RE: cleaning a gummed up cox 1/2A
If it's stuck from dried castor (most likely) then a complete disassembly is the order of the day. Try to get it moving first by applying a heat gun to semi-liguify the dried oil. Cox reedies have an oil groove in the crank journal. If it is full of dried castor it might or might not disolve from the effects of the fuel if you just run it. If it doesn't then it can very quickly gall the crank/case from excessive heat build-up from lack of lube to the front of the crank. Even cooking disassembled engines in a crock-pot of anti-freeze won't always clean the oiling groove and a needle or piece of small (.015-.025) music wire must be used to physically scrape out the goop from the groove. HTH, Tom