4 cyl, Got the car for free. Won't start. PO tells me water pump went and he blew a head gasket.
Got the car home, oil is black. Try to start , turns over but nothing. Check I get spark, I spray starting fluid, still won't start. Check compression, very little to none, I thought the gauge was bad. Get new gauge same results. Pull the engine apart. Get the head off.
Gasket looks good but there is a very bad valve in the head, permenately open.
Anyone think one bad valve could have kept the engine from starting?
Any other things to check before I put it back together?
If you tested all 4 cylinders, and all 4 have bad compression, then one valve cannot cause all of that. Do all 4 cylinders and piston tops look the same? I would closely examine the other valves.
Take off Oil lid, look at rockers, moves or not when try to start car? No move then cam gear is dead. See my Cave, Cam Gears
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Took the valve cover off, every thing moves when starting. As in all the rockers go up and down in a sequence that appears to be correct. Engine has 130,000 miles. Took the head off already. Pistons look good. No holes or anything.
I did find oil in the antifreeze when disconnecting hoses.
I did squirt some sea foam in each cylinder when I tried to start it.
I don't know for sure, but that might've washed off any residue of oil that remained on the rings... and made the compression worse.
I've had good luck (three times so far) putting about a tablespoon of ATF in each cylinder and letting it seep down for a day into the rings before trying to start an engine that's been sitting for years.
I don't know for sure, but that might've washed off any residue of oil that remained on the rings... and made the compression worse.
I've had good luck (three times so far) putting about a tablespoon of ATF in each cylinder and letting it seep down for a day into the rings before trying to start an engine that's been sitting for years.
That trick also worked on a 1940 flat head that had been sitting for 40 years, and seized. ATF and a big pipe wrench.
Well, I got every thing torn down. Timing was dead on. I am going to assume that the overheating caused the bad valve. Took a straight edge to the head and it is slightly warped. Going to reokace the head with a new / used one. New water pump and put it all back together and see what is what.
If it won't go, a good forum member has a good low milage replacment motor.
Overheating can cause: Dead/dying rings and pistons crack/warped heads and/or block blowing head gaskets
Usually does not cause valve issues.
use NEW head bolts! Many OE ones are weak and can break.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Valve issue could have been caused by engine sitting a long time with that valve in the open position. But since the head will be replaced it's not an issue.
I pulled the cover and the gears line up. Not a timing issue. May have had the wires installed wrong, but I doubt it. I had the diagram out in the garage when I put the new plug wires on.
Never owned one, sorry. Belts slip, or gears strip then...?
One gear is fiber and it doesn't slip, it strips... If the valve train is moving the gears are fine (well, good enough to run the vehicle at that moment).
I've seen a lot of Dukes with stripped gears, however that doesn't seem to be your problem. Since you have the heads off I would suggest putting some thin oil or trans fluid into the cyls and see if it drains straight through. If it does your rings are shot.
Every engine I ever had that spun like no compression had slipped time...granted everything I had has a timing chain. Ive never heard of an engine that spun free with any other problem other than something like all broken pistons or no cylinder head. Even extremely worn cylinders or rings will have SOME compression especially if you crank it a few minutes. You could squirt some oil down the plug holes and try cranking it to see if that gives it any compression. If it was a cracked block or head, it would have to be a pretty serious hole that would be obvious.
Every engine I ever had that spun like no compression had slipped time...granted everything I had has a timing chain. Ive never heard of an engine that spun free with any other problem other than something like all broken pistons or no cylinder head. Even extremely worn cylinders or rings will have SOME compression especially if you crank it a few minutes. You could squirt some oil down the plug holes and try cranking it to see if that gives it any compression. If it was a cracked block or head, it would have to be a pretty serious hole that would be obvious.
He checked the gears visually, no issues, he pulled the head.
I have found that it is far less expensive and time costly to replace a blown engine than to try and rebuild it. Many people who have done engine swaps typically have taken out perfectly good engines and some may have them for sale. Ask around, check the mall. That would be the most economical solution.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Powerlog manifold, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
Well I have everything back together. Change the oil in the mornining and put a new set of plugs and wires in it and we should be running.
I figured out why it wouldn't run or sputter or anything at all. I opened the manual and not only read but this time I comprehended where cylinder number 1 was. I had it in reverse order. Lol.
Something definitely strange going on..... reversed wires / mixed up wires has absolutely nothing at all to do with compression. If you truly had no compression when you started, swapping plug wires would do absolutely nothing to change the compression.