Background:
Car sits for 2 years with no engine.
Throw in used engine with ~100k miles
Engine ran but would overheat a lil at idle if sitting and warm
When I was puting in the flywheel bolts i stripped the internal threads on the clutch. They would still go in really tight, so i used some red locktite and kept it at that.
Engine drove over 1k miles, no problems.

I am getting on the freeway, decide to push it a little on the throttle maybe 80-85% and it acts as though it has to much fuel and bogs a lil... No big deal, back off and cruise.

Temps are set and all of a sudden it dies and turns back on... I get off my ramp and it dies. I have to turn it over with the starter cause my switch is messed. The starter wont tern at all. It's locked up.

I am on a hill so i try and push start it. No go, the weight of the car will stop before turning.


I check dip stick and I have have a little shaving on it.
I drained my oil and I have tiny pen tip sized shavings, not a lot at all but some.

I check the flywheel bolts and one is loose! i can move it up and down with my finger... Maybe one of the bolts is stoping the flywheel? possible, any other ideas?

No overheating, piston tops look fine, timing belt in tact, crank WILL NOT MOVE?

ideas, sorry for the long ass post... im just desperate. I'm pulling the starter when i get home.


Nick
97RS

Originally posted by Collente
Maybe one of the bolts is stoping the flywheel? possible, any other ideas?

Put the car in neutral and push. Does it roll? Does it roll forward and bind? does it roll backwards then bind? If so, you've probably got a flywheel bolt binding on the block somewhere in the bellhousing.

Hey Nick. When I lost my flexplate bolts, the engine ran just fine, but I could not get the car to go into any gear - clutch engaged or not. Even if the engine was not installed, the clutch and flexplate will spin on the input shaft, as far as I know, when both wheels move in the same direction at the same time.

Not sure about the metal in the oil, but if the flexplate has come lose or lost a bolt, it would not spin correctly on its axis and the starter would not be able to move it. You can yank the starter and have it tested at Autozone for free, imo, but with what you said about the clutch bolts being stripped, I wouldn't be surprised if this was your problem.

Better to pick up a cheap, used clutch from someone than a new engine, right?

I agree with ^^^^, if your clutch bolts are loose it allows the clutch to be at a weird angle relative to the input shaft of the trans. This will bind up and you will have a very hard time turning it over. I had a similar problem with this before where the trans was not on perfectly straight for some reason and it would not turn over, but as soon as I took it off checked everything and reinstalled....everything ran smooth.

Hmmm....metal in the oil. My guess is that it may be unrelated in this instance, but metal + oil = never good..... I would check out your bearings and piston skirts if you already have it apart.

Thx for the input guys...

So when the car is in neutral it will move. If it's in gear it will not worth a damn. I pulled the starter and I can see one of the bolts that I could not before and it appears to be fine. I still cannot see the other. With the starter off I tried to turn it over, but it wont budge. Maybe the bolt is jammed on something? I doubt it but that would be fuckin sweet.

I'm going to rip the alternator tonight, but i doubt that would lock it up.

This sucks...




Nick
97RS

That's a start.

Could still be a seized engine, though.

Raise the front of the car up, and grab a bigass breaker bar. Crank on the 19mm crankshaft bolt clockwise and then counterclockwise if it doesn't move. If your flywheel bolts backed out, it should jam the engine regardless of in-gear/neutral, but maybe the bolts flew into the clutch somehow.

Note, you're going to break something by doing this. It's a shortcut though if you don't want to pull the transmission out and inspect everything, which you'll probably have to do anyways.

good call Dan, that was the next step after the alt.

If these dont work, im rippin the tranny and head off.

I am going to put on the breaker bar and jump on the bitch :)





Nick
97RS

You're gonna shear the head off the crank bolt. Just drop the trans and save yourself some headache later... you'll know immediately if its the motor or not at that point.

Didn't think of that, thx dino. I dont want to deal with that shit too... knowing me it def would have happened.

:cheers



Nick
97RS

nick...

there are `10mm bolts holding on the plate between the trans and engine. if one of your flywheel bolts backed out (because you didnt use loctite like a fuckin noo00b) then its probably binding right there.

pull off the access plate at the bottom and see if you cant turn the engine in both directions and notice any kind of clunk.

i'll be up asap to help you out bro, shoulda called me