'67 with a 302 (least thats what I was told, never got so far to check the numbers, could be like a 289, but should be a 302)




Ok, so right now my car is stuck in a parking lot and the engine won't turn over. We replaced the starter and solenoid today. We tried it while jumping it, we tried by-passing, still nothing but a click. We checked the cable to the starter and it was drawing power.

We then tried to turn the engine over and found we couldn't, I could move it a little when I was using enough force to make me nervous (the ripping off of a bolt head type of force). I don't understand how it can just suddenly be locked up.



What Happened:

Last night when I went for a drive it started right up. I turned it off for a minute to go get something and then it clicked when I tried again (rapid), we tapped the starter and rocker the car and it started right back up.

Drove fine, stopped at the store then it started to click again. I tried tapping it and rocking it again... for an hour, to no avail, also tried push starting. By that time it had become 2am, thankfully it's a small town and I found a safe place to push it to that's highly visible.

Today we tried it again, click-click-click. So we put in a new starter. Same thing, the solenoid clicks, so new solenoid. Still clicks. Tried jumping it, then it just clicked once at the starter. Tried bypassing. At this time we where plum out of ideas, but an elderly man stopped by who seemed to really know his stuff and after checking everything and testing everything, said to try to turn the engine over as the starter was trying. Thats when we found it wouldn't turn over.

So... wtf? It ran beautifully. I've had trouble with it jerking a bit when I go to floor it before it's really warmed up, but thats about it (like its being choked). We're going to try to get a good running start later tonight when the lot's empty.

Oil is fine in it too.



Any ideas?

 

Could be a couple things, the most likely:

--timing chain jumped and jammed.

--distributor/oil pump drive jammed.

Pull the distributor and see if it will turn over. Mark things so you can get it back in to the right spot.

Pull the front cover and check the chain. If it's ok, pull the timing set and see if the crank will turn, if it does, check the cam. Be sure to note timing marks etc.

You should not have valve/piston clearance issues, but if it turns only so far, do not force anything.

 

Thanks for the help, I'll have to take a look at that. Hopefully it's something simple and not something like a cracked block that filled a cylinder with coolant. Still seems so odd to me that it just ran fine then not. Maybe it's related to why I seem to shutter when I floor it after I'm already going, doesn't seem to be an air or fuel problem...

Thanks

 

I've asked on a Mustang forum and got some decent ideas for things to check as well, though I like things jammed over cracks in the block, lol. (It's a '67 Mustang, but lots of engine knowledge here)

So I am basically going to start with whatever is the least amount of work and go from there.


I'm use to thinking in compound problems, so for the sake of argument what if the problem I've had with "getting up on the go" is related to this? Thats something I really need to get fixed as well;

I've found it's very easy to kill it before it's been driven much, it generally dies everytime I first pull it out of the garage. It hasn't been driven much... sadly probably less than once or twice a year for a few years (there was good reason, but I'm not happy about never driving it, so I'm changing that now... or I was trying to, lol). Once it's really warmed up that problem goes away, it only does it out the gate.

My biggest problem though has been it seems to need to be driven for at least 20 minutes (and it's been taking longer) for it to really be "awake". What I mean is, it will drive normally, but if I'm going about 5mph and deiced to floor it, it's like it won't work properly. It won't "catch" it just sorta acts similar to when it's flooded or not getting air, sorta jerks around... hard to describe, I haven't had this problem on anything else before, but its been with this car since I bought it, however it has gotten more noticeable in time. Now it will go away after I've been driving for a while, and it doesn't seem to be effected if I'm flooring it or just trying to increase the RPMs slowly, no mater how I go about it, it struggles. It only does this when driving, not when it's just sitting. I can rev the crap out of it when it's just sitting. I've replaced the clutch (did it before hand too) and what not, but it shouldn't be past the engine, least it seems like thats where the problem is.

Any thoughts on that mess too?

 

Carb, timing, dwell issues is what your running problems sound like.

None of which will lock up the engine.

Something fubar in the clutch will lock things up. How long ago did you work on the the clutch?

Pull that distributor yet?

 

I did the clutch about a year ago, but have less than like 50 miles on it. It drove fine and solid, I had been driving around a good 20 minutes or so, stopped to take a picture, was there literally like 2 minutes and then it wouldn't work again.


Haven't got to pulling the distributer, I just got it back in my garage, let you know on it tomorrow. Thanks for the help!

 

Pull the plugs out of all the cylinders. Then try to spin the motor over. If it can turn, it should turn easier with no compression in the cylinders.

Rain went in my carb and filled a couple of pistons with water. Locked it up tight. Pulled the plugs and spun it over till it squirted out all the water. put the plugs back in and fired it up.

My dad had a motor that ran when we pulled it out to work on the transmission. When we went to put it in, the engine dropped about 4 inches to the frame. The motor locked up tight. We pulled the heads and found that some carbon broke free from the heads and jammed the cylinder. Cleaned it up, put on a new headgasket, and ran it forever.

 

Plugs are out, still locked up. The distributer is stuck as well, I can't lift it out, only about 1/8" then it catches on something.

Going to take a look at the timing chain...

 

Could very well be a broken timing gear.

I was driving my dads 66 ford truck at about 80 to 85 MPH when I got stopped by the state trooper. I pulled over and shut the truck down. After he let me go with a warning, I could not get the truck to start. When it did it ran very poorly. I drove it home 15 miles with a top speed of about 25 MPH. Once home it would not run again. We tore the timing cover off and found only four teeth on the smaller gear. I do not know how that truck started and ran like it did that day.

 

Got the distributer out, everything looked fine in there, no shavings or anything worn or anything. Everything still jammed (lol I tested this very carefully, last thing I wanted was to turn it over with the distributer out!)


Next step seems to be the timing chain, have to wait till I get something to put all the antifreeze in...

 

Tried to get the inspection plate off the bell housing only to find I don't have one, just a solid spacer :\

I replaced the clutch a while back and thought maybe something backed out. I was pretty sure I went to town on those bolts, but maybe...

I did discover the engine is out of a 1974 Maverick, someone did some work to it though cause its a 4bbl and only a 2bbl was offered at that time.


And so we continue our story with not much happening, lol

 

Did you drop the starter and see if it turns over? The starter can hang up and lock the motor up.

 

Ok we finally got movement. My guess is the starter died and when I put the new on it it jammed up, I'll have to check the teeth on it to make sure everything is ok. I just today figured out what exact engine I have, I've been going off a '68 302 and things might be a little different.

And now to manage to put that stupid distributer back in right...


Thanks for the help guys

 

OK, if you turned the engine while the distributor was out, or if you are not sure, or if you did not mark the distributor........... Pull plug #1 and use a thumb to cover the hole tightly while you turn the engine over. It is OK to use the starter to "bump" it over. When you feel compression pushing against your thumb, look at the timing mark on the damper and turn the engine by hand (socket on the crankshaft bolt) until the timing mark is at TDC. Put the distributor back in with the rotor pointing toward #1 plug wire on the dist. cap. Re-install the distributor hold down bolt, but leave it loose enough that you can turn the distributor by hand. Crank up the engine and set the timing to the correct mark using a timing light. Tighten the distributor hold down bolt.

Good luck with it.

Note: When you are turning the engine "by hand", be sure to turn it in the normal direction (same direction the starter turned it).

 

If you still have problems after re-installing your dizzy then another possibility is to check your oil pump (assuming you check your timing gears and they are fine. It is possible to have sucked something intop the oil pump gears and lock it up since it is run off your dizzy which is run off your cam that ties into the crank well you get the idea.