Need advice on two things for tonight

[Oyster Bay Man]

I plan on doing much engine work tonight and two things I'm wondering if some of you can give me your 2 cents:

1) Rusted in mufflers. I've got some really badly rusted mufflers stuck in their exhaust manifolds on a few of these engines I'm trying to bring back to life. Real, real bad. What are some of the tricks you have learned to get these things out? I've tried liquid wrench and turning with large pliers over a towel wrapped around them. Nothing.

2) I received my handy dandy Tecumseh dial indicator and I picked up a multimeter. Gonna try my hand and some precision timing tonight. But what do some of you use to turn the shaft in such delicate increments while doing this? Doing this by hand is difficult when the flywheel is off.

That's it for now. Thanks!

 

[bikebudy]

Heat your exhaust manifold close to the engine with a pluming torch, then try.

Don't burn your hand.. Heat will expand the Aluminum and help release the manifold.

As for timing , I would use a wrench or pliers.

 

[Havasu Dave]

Turning that crankshaft back isn't that difficult. You don't turn it very far, and the biggest issue is not overshooting the mark.

 

[jrzmac]

I plan on doing much engine work tonight and two things I'm wondering if some of you can give me your 2 cents:

1) Rusted in mufflers. I've got some really badly rusted mufflers stuck in their exhaust manifolds on a few of these engines I'm trying to bring back to life. Real, real bad. What are some of the tricks you have learned to get these things out? I've tried liquid wrench and turning with large pliers over a towel wrapped around them. Nothing.

2) I received my handy dandy Tecumseh dial indicator and I picked up a multimeter. Gonna try my hand and some precision timing tonight. But what do some of you use to turn the shaft in such delicate increments while doing this? Doing this by hand is difficult when the flywheel is off.
That's it for now. Thanks!

1) for the muffler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys_PjbDAkGI&list=PLCCWns3mDNiCXSLkw6IOLAxHG9EqxvBaC&index=4

2) couldn't you just screw the bolt (that holds the clutch on) in a little bit, and use a socket wrench to turn the crankshaft back and forth to get the timing where you want it?

 

[Oyster Bay Man]

1) for the muffler:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ys_PjbDAkGI&list=PLCCWns3mDNiCXSLkw6IOLAxHG9EqxvBaC&index=4

2) couldn't you just screw the bolt (that holds the clutch on) in a little bit, and use a socket wrench to turn the crankshaft back and forth to get the timing where you want it?

Yes ! Put the bolt back on and use a socket. i am ashamed I did not think about that it's so simple. Thanks

I should have said I was talking about the mufflers that thread right into the exhaust port. The ones on my engines have become one with the motor.

 

[Oyster Bay Man]

Heat your exhaust manifold close to the engine with a pluming torch, then try.

Don't burn your hand.. Heat will expand the Aluminum and help release the manifold.

As for timing , I would use a wrench or pliers.

Don't have a torch but I'm thinking that is the only way. Thanks. I'll get one.

 

[Oyster Bay Man]

Turning that crankshaft back isn't that difficult. You don't turn it very far, and the biggest issue is not overshooting the mark.

Can't wait to try out that dial indicator. Stay near your PC tonight! HAHA you are on call. Hey if I already have the heads off do I have to put them back on and torque em down and all to use this tool? I was thinking I'd like to see that it is touching the piston head. Can't I just put the head back on on an angle or something and put one bolt in so that I can thread the dial indicator in the spark plug hole yet still see inside and that it is touching. Sort of like using the head as a stand. You ever do that?

 

[jrzmac]

Yes ! Put the bolt back on and use a socket. i am ashamed I did not think about that it's so simple. Thanks

:thumbsup:

 

[125ccCrazy]

be careful if you use heat, the muffler will expand too, too much heat and you will pull the threads out of the block with the muffler.. I would try filling the muffler and port (with valve closed) with PB Blaster or some other good penetrating oil, cap off the end of the muffler and then stand the engine up with the end of the muffler down so the oil stays in the muffler and up around the threads.. once it starts to unscrew work the muffler back and forth, never keep loosing anything once it starts to get tight again because rust and debris can piggyback in the threads and more force may cause irreversible damage like stripped threads or broken bolts,,

 

[Havasu Dave]

Can't wait to try out that dial indicator. Stay near your PC tonight! HAHA you are on call. Hey if I already have the heads off do I have to put them back on and torque em down and all to use this tool? I was thinking I'd like to see that it is touching the piston head. Can't I just put the head back on on an angle or something and put one bolt in so that I can thread the dial indicator in the spark plug hole yet still see inside and that it is touching. Sort of like using the head as a stand. You ever do that?

