Here I am again a little over a year later. This time I have a problem and I wanted to explain just how stupid I've become since I turned 60...

First, my bike...84 Softy. It's still the stock size but it's not entirely stock. It's been rebuilt twice. The last time wasn't by me. I wasn't happy with how it came home. It has a belt primary and a ten stud clutch. All old school.

Now on to the problem....and why it ended up with the problem in the first place....

I live on a farm and have a small herd of equine; 4 horses and 6 donkey's. I've always made small square bales and put them in the barn's mow. Now I can't physically do hay in small squares anymore (plus a lack of young folks that know what work is) so we have it custom large square baled; those can't be stored in the barn, so I had to take the bike out of the shed it lived in and leave it outside over the winter to have the room for the large squares. But I left the bike uncovered.

I went to kick it over to get the oil to move and the engine is froze up. Not good, not good at all. I pulled the plugs and tried, still no movement. The clutch is loose. I filled the cylinders up with PB Blaster and let it soak for a few hours...no go. FWIW- I weigh 330+ lbs. I was bouncing on the kicker and it wasn't budging. I'm not going to try using the starter so that's out. I put more PB in it and reinstalled the plugs. I'll try again in a day or two to kick it over. I'm thinking that if the PB doesn't cut it loose then I might dump some trans fluid in there too.

I have experience getting frozen antique tractor engines to roll over, but those are made of iron rings in iron cylinders. Trans fluid, acetone, PB Blaster, diesel fuel, brake fluid....these are well known fluids for breaking iron rings from an iron cylinder, but steel rings are different, they rust solid with steel cylinders. Iron doesn't rust weld together as bad.

I was hoping someone that rebuilds antique bike engines has run across this problem and has a good way to overcome it short of pulling the engine. I can do that but I'd really rather not. I have too many other projects going, but I need to get this engine moving so it doesn't get worse.

I'm also trying to get a rust welded axle out of a rear axle hub on an Expedition. I've been beating on that for three days with an 8lb sledgehammer. I'm pretty sure a new axle is going to be needed too. Or I'll just cut the bad threads off this one and re-thread the end of it. I'm glad I'm laid off, I have plenty of time!

Any advice is appreciated...

Stay sane! and stay safe too if that suits you...

 

I would pull the primary cover and use a socket on the stator. It’s possible that the kick starter doesn’t give you the leverage. Let the stuff soak don’t rush it with extreme force.

 

You sure the engines locked and not the trans or clutch pack ? Unless the carb open to the weather not much way to get that moisture in it over one winter. Find some Kroil to dump down the plug holes, best I've ever found for breaking rusted lock ups.

 

Agree with Kroil and put a heat lamp on cylinders

 

even if you get it to move you will need to disassemble and get the piston and rings to move or replace them. might as well just take it apart and do it the correct way. it'll save you money in the long run. good luck dvr

 

Appreciate the responses!

I know the trans and clutch are free, I'm pretty heavy and if I bounce on the kicker a little I can it to move just slightly because I think I'm slipping the clutch...maybe not.

I was reading about Deep Creep...anyone have personal experience with that? I use Sea Foam in gas tanks of everything that doesn't get used often all the time. I keep cans of the gas treatment variety around all the time.

PB Blaster (actually P B'Laster) has always been my go-to rust penetrant. That doesn't mean it's the best, but on threaded objects it works pretty good. I think I've tried finding Kroil locally and didn't have any luck, however, that was years ago.

Regardless, I'm going with plan B that was mentioned...a breaker bar on the crank bolt.

Plan C is pulling it apart. But as much I would like to myself I'm in no condition to do that myself these days. I don't have anywhere indoors to work on anything except the basement...and I'm pretty sure my lousy knees won't allow me to carry an engine down the stairs. It's hard enough for them to carry me down the stairs anymore. I have to go down there often because that's where my reloading room is. It's a painful trip each time.

FWIW- I'm thinking that when I get this rumored stimulus check I'm going to buy a portable garage to put this bike and my garden tractor in so I'll have a dry, weather protected place to store/work on them. I'll lay some 4x4 green treated posts down and then plywood to make a floor and put the tent up on that. We already use those portable garages to store hay in. Gotta do something even if it's wrong....

Thanks!