and connect your ignition wires, turn on the fuel supply and make sure you have enough clean fresh fuel and engine oil to start and run your engine for 5-10 minutes. Start your engine, let it run at a slow idle for 5-10 minutes, then stop it and change your engine oil and filter.

Now is a good time to give your marine engine's exterior a shampoo with warm water and detergent to remove any Engine Release that may have spilled onto your engine or rubber hoses. Engine Release can damage paint finishes and rubber. Now you are good to go.

V-style marine engines aren't any more of a challenge than inline models. The only difference is the amount of Engine Release required to free them up. The procedure is the same.

This photo for demonstration purposes shows you a cylinder bore in a V-style engine. Note 4 oz of Engine Release doesn't reach the top of the piston because the cylinder is inclined photo shows the actual level of the Engine Release as when the engine is installed in the boat A full Engine Release kit is required to flood the cylinder and reach the high side of the piston. If the same engine is loose or on a rotating stand blocking or rotating the engine so that one bank of cylinder bores are vertical to the ground allows you to work on them in a position thats allows the Engine Release to flow evenly around the piston crown requiring much less Engine Release to do the Job. There is no high side that stays dry.

One can of Engine Release is required per cylinder to reach the top of the piston with enough Engine Release to wet everything required. There is no other option because of the cylinder's angle in the marine engine's block. Flood each cylinder with Engine Release, let it soak in for a week, then go through our step by step instruction until your engine is freed up.

If your engine has been removed from your boat and is on a engine stand or loose on your shop floor, you will only need 4oz of Engine Release per cylinder for a treatment.

Work on one bank of cylinders at a time block up the engine so that a bank of cylinders is now vertical. Inject each cylinder with Engine Release then leave it in this position for a week to let the Engine Release soak in. Then repeat the same process with the opposite bank of cylinders and once completed, let the Engine Release treatment soak in for a week.

Before switching from one bank to the other, it's a good idea to re-install your old plugs hand tight to keep the Engine Release from running out of the cylinders when you rotate the engine.

Before going further, once both banks on the engine have been treated and the marine engine's level, remove all plugs before trying to crank the engine. Now go through our step by step instruction until your Engine is freed up.

Click here for information on various marine engines, boat motors and other small engines.