Won't crank?

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onehellofadart said:
Mikel did you pull the plugs to see if they were wet with antifreeze or if you spit out any water when you crank it by hand?
My gut feeling is it's the starter.
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I didn't pull the plugs this time, but at the end of last season when I had this problem I pulled the plugs and they were dry.

69signetv8 - next time it's locked up I'll pull the plugs and see what happens. If that frees it up, what would that indicate?
 
onehellofadart said:
Mikel it locked up on you last year also?
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Yeah, at the end of the season. After the last race I went to I left it on the trailer overnight, the next morning I went to fire it up and it did this same thing. At that point I checked the torque converter bolts and found that everything was nice and tight. So then I cranked it over by hand (big socket on the crank bolt) and was able to turn it over. Then it fired right up.
 
mikelbeck said:
I didn't pull the plugs this time, but at the end of last season when I had this problem I pulled the plugs and they were dry.

69signetv8 - next time it's locked up I'll pull the plugs and see what happens. If that frees it up, what would that indicate?
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I was really afraid you would ask..and I really don't know what it would indicate..if she cranks just fine with the plugs removed. I just thought it would be worth a try at this point. It's seems you have tried everything else. Perhaps this different approach will help you isolate the problem area and why she's locking up on ya. :dontknow:
 
Mike I'd say if it does it again and you pull the plugs and it spins right over that sounds like hydro lock. In other words water in the cylinders. That's what I usually find when I hear the starter make a "clang". Something has the engine locked.

That could be caused from something as simple as leaking intake gaskets to something worse like head gaskets or even worse yet like a cracked head. Probably not that bad though since you didn't mention anything about overheating problems or puking out coolant. Maybe try tightening up your intake bolts and see what happens. Hopefully you'll get lucky.

When it sits overnight something could be leaking down into a cylinder causing the hydro lock so when you go out the next day to start it all you get is the clang.
 
Know what you mean Tony. I hated to say it too cause it isn't good news. Hopefully it will be something simple like intake gaskets.
 
onehellofadart said:
Thats what I was getting at. Water won't compress and will stop it dead, I just hated to say it.
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If there's water sitting on top of the piston, where does it go when I crank the motor by hand? And why would it free up suddenly?
 
If your turning it slowly by hand I believe it could escape out the exhaust valve as previously mentioned. As you try to crank it with the start button it would try to compress it.
Is there any signs of water coming from the headers when it does crank under power?
 
onehellofadart said:
If your turning it slowly by hand I believe it could escape out the exhaust valve as previously mentioned. As you try to crank it with the start button it would try to compress it.
Is there any signs of water coming from the headers when it does crank under power?
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None.

I let it sit for a day or so, this afternoon I went out to see if it'd start or lock up. Of course, it started right up, no problem.
 
It knows your talking about it!!
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just a thought , is it possible that the started drive is still engaged when you turn the motor over by hand? that would be a good reason for it to free up readily . the starter drive will return as soon as the flywheel moves...... it would also tell you that you have a starter problem.....just a thought....
 
68gts340 said:
just a thought , is it possible that the started drive is still engaged when you turn the motor over by hand? that would be a good reason for it to free up readily . the starter drive will return as soon as the flywheel moves...... it would also tell you that you have a starter problem.....just a thought....
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Yeah, that's possible, I guess. I'll have a look next time it happens.
 
i have in the past had a starter with a bad bushing in the nose , it would allow the drive to get " cocked " and locking up the starter, I actually had to turn over the motor by hand to free it ....then it would start right up.....this wasnt on a mopar but ya never know.....
 
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