Has anyone ever had their engine lock up on them?

O

oldsmokey97

New member
Joined
Aug 5, 2006
Messages
744
My engine locked up today and here is the story.

I got out of class (tech school for diesel mechanics) and went down the road a little ways and got on it pretty good (83 psi) for only a second untill i had to exit the interstate. After exiting, i had to go to a parts house and get some valve cover gaskets cuz i was plannin on adjusting valves tonight. Well.... left parts house headin to my apartment (goin to school). Everything was fine. Speed limit is 45-60 mph and i was going that. All of a sudden i started hearing a noise that was out of the ordinary. Almost like a clanking/grinding noise. At first i thought that is was something in the tranny because i have lost teeth on 3rd gear many times and it almost sounded identical but not near as loud.
Anyways the closer i got to my apartment the worse it got. Oil Press. and water temp was good.
I pulled into the parking lot and it noticed that it was definately rpm related.
Anyways i was creaping through the parking lot and AS SOON as i pulled into my parking spot and put it into neutral it locked up.

Starter does not even TRY to turn her.


After it cooled off i pulled apart the front end and pulled the timing cover off thinking that maybe something fishy was happening with the gear train (even though dowl pin has been tabbed for years) just hoping that is was something cheaper and easier but HELLLL NO.

Anyways... anyone have any ideas as to what it could be?? Anyone else ever have one lock up on them? If so what was it.

I am leaning towards pistons because i KNOW this thing has gotten way tooo high of egts MANY MANY MANY times. Either pistons, mains, or rods.

LEts see some suggestions.

Lance
 
Check the obvious...starter? Can you turn it by hand with a wrench on the damper bolts/alternator nut? Do you have a barring tool to try and turn it with?

Chris
 
If it was a rod or main bearing id think your oil PSI would have been low....So maybe top end....drop a valve?
 
Another possibility, could have cracked an injector tip, flooded the cylinder and hydraulic locked it. I had that happen on a powerstroke once.
 
Signature600 said:
Check the obvious...starter? Can you turn it by hand with a wrench on the damper bolts/alternator nut? Do you have a barring tool to try and turn it with?

Chris
Click to expand...


No i have not tried to turn it with a wrench BUT... when i was taking the balancer bolts off..... most of the time whether in gear or not.. it tries to move and it didnt budge.

Lance
 
brushpuller said:
If it was a rod or main bearing id think your oil PSI would have been low....So maybe top end....drop a valve?
Click to expand...

Pull off first two just to check for bent pushrods to indicate a failure in the gear train before i pulled front cover but nothin on the front two. So.. i dont think it is top end.
By the way.. if it was top end and dropped a valve.. i would think it would be an all at once kinda thing
Even though it all happened within 15 min.

Maybe it was just her time to go.

Lance
 
95ctd said:
Are you sure its even in the engine? Like you said possible tranny faliure?
Click to expand...


Unless the tranny AND clutch locked up all at once. Not the problem.


Like i said in my first post.... It almost kinda funny because AS SOON as i pulled up in my parking spot, i put in into neutral and was about to turn the key off and it locked up faster than anything i have ever heard or seen before. It was almost like she knew where she had to go before she gave up and saw the light. LOL

Lance
 
Wooleybooger- dont think so... havent pulled injectors yet but i hardly think that is the problem

TurboJoe- Yes i let it cool down...... no difference. Whatever it is it is major. But it just doesnt make sense why it was running soo good just twenty min. before. Some kind of freak thing happened here i believe.

Lance
 
oldsmokey97 said:
Wooleybooger-
TurboJoe- Yes i let it cool down...... no difference. Whatever it is it is major. But it just doesnt make sense why it was running soo good just twenty min. before. Some kind of freak thing happened here i believe.

Lance
Click to expand...

not sure if this is true but i have heard from quite a few people that an engine runs its best right before its about to let loose...
good luck gettin it back up an running!
 
just to be optimistic, watch it be something small and stupid. or if its major find your self a junk yard short block and let er rip you could have everything swapped out within two weeks.

Joe
 
A real good place to start looking for a major engine failure would be your oil filter. Take it off cut it open and pull the media apart, if you find metal particles in there you can bet you have engine trouble. If no metal in the filter I would say your trouble is between the crankshaft & tranny.
 
72chevy said:
A real good place to start looking for a major engine failure would be your oil filter. Take it off cut it open and pull the media apart, if you find metal particles in there you can bet you have engine trouble. If no metal in the filter I would say your trouble is between the crankshaft & tranny.
Click to expand...
i agree yank the filter and check it out.
 
i have seen MANY problems with cams goin flat in SB chevys. I would think it would be around the same concept with the oil having very very small metallic flakes in it.
Nothing in out of the ordinary in the oil and plus i just changed it 200 miles ago.

Lance
 
Joesixpack said:
Don't like the sound of it, if you can't budge the crank either way.
Click to expand...


Anyone that had ripped into this engine especially with a standard behind it knows for sure that it turns a little bit either way trying to tighten or take out the balance bolts that the engine always turns a little or it will actually make the truck move. In my position...... this is the first time in my life that when i loosened the balancer bolts that the made the popping noise similar to takin off a tight lug nut on a truck.

The engine DOES NOT turn.

Lance
 
Soo.. she will be coming out and apart this friday night. Does anyone have a guess on what it is.

Make your guesses now.

I will post results when it comes apart BUT..... the first one to guess it gets $20.00 to you if you have a PAYPAL account.
Like i said results will come this weekend but the guesses start now.

Lance

p.s. I have NEVER messed with anyone before with money so lets start the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
i had sumpin like this happen to my 00 dually when i first got it. the nv4500 had a bearing go down in it and cause it to lock up truck would not turn over with start or by hand, had tranny rebuilt it was fine. just a thought.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top