Drove though water, now motor is locked hard...

[puTTs]

There's been a ton of flooding here in ohio these past few days. At my bros work it started to flood so he decided to leave but had to drive his '97 GT through some fairly deep water 6"-10". The car went through it fine till just at the end were it stalled, the car has 100% HOTCHKIS suspension and is lowered real low, there's only 3" or so to the bottem of the X-pipe. He figured the water got to the belts but the engine would not turn over to try to start, it just clicked like the batery was dead. So we pushed it up to dry land, it sat for 4-5 hours and still just clicked like the battery was dead so we charged it up, still nothing. Then we took the battery out of my car, which we know is good, and it still wouldn't start, just clicked. So now the car has been towed home. And this is where it gets bad.

We took all the spark plugs out and the belt off. With a strap wrench around the crank pully with a good 8" of leverage me and my brother can not get the engine to turn any direction. We pushed the car about 10mph popped the clutch and it just slid the tires in any gear. We can not get this engine to turn over at all. Were is the first place to look? Is there any way that the starter could have shorted and jammed up because of the water? The engine was still cold only being ran 1-2 minutes before this happened, so I don't think the cold water ceased the hot pistons into the bore, possible but I doubt it. Any info would really be nice. Were going to try and pull the starter off tomarrow and keeping our fingers crossed it it the starter that went. Thanks, puTTs.

 

[04DarkShadowGT]

how low is your filter? do you have CAI? maybe got water into the engine. that or something might have shorted out maybe?

 

[puTTs]

The filter is really low but we have drained the oil and found now traces of water so I think we are good on that. The only other thing I can think of is the engine might have sucked some water into the intake. But I can't see why we can't get the crank to turn not even a little. The car didn't make any noises when it died it just spit and sputtered a little then off. There was no sound of a screeching pistons or bearings ceasing it just sputtered then off. Thanks, puTTs.

What is a CAI??? I don't want to sound dumb but I'm a Mopar man trying to help out by brother. Thanks.

 

[03poontanggt]

He Hydrolocked it. I did the same thing to a dodge intrepid a few years back. The insurance ended up covering the motor with just the deductable. hopefully he has good insurance because I really don't think you'll get it to start.

 

[Go HoTO!]

Insurance will replace the car. Just be careful how you tell them it happend. My sister got her car flooded while sitting in an intersection a few years back. Water came in the doors when she opened them. It was in a Dodge Vert, so really the water was not that deep. Car got replaced.

 

[03poontanggt]

the intrepid also did the whole ticking thing also

 

[puTTs]

What is involed with hydrolocking??? I drove my little '89 Horizon though the water right infront of him and mine is fine, never stalled. If we have to pull the motor and rebuild we will do that. He doesn't want to turn it into the insurance, he's still paying super high rates for the $5,000 worth of deer that he hit last summer. Thanks, puTTs.

 

[03poontanggt]

Your Intake is propably on top of you carb.? I'm sure if it was a easy fix the insurance would not have sent out a brand new crate motor.

 

[Go HoTO!]

If it is hydro-locked, you probably don't want the car anymore.

 

[Joel's98GT]

...QUOTE]

sorry to hear, if the insurace screws you and you need a new motor, I know a person in cleveland trying to sell a 2000 GT engine, & tranny 28k mi. not even out of the car yet. has new heddman headers in box for it and a bunch of extras, only asking 20000, I think it's in modular depot classifieds.

did the water get into the car? if the computer gets wet it is hosed, possable cause.

 

[Go HoTO!]

But, have it checked by a mechanic first to find out how bad the damage is.

 

[puTTs]

Were keeping the car. If we have to get a a new short block then we will. I'm still wondering what happens when it is hydrolocked? Does the block shrink around the pistons? We have way to much time and money in the chassis and car itself. puTTs.

CAI- cold air intake??? It has the stock intake system with a k&n filter.

 

[03poontanggt]

I did a Search for you I found this article on an import site, but it will give you a good Idea what it does http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/tech/0104scc_tested/

 

[puTTs]

Thanks. That's probably the problem. I never though about sucking water that it can't compress. Looks like we'll see how hard it is to pull the motor. Thanks for the help puTTs.

 

[03poontanggt]

No Problem

 

[mity2]

i'm sorry to hear what happened. I must agree with Go HoTo. If hydrolocked, you might just not want the car anymore... get the insurance, and put it towrds Mach1

 

[TARZAN]

Hydrolocked=new engine or rebuild

-Will

 

[smokin'Red35th]

sorry to hear that, hope it didnt do too much damage.

 

[johnnyboy1111]

motor stopped

sorry buddy, I never even heard of that...could you try with a vacum hand pump to send the plastic tube down the spark plug holes and suck the water out , then change the oil and refill with the lightest possable oil , maybe jack up the whole body and use a space heater to dry everthing out, a buddy blew a head gasket years ago and his motor was full of antifreeze a few oil changes after the gasket change and it was good and its still running.....I have seen compters short out in floods but never what happened to you....good luck, theres plenty of 4.6 motors around in the wrecking yards..

 

[snoopy98]

well good luck taking apart your engine.