piston froze in cylinder

lawnboy1988

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hi i have a Clinton D65 chainsaw and the piston is froze up and i wanted to know whats the best thing to pour in the cylinder to free it up thanx.
 

benski

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hi i have a Clinton D65 chainsaw and the piston is froze up and i wanted to know whats the best thing to pour in the cylinder to free it up thanx.

I like a 50/50 mix of acetone and automatic transmission fluid. Odds are you've got a rebuild ahead of you if your piston stuck while running..:frown:
 

blairlockout

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Rebuild it. Once you have a piston seized you're better off with a new or rebuilt engine.
 

jmurray01

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In my experience, I've just put some thin motor oil in the cylinder, and left it overnight then tried to turn it over the next day.

However, if the piston seized up, there is a good chance the engine will need a rebuild to get going again I'm afraid :frown:
 

Grass ala Mowed

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It wasn't uncommon to seize/freeze a piston in the early days of snowmobiling. I don't know about your chainsaw, but was assumed the aluminum piston was toast and drove it out. The cylinders had a chrome steel liner and you could use a little muriatic acid (swimming pool supply company) on a rag and wipe the aluminum right off the liner and then use a cylinder hone and a new piston of the same size. If you saturated the rag and it got in the ports you were in trouble.
 

reynoldston

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I have collected old 2 cycle outboard boat motors. When I get one set up I use PB Blaster. Let it soak a day or two and then just keep trying to turn the engine over. I have never yet not have one not turn over in a day or so. Also I have found with a good spark they will start right up and I have yet ever did anything with the piston or rings. They just run fine. If it was me I would try to start it with the old piston before pulling it apart and don't be surprised if it runs.
 

jmurray01

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I have collected old 2 cycle outboard boat motors. When I get one set up I use PB Blaster. Let it soak a day or two and then just keep trying to turn the engine over. I have never yet not have one not turn over in a day or so. Also I have found with a good spark they will start right up and I have yet ever did anything with the piston or rings. They just run fine. If it was me I would try to start it with the old piston before pulling it apart and don't be surprised if it runs.
Oh yes, definitely try starting it as soon as you get the piston free, I don't think anybody would recommend taking an engine apart before trying it, unless they wanted extra work :laughing:
 

Grass ala Mowed

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Good point to try starting it. I guess snowmobiles and/or we were more destructive as the seized piston was usually also "ventilated," so you knew you were into a rebuild. These were pre EPA/regulations days and some of the guys were running nitro-methane for an edge.
 
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