MG Car Repair: 1967 mg b gt Special edition, wd 40, mg b gt

Question
QUESTION: I have recently started restoring my car, to find out the pistons are seized, I've taken the eng out and have started the tear down. it will not come un stuck, what it the direction of rotation, so I down mess this up

ANSWER: Hi Jonathan,
The engine turns clockwise as you face the front of the engine. We run into this all the time and you should remove the plugs and put something like WD-40 in each plug hole and let it soak for a day or so. If the engine is out already you can bolt the starter back up and connect a good battery to the starter to try to brake it loose after the soak. If it will not brake loose by the starter you will need to take the engine apart and remove the crank and head and find a large piece of thick wall steel pipe that closely fits the cylinder bore. Then strike the steel pipe with a lead mallet. One mechanic used a wooden block he had turned on a lathe to just fit the bore and he would use a large hammer to beat on that. If you are trying to save the pistons you need the load to be distributed over the whole piston so as not to put a strain in one small part of the top of the piston. The problem is that the rings rust to the cylinder walls and need to be broke loose. NEVER try to beat on the top of a piston with the crankshaft in place. We usually save most but some are rusted so badly they will brake the ring lands on the piston before they brake loose. Once you brake one down a little you then need to sand or hone the upper cylinder to clean off the rust and you can then remove the piston out the top.
Good luck,
Howard

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Howard,
thank you for the info, I have the eng out if the car on a stand, with the head
off and clutch off, also the oil pan and sump filter, along with starter, oil
filter, ie.....everything.. I've put some oil/ WD-40 in the top off the pistons to
soak them. it's been four days now and it still won't budge. when I Pulled the
car out a ladys yard 6 months ago and I first looked inside the eng it was
wet.. so I did'nt think it would of been this siezed, any ideas..thanks again.

Answer
The only thing I can tell you is to try what I said, Put the starter back on, and connect up a good battery. The starter can produce more torque than you will be able to do. If that don't brake it loose, remove the crankshaft. You will probably find that all the pistons are not stuck. AFTER the crank is out get either a block of wood that fits well on top of the piston or a thick  wall steel pipe that just fits in the cylinder and hit it with a large hammer to try to brake the pistons loose that are stuck, then sand or hone the upper cylinder walls clean of rust, then oil them and bump the pistons up out. There is no magic trick I know of to get them loose. I seen some stuck so solid that the mechanic destroyed the piston braking it loose. Most will usually brake loose with the methods I told you.