Man do I have problems and don't know what they are. I thought my starter was screwed up but had time today to acutally work on it. Nunus79 helped me look at it and we tried to push start it to see if it would start and the back tires just skidded when I popped the clutch. We tried to turn the engine over with a socket and breaker bar and it wouldn't budge either way. We took off the valve covers and the rockers arms and valves all looked to be there. Also, we removed all of the spark plugs and still couldn't turn the engine over. I guess the next step will be to pull the oil pan and see if I can see anything from the bottom side.

Does anybody have any suggestions on what to check next? Looks like I will be pulling the engine and going through it, <deep sigh>, well I guess it isn't for sale anymore until it is running again. The good thing is that maybe I can get it running on regular pump gas with lower compression parts.

 

You mentioned the starter. Is it jammed into the flywheel ring-gear? I would check there first. What were the circumstances when this occurred? Chuck

 

Oooh that doesn't sound good, as Chuck said drop the starter hope that it's whats got the motor locked up. After that you'll probably want to drop the oil pan and check rod and main bearings. Knowing the conditions or sounds it made as it locked up will help in diagnosis.
Good luck keep us informed.

Scott

 

Hot diggety! I think you got it. It looks like the starter gear got lodged behind the flywheel. Going back to look at it now.

 

We need to know the full story!!

 

Interested in knowing how this turns out. :confused:

 

nope, still stuck

 

but I now have Cappy on the scene

 

Too bad :sad:



[Modified by SLICKMAN, 10:23 PM 9/20/2002]

 

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[Modified by nunus79, 6:32 PM 9/20/2002]

 

Sorry, did not mean to hit the "QUOTE" button... :(

Do you understand my post now?


[Modified by SLICKMAN, 10:37 PM 9/20/2002]

 

Hi, The situation sounds bad, but what happened when the engine quit in the first place? Would not turn over? Why, no starter engagement or loud clanking noises? What was going on when the engine quit? Or did you just come out one day and the engine would not turn over after it was fine the day before? Give us some more info and lets see if we can help. Wells :cheers: :cheers:

 

The circumstances were this:

Car was running good and I was going to a car show on the other side of the island. I had just put in 5 gal of 110 octane fuel and was going to fill up with 93 but the 110 pretty much topped off the tank. I start the car and it starts running horribly, wont idle, keeps dieing, I can start it if I keep RPMs very high. Drove it like this to and from the car show 35 miles away as it is highway driving it runs ok as long as it isn't idling. I used 3/4 of a tank of gas during this trip. I put in 5 gallons of 93 octane a couple of days after I got back home as I hadn't driven it since I got back. The cars sputters for a few seconds then comes back to what seems to be "in tune". I went for a short easy 3 mile drive around and come back home and park in front of the house confident that my little issues were resolved.

The next morning I need to run to the post office, the cars turns over a couple of times and then it sounded like a small back fire, or a small "boom" or a wire short out, or a metal hitting metal sound, or something like that. After that, the only thing that happens it when I turn the key, I just hear a click like the battery isn't strong enough to turn the engine. That was where I was this morning when I started.

I have now removed the starter and after getting a better look at everything, it may not have been stuck behind the flywheel. The engine is still nonrotating.

Cappy thought I should pull the heads and check the top side of the engine to see if anything could be seen wrong there.

Thanks again for you alls help. :cheers:

 

Well if it won't turn over with the starter out and you can disengage the clutch, you did say you tried to push start it right ? then there are no other external parts to stop the motor from turning. Time to take the pan off and take a look see, my guess is a broken crank, sorry bout that

 

I'd drop the oil pan. Check for a thrown rod....broken crank, etc. As others have said, if the starter is out, and nothing is lodged in the bellhousing, and you can disengage the clutch....nothing external is keeping the engine from turning. That "boom"...or metal to metal clunk you heard sounds ominous. Chuck

 

I am not sure what a broken crank will sound like...I guess it depends on the nature and severity of the break. I am thinking rod broken and jammed...but it should reverse...maybe...I like to learn new stuff but I feel for your situation...this may still be something relatively easy and cheap...
I will sacrifice a tall cool one at midnight for you. :eek:

 

What do you think re a possible separated or split harmonic balancer. may be caught at front of motor. Just an idea and hopefully something better than the busted crank. The fact that it was running poorly may indicate something more towards the top end. Keep us all in the loop :cool: :cool: :cool:

 

I will keep you all up to date when I find anything new on this. I'm gonna have a full day tomorrow but hopefully will at least get the oil pan off to look up to see what I can see from that angle. Another guy I know said it could possible be the timing chain broke and got wrapped/jammed around the sprocket, so I will be checking that also. Not sure how much time I will have tomorrow, but Sunday I should be able to put most of the afternoon into it and next weekend I should have 5 days off in a row, so that would be the perfect time to pull / fix / replace the engine and if I find out soon enough what it is that is broke, I could have all the parts together.

Hmmmmm, since I could have the engine out and apart.... what cool things do I want to do.... May be time to start researching good head/cam combo's or maybe to drop the compression down from 11.5 so I can run on pump gas.

 

TTT

Any updates?

Anybody have more advice/insight?

 

I have been waiting for Myron to come home. I guess I should get out there and get busy. Bye the way, I got killed again last night at the track by Scott in his Odyssey. The announcer used us as the poster children that anybody could race what ever they wanted. I ran 17.5, he ran 17.0