Thanks again for the tips-all good suggestions. The goods news is that the disassembly was quick and easy with no special tools. The bad news is that the engine is lunched. It needs a new crank, a new rod and a front bearing at minimum. I think that if the RJL is too weak to withstand a little hydro-lock, this will just happen again and it’s not worth pursuing. However, I did learn some things that may help others. Basically, heat did the job for the removal of all stubborn parts and no special tools or forcing was required. The MECOA web site (source for RJL parts) has some good (but incomplete) instructions. They suggest using a toaster oven to heat the engine (minus any plastic parts) to 300 degrees. I purchased a used toaster oven at a thrift store for $2.00 and it worked to perfection.

After heating, the piston sleeve popped up right up with a partial rotation of the crank. Even if it had not come out that easily, it could have been coaxed out without the use of any tools (other than a finger and a rag) and it’s always better NOT to take the chance of damaging the piston/sleeve with a tool.

The prop driver popped right off by holding two pieces of snug-fitting scraps of 3/16” round steels rod in the groove of the hub and tapping the front of the crank on a wood block. This particular prop driver was very stubborn so the heat method should work for anyone.

The crankshaft came out with very light taps with a brass hammer and could have been unseated just as easily by pressing the front against a wood block.

The rear ball bearing dropped out by tapping the crankcase on a soft wood block. The front bearing came out by using a 5/16” bolt (with a nut threaded on to act as a shoulder) to drive it out the front. Only very light taps with a hammer were required.