How to unstick rings

[1badgbody]

There is no short term fix. Water in the cylinders = defects in the walls. Bad lifter is a bad lifter. There is no pour in easy fix. Most likely beyond honing and in need of a boring and new cam and lifters. As far as the cam goes, you'll spend $20 in dumping garbage in instead of fixing a $100.00 cam kit. There is no easy fix, been there, done that.

 

[pontiacgp]

There is no short term fix. Water in the cylinders = defects in the walls. Bad lifter is a bad lifter. There is no pour in easy fix. Most likely beyond honing and in need of a boring and new cam and lifters. As far as the cam goes, you'll spend $20 in dumping garbage in instead of fixing a $100.00 cam kit. There is no easy fix, been there, done that.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Lots of good ideas, thanks. The lifter is way quieter now without putting anything in at all. Occasionally it bangs away and then gets quiet again. The car passed inspection (YAY!) and is being driven finally. The more it gets driven the less oil smoke. I like the ATF in the combustion chambers idea and I will probably do that when it goes to sleep for the winter- which is approaching fast. All in all for a motor that had ten gallons of water inside this thing has recovered beautifully.

 

[fleming442]

I've never heard of a lifter "bang away"; it's usually more of a tick. Now, here's a possibility: have you ever heard a piece of carbon banging around in a cylinder? It makes a horrendous racket! Again, I offer the solution of 7000 rpm to blow it out.
Put a note on the steering wheel as a reminder to change the oil when it comes out of hibernation. 😉

 

[Bonnewagon]

Yes- it banged. I know lifter tick and it did that for a long time. But when I was working on the inspection details I started it up and BANG- BANG it went like there was no oil at all in the lifter. Then it quickly quieted down to the aforementioned tick. Scary! Now that the car is inspected and driveable the guy is putting miles on it. It gets quieter all the time but the slight oil burning is still evident- but not as bad. The 7k treatment is a sound one but that is up to him. I'm not taking responsibility for a rod out the side! 😳

 

[Bonnewagon]

Guess what I found while scrounging around in my garage? GM Top End Cleaner! Tell me that is not just what the doctor ordered. You pour it down the carb until it stalls and then let it soak a while. Then start and it should remove carbon and loosen stuck things.

 

[Kennybill]

I've heard of using the GM top cleaner. It won't help lifter noise though. In the 1960s when everyone ran straight 30 or 40 weight, all the "old timers" would put a qt of Rislone in their engines for easier start ups in the winter. I listen to them and did it in my winter beater with a heater. That and a good battery was a must in zero degree weather.

 

[Huen79H/O]

Gm top engine cleaner will clean the rings carbon remove spark plugs get all pistons about half way up in cylinders and pour in ever cylinder let set from 2 to 4 hours no longer and crank over to clean out cylinders replace plugs and start it but it will smoke like a b*tch
This is how they clean the carbon buildup on the rings for the 2007 thru 2012 5.3 liters truck motors that use oil
Worked as a service manager at a dealership for 10 years