Engine Siezed!

Redfalken

Well-known member
I went out to start the Falcon this morning and the starter was clicking but the engine wouldn't turn over. I pulled the plugs and put a breaker bar on the crankshaft bolt but it wouldn't budge. I didn't have time to do anything else before I had to get to work.

It's been running great with lots of oil pressure (40+) and no signs that anything was going wrong.

I suppose the starter could be bound up in the ring gear even though it still makes a clicking noise??? That would be the easiest to check so I'll try that at lunch. Any other suggestions on easy things to check before I go tearing apart the engine? The main bearings are about 1-1/2 years old.

Engine and car specs are below...
 
Put the breaker bar on and turn the engine backwards gently. You may be able to release whatever is jamming it. It could be the starter.
 
I'd pull the starter off also before I started blaming the engine. When I was in Colo another member (travis) had a similar situation with his '66 mustang, changed the starter and it was good to go.

-ron
 
I tried going the other way with the breaker bar and the bolt actually loosened! I know it was torqued properly at one point because I remember doing it when I put on a rebuilt harmonic balancer. I guess now would be a good time to retorque it before I get the engine unseized.

I'll loosen up the starter and see if that does the trick. That should be fun because it's currently parked in my driveway off the alley and the passenger side is inches from a retaining wall. That means I'll be leaning in from the front of the car...I can feel my back going out already... :x
 
could be that the head gasket is blown and one of the cylinders filled with coolant and is now hydraulically locked. Happens more often than you think. Take the plugs out and check.

kevin
 
Redfalken":3bz5y7k0 said:
... I pulled the plugs and put a breaker bar on the crankshaft bolt but it wouldn't budge....

He already pulled the plugs. Starter is a likely culprit.
Joe
 
There's no coolant in the cylinders. I looked in with a flashlight. I'm sure it's the starter. I had a little time at lunch and took off the bolts (there are only 3...right??) and couldn't get it to budge. I'll work at it some more when I get home. Maybe I'll take off the bellhousing inspection plate and see if I can turn the flywheel to unbind it.
 
Just brainstorming. If you unhooked the battery lead, and ran jumpers to the starter with reversed polarity - would it loosen up?

The electromagnet would still pull forward, but the pinion would yaw etisoppo eht etator...

Anyone got an opinion on this tack?
 
Whaddaya expect from someone whose lav drain eddy goes the wrong direction.
 
Mine locked up a few years ago on startup..turned out someone had put a starter in without the end plate installed and a bearing roller fell out and jammed between the bottom of the bellhousing and the flywheel...new starter and no problems since.
 
Geez...I finally got it out after nearly an hour. I took the top cover off and tried to pry up the actuator arm, I took off the inspection plate and tried to turn the flywheel, and finally broke it loose from below with a hydraulic jack.

Tested it...but it was toast. I went down to the local parts store and got one with a lifetime warranty for $38. It didn't look like it had done any obvious damage to the gears on the torque converter.

Thanks for all the help. I'm glad the engine's OK since this is my daily driver.
 
glad you go it taken care of and that it wasn't a bigger problem
 
On the old flatheads the starter sometimes sticks in the ring gear. The methods of dealing with this is to put the car in third gear and rocking the car back and forth. Sounds weird but it works.
 
Fred,
Would that work with an automatic tranny?
That is a cool piece of info to know..
Thank you for sharing

Nathan
 
Ixnay on the automaticyay. It has to be mechanically connected via a clutch from the rear wheels to the flywheel.
 
i heard from an old mechinc buddy that u could do somthin like that with the powerglides u could push em back and it would be like one of them roll back toy cars and would lung itself back forward som
 
Justin, the old powerglides had a rear pump & thats why you could push start them.
All the newer transmissions just have a front pump in the trans & the engine has to be running. William
 
Well glad engine is all okay.

matt


PS: I recall changing cheap rebuilt starters in the dark - it was easier than trying to find someone/somewhere to put the flashlight. Once and a while the ground wire for the heater blower would end up not connected - but that was ez to fix in the light the next day. :)
 
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