Common questions

What is hydraulic lock up?

What is hydraulic lock up?

Hydraulic lockHydraulic lock is a phenomenon that can occur on piston engines that have downward-pointing cylinders, that is, cylinders orientated such that the piston is moving down during the compression stroke. This phenomenon is known as ‘hydraulic lock’.

What to do if your engine gets damaged in a hydrolock?

There may well be no internal component damage. Rectification is by removing the spark plugs or injectors then turning the engine on the starter motor; this will expel the liquid from the cylinder or cylinders.

How to prevent hydraulic lock on an engine?

To prevent the possibility of a hydraulic lock occurring when an engine is started ensure that the ignition switches are OFF then turn the propeller through twelve blades.

What to do if your small engine is locked up?

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Can a leaking head gasket cause a hydrolock?

Leaking Gasket Your engine may have a leaking head gasket that is allowing engine coolant to leak into the cylinders of your engine. If this occurs this can cause your engine to become hydrolocked because the coolant cannot be compressed like air.

There may well be no internal component damage. Rectification is by removing the spark plugs or injectors then turning the engine on the starter motor; this will expel the liquid from the cylinder or cylinders.

What to do if you have hydraulic lock on radial engine?

If you detect a hydraulic lock on a radial engine the only certain way to cure it is to remove the lower cylinder spark plugs and let the oil drain out. Pulling the prop through forward WILL result in a bent connecting rod and/or expensive damage to the engine if it does not cause a catastrophic failure.

What happens if hydraulic lock happens on engine?

If the crankshaft continues to rotate then damage to the engine will occur – this could result in a cylinder being blown out, a bent or fractured connecting rod, or damage to the gudgeon pin. This phenomenon is known as ‘hydraulic lock’.

Do you remove spark plugs when hydrolocking?

The spark plugs are removed and the engine is cranked over. In engines that were hydrolocked at idle or when the engine was not running, it may be all that’s required to clear the obstructing water, so removing the spark plugs isn’t necessary. Cylinder walls won’t be corroded if the water is cleaned out soon after the occurrence.

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Ruth Doyle