Best solution to free a tight engine?

[farmstuff]

I recently bought a Ford 450 (I think) tractor/loader/backhoe.  It had been sitting by some estimates for 20 years, some of which with the exhaust broken off and open to the engine.  I was quite surprised with the condition of most parts. The valves are even free. But, the engine is tight.  I took the cylinder head off and the cylinder walls don't look real bad. Does anyone have a "preferred" solution that they use to free tight engines? This is a 3 cylinder diesel and one piston is all the way up. The other 2 are about half way.

[JimMeade]

I'd ask this question on Yesterday's Tractors web site.

I guess soak it for days.  Don't start driving it down with a mallet for fear of bending a rod.

[iss_jonhotmail]

On a Farmall H, we had that got seized, we soaked it for a few days with PB Blaster and WD40... scraped out all the obvious rust, got a good sized piece of wood that fit over the piston, and hit 1 once on each piston...  didn't get anything the first time... re-did the PB Blaster and WD40, waited again cause we were frustrated and did it again, and finally saw a little movement.  We rotated thru the cylinders till we got it moving about 1 inch, then wiped out all of the cylinders again...  then spun it over with the hand crank.  Put it back together.. it runs, but we need top pull it apart and do pistons and rings, as it smokes and blows out some oil.  It does run and work, but we really thought we had to get it free, to be able to really take it apart, as we weren't sure we would be able to get the block into our press to press them out.

[JJ Johnson]

Pour a can of regular Coke in them and let it set for a week.

[farmstuff]

I have heard Coke works for stubborn tire beads ....... I just may have to try that!  Thank you!