No

I put the head on with the new gasket, and tighten half the bolts. Not torque, but snug.

Then you insert the tool, ensuring the little tang on the end engages the piston. Once you do this and start playing with it, you'll see what I mean. You can't see anything, but if you move the piston a bit, you'll see the dial move. . :thumbsup:

You actually have to adjust the depth tool itself to get it centered and aligned.

It's important to get the book. The book is on line in PDF format. If you don't get the book, clone guys and Briggs guys will give you bad advice about Timing Marks and TDC and electronic points eliminators, and other cliquish behind the back commentary.

I'd post copies of the applicable section of the PDF, but this awesome version of Windows 8 for cell phone texters won't allow it.

You can turn the crank by hand. You have to move it both ways, a few times. Use a glove. You don't need hardware, vice grips, neighbor's daughter, or GI Joe with Kung Fu grip. :thumbsup:

PM me if you need help. That's what the last guy did. Or the guy before him, I forget.

 

[Oyster Bay Man]

No

I put the head on with the new gasket, and tighten half the bolts. Not torque, but snug.

Then you insert the tool, ensuring the little tang on the end engages the piston. Once you do this and start playing with it, you'll see what I mean. You can't see anything, but if you move the piston a bit, you'll see the dial move. . :thumbsup:

You actually have to adjust the depth tool itself to get it centered and aligned.

It's important to get the book. The book is on line in PDF format. If you don't get the book, clone guys and Briggs guys will give you bad advice about Timing Marks and TDC and electronic points eliminators, and other cliquish behind the back commentary.

I'd post copies of the applicable section of the PDF, but this awesome version of Windows 8 for cell phone texters won't allow it.

You can turn the crank by hand. You have to move it both ways, a few times. Use a glove. You don't need hardware, vice grips, neighbor's daughter, or GI Joe with Kung Fu grip. :thumbsup:

PM me if you need help. That's what the last guy did. Or the guy before him, I forget.

Yeah I have that book. With that dial indicator u are basically calibrating it no matter what situation u are using it in No? Basically im thinking no matter what is holding the tool as long as you set it to zero at TDC its going to correctly get u to BTDC. Right? This is what i did: The foot did not reach the piston. This is a 2 1/4 HP Craftsman Tecumseh so I guess I needed the longer foot cuz the piston is smaller. Dont have it. So I took the head off and moved it over on an angle so the plug hole was over the piston and put a bolt in tightly. I dropped the shaft of the indicator in, screwed the indicator into the plug hole and cranked clockwise until the dial
stopped and started to go the other way. That would be TDC. So I adjusted the dial face to make that point zero. The book said for the 2.5 HP (smallest HP I saw. Close Enough?) earlier than '82 would be. 065. I cranked counter clockwise past .065 to. 075 then back to. 065 and adjusted plate until the beep on my tester sounded Tightened there. Seems to have worked as soark is noticable stronger. So while the foot didnt reach the piston with the head on correctly, would the way I moved it over and calibrated for TDC be ok? Tomorrow I will post a pic of the way I set it up.

 

[Oyster Bay Man]

No

I put the head on with the new gasket, and tighten half the bolts. Not torque, but snug.

.

Here's a pic of the way I wound up doing it when I relaized the foot wasn't touching the piston head:

The head was reattached to the block with one bolt but it held tight.

 

[Havasu Dave]

:thumbsup: Looks good to me.

Spark won't get any stronger, but will spark in the correct phase of rotation.

Rick (chatten63) here has done many of these, and I believe has recently done a 2 1/4. You might check with him on the specs to make sure.

 

[Oyster Bay Man]

:thumbsup: Looks good to me.

Spark won't get any stronger, but will spark in the correct phase of rotation.

Rick (chatten63) here has done many of these, and I believe has recently done a 2 1/4. You might check with him on the specs to make sure.

I will private message him and thanks.

I'm going to be using the dial indicator on a H35 next. I'm sure the foot will reach the piston.