A small diesel engine which has seized can be freed-up using Engine Release

A small diesel engine can seize during storage. The best treatment for a seized automotive diesel engine is Engine Release.

These instructions are for cars and light trucks with diesel engines.

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

Cars and light trucks with diesel engines

This page provides instructions for using Engine Release to free seized small diesel engines in cars and light trucks. 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.

Warning: Read safety warnings on the Engine Release container before continuing. Click here to read the safety information online BEFORE you begin your small diesel engine project.

Engine release will damage paint finishes.

Preparing your engine for an Engine Release treatment

Before working on your vehicle, make sure it is on level ground with the parking brake on or the wheels blocked, so it can't move, with the transmission in neutral.

If you think your engine seized because rainwater got into your small diesel engine, remove all your engine's injectors. It’s a good idea to identify them with either a numbered tag or tape so as not to mix them up when you re-install them.

To keep things clean and dry, take a 4" x 4" square piece of aluminum foil and crush it over and around the end of each fuel line as you disconnect it from its injector. Don't make it tight, just cover the end of the pipe with it, so it stays clean and catches any fuel that may leak out when cranking your engine.

To empty out the 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 baster and still have a small enough out side diameter to pass through your injector holes.

Now one by one check your cylinders for water using the baster. Also if you have failed to free up your small diesel 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 injector hole than is required to just touch the top of the piston so you can remove the majority of the water 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 not touching the water and defeating the purpose of this exercise.

If your small diesel engine seized because of prolonged inactivity while stored indoors or under cover and you are sure only airborne humidity entered your engine, don't bother with the turkey baster.

Once you have taken out your injectors and removed any water, use your injector bottle to wet each cylinder with 2oz of Engine Release once a day for three days.

Here is a cross section of a modern diesel piston . The light coloured circular indentation depending on the engine brand comes in a variety of styles and dimensions . Older diesel engines may have flat top piston crowns .

 

 

Here is a cross section of a modern diesel piston; this photo shows where not to inject your Engine Release when treating your Engine . If your engine is equipped with flat top pistons you can inject your Engine Release anywhere on the piston crown .

 

Here is a photo demonstrating what three ounces of wasted Engine Release looks like, sitting in the piston crown . You don’t want this!

 

 

 

Some engines have pistons with indentations in the center. There's no point in filling this up with Engine Release. Make an effort to inject the Engine Release properly along the cylinder wall, not into the center of the piston. Let the Engine Release soak in for a week.

Here is another view of what you shouldn’t do when injecting Engine Release into your small diesel engine.

 

 

 

 

Here is a top view of what you want to do. Get your injector tube right into the Gap between edge of piston crown and cylinder wall . This way Engine Release will flow evenly around the piston crown . This is the best way to use the least amount of Engine Release for the maximum benefit .

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 liner and slowly inject the Engine Release on to the liner wall, letting it run down and fill the gap . between piston crown and liner wall . Repeated treatments of 2oz daily for a few days will insure that the Engine Release is seeping into the gap and not over flowing and dripping into the indentation in the piston crown and being wasted .

Cover all the injector holes with rags to avoid having Engine Release blown out of the holes when you crank your Engine. WARNING: Keep your face away from this area when you crank it.

Now free up the small diesel engine by using either a pneumatic or electric impact wrench with socket on the large crank pulley nut, located on the front of the engine crank shaft. Don't have an impact? Rent or borrow it if you have to; it's the best tool for the job!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hammer blows from the impact wrench setup vibrations in the engine that with a help of Engine Release dislodge oxide crystals from one another freeing up the engine. Short bursts of the impact 1-2 seconds duration are all you need.

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

Once your small diesel 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 30-60 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 small diesel engine is turning freely, re-install your injectors and bleed your lines. Make sure you have enough clean fresh fuel 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, change your oil and filter.

Now is a good time to give the exterior of your engine 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 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 otherwise.

These photos for demonstration purposes show 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 vehicle. 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 as a minimum 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 small diesel engine 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.

Engine Release.
Freed-up pistons, or your money back. Guaranteed!