Big *ss clunk sound when turning the key (Page 1/2)
Additivewalnut FEB 08, 07:54 PM
My 86 SE V6 has been landlocked for a good couple months after the pickup coil went bad and I'm too scared to fix it. But I went in the garage for sh*ts and giggles and turned the key to the first click to get the lights working and all I hear is this h u g e crash coming from the engine bay, so I investigate and nothing looks out of the ordinary. I go and crank the car to see if that would help and now the whole dang car shakes when cranking. Nothing *new* is leaking... I'm still dripping coolant here and there but that's not important.

Tl;dr, what could have even caused that noise with the car only getting battery power?!
Gall757 FEB 08, 09:20 PM
manual transmission? If so, I think you had a stuck clutch plate.
Patrick FEB 08, 09:44 PM

quote
Originally posted by Gall757:

...I think you had a stuck clutch plate.



OP states the key was only turned to the "first click". I say the fuel pump exploded.

Additivewalnut FEB 08, 11:18 PM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

OP states the key was only turned to the "first click". I say the fuel pump exploded.



I'd agree except I can still hear the pump prime. And would the clutch plate make the whole damn car shake?
Gall757 FEB 09, 09:28 AM
Let's resolve this 'first click' thing.....that's when the lights go on and the fuel pump runs, but the starter does not engage. If you are cranking the starter and the engine is turning over, it can be out of balance if a chunk of the clutch pad is still attached to the flywheel. Does it shake while the starter is engaged or is the engine running?

[This message has been edited by Gall757 (edited 02-09-2020).]

Additivewalnut FEB 09, 12:28 PM

quote
Originally posted by Gall757:

Let's resolve this 'first click' thing.....that's when the lights go on and the fuel pump runs, but the starter does not engage. If you are cranking the starter and the engine is turning over, it can be out of balance if a chunk of the clutch pad is still attached to the flywheel. Does it shake while the starter is engaged or is the engine running?




That's just the thing. It was the first click that made the sound.. when I actually went to crank it, only the starter is going and the engine never turns over (presumably because of the pickup coil.) And the whole car shakes like hell
Patrick FEB 09, 01:55 PM

quote
Originally posted by Additivewalnut:

when I actually went to crank it, only the starter is going and the engine never turns over



You're making this even more confusing. Is the crankshaft turning or not? If it is, the engine is turning over... but not starting.
Additivewalnut FEB 09, 02:28 PM

quote
Originally posted by Patrick:

You're making this even more confusing. Is the crankshaft turning or not? If it is, the engine is turning over... but not starting.



Okay yeah that's my bad, I've only been working on cars for a year.. I'm still new to the terms.

The starter turns the engine just fine. It just doesn't start.
Gall757 FEB 09, 03:20 PM
So as the starter is rotating the crankshaft at approx...300 rpm (and not starting).....the car shakes like hell. If this shaking is about 5 shakes per second, that would correspond with the crankshaft speed.

edit: Can you repeat the clunk sound? Any other odd noises? Does the clutch position change anything?

[This message has been edited by Gall757 (edited 02-09-2020).]

Additivewalnut FEB 09, 04:39 PM

quote
Originally posted by Gall757:

edit: Can you repeat the clunk sound? Any other odd noises? Does the clutch position change anything?




I can't replicate it, no. I'll go out and turn the key and see if there are any other noises, and I'll play with the clutch