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I recently bought a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ and it has a seized engine believe me I tried to turn it over with a cheater bar! My question is how to remove all of the flexplate bolts so I can remove the engine? If I separate the engine and torque converter assembly from the transmission will I have enough room at the top to reach the bolts? Thanks

firebane

You have two sets of bolts you need to get out.

Flex plate to torque converter
Flex plate to crank

If you can't turn the engine you won't be able to get out the torque converter bolts and pulling the trans with this all connected, if you could, would be a bad idea.

Not sure what others thing but I'd try dropping some oil into the cylinders and unfreezing the pistons.

dave1123

The only way I see you getting the engine out is pulling it with the torque converter attached, being careful to not bend the transmission shaft. After that you'll have to flip the engine over and remove the oil pan, crank and rod bearing caps, and then either turn the crank or lift it out. OR you can pull the head and pour transmission fluid into the cylinders in the hopes of freeing the pistons. It's the pistons that are seized, the bearings just spin the shells are ruin everything, but don't seize.

EASIER METHOD....
On the other hand, just pull the spark plugs and put a 50/50 mix of transmission fluid and nail polish remover (acetone) into the cylinders. If you have an air compressor, find one of the cylinders that is near top and put the airline on it. That should give you 500 lbs of push to turn the crank. If it doesn't move right away, the trans/acetone mix should loosen it after a while. WARNING!! DO NOT put a breaker bar on the crank nut while the air is connected! Serious bodily injury may result!

mobile-command-unit

Take a look at the picture below. That ball in the bottom is what's left of the Piston. I was able to push it past the crankshaft into the crankcase enabling me to rotate the engine to access the flexplate bolts. Mission accomplished

dave1123

WOWSERS! And it stayed together! How's the cylinder barrel look? Is the block toast? How's the head look?

97grand4.0

Now there is a case of piston slap that ended badly.

dave1123

This going to sound unbelievable, But I saw a 57 Chevy 283 like that and the guy drove it home! Totally screwed the cylinder barrel, but it stayed running.

CR-Snow

dave1123

I though about unbolting the rods, but if the pistons were seized, you couldn't swing the crank to clear them. You can't unbolt the crank with the torque convertor still in the transmission either, PLUS you still have the timing chain to deal with. At this point it becomes a total teardown with the engine removed with the converter still on it. I think he did the right thing pulling the head. That was the least work to find out what wouldn't allow it to turn.

If he wanted to be really cheap, he could probably clean up that jug and stick a new piston and rod in it, provided the cylinder walls are still good. Also how beat up the head is. Don't laugh! I've seen this action done before!

mobile-command-unit

The cylinder wall is dinged up moderately and the cylinder head has some marks in the valves but I think the cylinder head is salvageable. If anyone wants it I will help you load it and you can have it for free! I am in Northwest Washington State