Diagnosing and repairing motor problem

This is a continuation from the "ball joint" thread.

I haven't turned it over because I'm worried if something in the top end let go, that turning the motor over will damage the motor further.

JVL is the next step to try and start it or to take the valve cover off ?

Pull an oil cooler line and see if it's pumping first then, while someone gives it a short crank. If it was seized, you'd know it.

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www.rallyrace.net

Got Fuel? Got Spark? Does she turn over? Start with the easy.

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Rich Howard
Indianapolis, Indiana
1967

I just went out to check spark and it won't turn over.

Does that mean the engine has to come out and be torn down ?

It could have come to a stop from crappy connectors on the battery.
Then now its sitting, not turn over from lack of amps in the battery . The thing didn't hold a charge here.
Get a known good battery in there with cleaned connections, pull plugs. Which plugs are they? What do they look like?

It is just a car; standard trouble shooting applies, you don't pull motors with mere whims.
Get a book and read the troubleshooting tree----if this then step 2.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Nah. Don't listen to that nonsense. Pull the motor.

Do you know how to check spark? Test the starter? Etc. Is it doing anything (ie making noises), or is it just sitting there? The sky is not falling, unless of course you did something stupid your not telling us about, like downshifting into 1st instead of third and highly over revved the motor. More than likely it's something simple like a distributor or battery or starter or etc. Start testing and diagnosing shit starting from the easiest and/or cheapest most commonly replaced items to the hardest.

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Grant Hughes

I've got a soft cut rev limiter on it set at 7500RPM, so over reving is not possible. Besides I was in 3rd gear when the problem happened, spinning about 5000RPM.

JVL initially when I got the Colt back to Canada I did have a charging problem. After swapping out the Altenator with a 120AMP unit with an internal voltage regulator, the charging problem was solved.

When I try to turn it over, the volt meter drops and I can hear the starter engage but not crank the motor. I thought maybe there wasn't enough juice so I tried jumping it off my truck, but the motor still doesn't turn over.

My friend told me to put a socket with a bar on the crank to see if I can turn the motor over.

Is the tension on the timing belt hydrolic ? If yes and if the timing belt went, would my oil pressure act eratically ? Am am I out to lunch with this school of thought ?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/13/2006 12:34PM by Morten.

its a cam chain and a oil pump/balance shaft chain and there is a spring loaded/hydraulic over tensioner.
pull the plugs and then try turning. check terminals and all the grounds including the engine to ground.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Some info for the future.

A rev limiter doesen't work on the downshift side of things.

Also too, in an effort to be helpful. Jump directly from good battery to starter. Ensure vehicle is in nuetral first.

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Rich Howard
Indianapolis, Indiana
1967

I removed the plugs, and tried to put a socket on the crank buy the elec. fan on the rad is limiting clearance. I could get a 10" cresent wrench on it with the with the absence of a bar and I can't budge it. Should I be able to turn the crank with the plugs out using a cresench wrench ?

I pulled the valve cover off and the timing chain is still there.

I tried cranking it over with the starter after the plugs were out but still wouldn't turn.

What should my next step be ?

Plugs :

NGK BP7ES

Dude are you sure it's not in gear ?

Did you pull the oil filter and look in it ?

At least your plugs don't look like the pistons hit them.

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Cheers
M.Samli
Phoenix AZ
Gaylant VR4
EVO III GSR (Stolen)


Rallies are no place for traitors

Yeah... it's not in gear.

I haven't pulled the oil filter yet.

Should I be able to turn the motor over without the plugs in place with a 10" cresent wrench ?

If you can't get the crank end of the engine, you can try turning it from the flywheel end.

This is easy enough to do by just jacking the rear wheels up and putting the transmission in top gear (best advantage against the engine) and try turning the drive wheels. With a good limited slip or especially a welded diff, you should be able to turn the engine with the plugs out. If the other tire starts turning the opposite way (open diff/weaker limited slip) then you'll have to only jack up one tire and block the other one.

Incidentally, a friend's neighbor used to start his VW Beetle that way when his starter decided to go on vacation... jacked up one tire, turned the ignition on/transmission in gear, and had at it!

If the engine won't turn, remove the drivebelt(s) and try again. Half the time, "siezed engines" are really siezed *accessories*. Ifn't that don't work, block the clutch pedal down with a 2x4 against the seat and try again just to make sure the trans or diff aren't stuck! Gotta verify your diagnoses.

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Pete Remner
Cleveland, Ohio

1984 RX-7 (rallycross thing)
1978
Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver.

Depends how big the wrench is.

Have you actually checked battery voltage????

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