SharkGills

After you got the gas and it started running rough did you notice if it was running hotter? Sounds like water in the gas. :mad

Cookwithvette

That's what I was thinking.

73Ken73

Make sure that the water pump isn't siezed. I know a guy who thought his engine siezed and rebuilt the 454. It did the same thing when he went to start the new engine. It ended up being a stuck water pump.

Chuck Harmon

If you blew a head gasket, your car would run like a pig with water leaking into the combustion chamber. If water leaked into your cylinders while it was parked it won't turn over either, at least not without bending a connecting rod. Water does not compress!

Chuck

ddecart

Ouch. That's not sounding good. i don't like the conditions under which it died. Something mechanically wrong was happening inside the engine. I'm guessing that it was a bearing that decided to go for a spin. It finally decided to give up the ghost and seize on you. That's my vote anyhow. Let us know what you find.

Dave

Bob in Dallas

Sure sounds like you may have a hydraulic lock. The excessive use of fuel is an indicator that the carb could be leaking down into the engine. A cylinder with the intake valve open would fill with fuel, and lock the engine tight.

Pull the plugs first and look for evidence of a hydraulic lock. If the engine turns with the plugs out, you probably dodged a bullet. If this is it, make sure toi change the oil and repair the carb.

Good Luck.

Chuck Gongloff

Maurice mentioned in his post that he pulled all the plugs and tried to turn it over. If there was water in any of the cylinders, with the plugs out, it would have come out of the plug hole...so....with no compression, there can be no hydro-lock. :) Chuck

Turbo-Jet

:( You've got me in suspense, but I really hope it turns out to be something simple like the timing chain. Good luck. (I love to come give a hand if you could cover the flight... :D )

Maurice

It wasn't running any hotter when it was running poorly. When I pulled the spark plugs they all had a nice coat of soot from running a bit rich.

I will check the water pump tomorrow. Thanks for the tip.

I thought about a head gasket but the plugs were still dirty, someone told me my spark plug(s) would be shiny new. All had a bit of soot on them.

Ok, now for my stupid question, how would blowing a head gasket seize the engine while trying to start it? The engine turned over a couple of times before the small "boom" occured

Maurice

I was considering something like that.... free airfare for someone to come help diagnose / pull / repair / rebuild the engine. I think it would be much cheaper than taking it to a shop. :D :D :D

Twin_Turbo

sounds like you have some terminal engine damage inside. :(





[Modified by Twinnie, 7:22 AM 9/22/2002]

Scott78

It's possible if the coolant fills the cylinder you'll get hydraulic lock, since fluid is not as compressable as gas.

Scott

427V8

Scott's right. I had a '69 Olds 442 that blew a head gasket. Sucked water into two or three clyinders ( don't remember, it's been a while ) The starter would just hum.
But I pulled the plugs and let me tell you it made a fine water pump! :lol: Got my brother soaking wet!

So I don't thinks a cracked head / gasket.

I think he carb float stuck and it was dumping fuel. the massive amounts of fuel washed the oil off the clyinder walls and a piston overheated and welded itself into the clyinder.....

Or a piston just decided to sieze for some other reason!

ZD75blue

could it be a lightly bent rod and the piston got stuck on the up stroke?

Just an idea...

Good luck to you man :cheers:

moosie982

:yesnod:

soundguy

I'm casting my vote for broken timing chain/gear. The inability to idle and poor mileage is a good indication of having 'jumped time'. The fact that it went away again before the engine failed entirely sounds consistent. If the top sprocket was the stock aluminum & nylon type, the normal condition in old age is that all the nylon tooth 'caps' break off and only the smaller aluminum 'skeleton' is left. It's small enough to allow the chain to jump to a retarded state on a hard acceleration and on occasion, to jump back again during hard deceleration. If left uncorrected, this state is usually followed by either the complete break-up of the top sprocket and subsequent 'wadding up' of the chain around the crank sprocket -OR- the chain jumping several teeth at once, resulting in valve-to-piston contact followed by total anihilation of several reciprocating engine parts.

Good luck...I don't envy you, no matter what the problem turns out to be.

Maurice

Update if it helps anybody.

Just drained the oil and it smelled very gasoline'ish. Didn't notice any metal parts or shavings in the oil. The oil was black.

My plan of action is to start at the top and work my way down. I am going to pull the intake a heads, then if I have to pull the engine, I will do that next. Anybody got a better plan?

Maurice

How do you check for a siezed water pump? I loosened the belts and the water pump pulley spun around ok.

jyounane

When you pull the intake manifold, you can look into timing case area and see the top of the cam sprocket. It's easy to see if the cam sprocket is destroyed.

Don't ask me how I know!

good luck,

Joe

Turbo-Jet

Sounds like it is ok. If the pump failed, there would also likely be coolant dripping from weep hole.

I guess you're down to
-broken timing chain
-bottom end :(