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Help. Hydrolocked Motor?

  • Thread starter Thread starter xMalignancy
  • Start date Start date Oct 14, 2011
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xMalignancy

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Jun 30, 2010
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Oct 14, 2011
#1
  • Oct 14, 2011
  • #1
So last week i was driving and without realizing it, i drove through a large puddle. Anyways turns out water got in the intake and the motor died. I didnt hear any loud noises or anything. I coasted out of the puddle and tried to start it again and all it did was 'click'.. and thats all its ever done since. i took all the spark plugs out and still wont turn over. had the starter tested and its fine. im kinda stumped at the moment. Is there anything else i can do? Or is the motor done? Thanks
 

foxbodymike87

Active Member
Jul 12, 2011
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Oct 14, 2011
#2
  • Oct 14, 2011
  • #2
very good possibility that its hydrolocked
 

wythors

Get off my lawn!!!
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Oct 14, 2011
#3
  • Oct 14, 2011
  • #3
Try jumping the solenoid to turn the starter over?

Turn the engine over by hand. If it still won't rotated, you're FUBAR.
 

v8stang289

15 Year Member
Apr 22, 2008
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Oct 14, 2011
#4
  • Oct 14, 2011
  • #4
I agree you should try to turn the motor over by hand. But you most likely bent a rod or busted a piston, locking the engine up. Water doesn't like being compressed.
 
J

junkyardwarrior

Well-Known Member
Jan 10, 2011
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#5
  • Oct 14, 2011
  • #5
Did any water come out of the plug holes when the plugs were removed? Usually when an engine is hydraulic'd, when you pull the plugs, one or more will have water running out. Something else that could have occured is seizure. Hot engine, pistons at 900 degrees give or take, cylinders expanded due to heat, and add cold water and the cylinder shrinks around that hot piston. Have seen this on ATV's before. Try to turn it by hand before doing anything. Both directions.
 

xMalignancy

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Oct 14, 2011
#6
  • Oct 14, 2011
  • #6
When i pulled the plugs there was no water coming out. and also there is no water in the oil.. if that makes a difference. But i try to turn it over by hand and it wont budge.
 

foxbodymike87

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Jul 12, 2011
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Oct 14, 2011
#7
  • Oct 14, 2011
  • #7
xMalignancy said:
When i pulled the plugs there was no water coming out. and also there is no water in the oil.. if that makes a difference. But i try to turn it over by hand and it wont budge.
Click to expand...

well..TEAR IT DOWN AND BUILD IT BIGGER!!!
 
G

Gunmetal5oh

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Oct 14, 2011
#8
  • Oct 14, 2011
  • #8
Was there any moisture on any of the spark plugs?
Take all 8 spark plugs out and try to turn it over Clockwise by hand with a long breaker bar. If you can't get it to turn, try lightly bumping it the opposite direction.. but not too hard or else you may loosen the damper bolt.
 

mob

the guy who hits on his mom
20+ Year Stangneter
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Oct 14, 2011
#9
  • Oct 14, 2011
  • #9
Highly doubt the motor is hydrolocked... unless the click is coming from inside the motor, in which case would be more like a clunk, it sounds like an electrical problem, I would check the solenoid.
 

Dino Dino Bambino

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#10
  • Oct 15, 2011
  • #10
xMalignancy said:
When i pulled the plugs there was no water coming out. and also there is no water in the oil.. if that makes a difference. But i try to turn it over by hand and it wont budge.
Click to expand...

If the engine won't turn over by hand even with the plugs removed, it's more than likely that you have at least two bent connecting rods and the pistons won't move up or down the bore. Pull off the oil pan and take a look from below. Then you'll know if you need to do a complete engine teardown.
 

2000xp8

SN Certified Technician
Aug 8, 2003
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Oct 15, 2011
#11
  • Oct 15, 2011
  • #11
mob said:
Highly doubt the motor is hydrolocked... unless the click is coming from inside the motor, in which case would be more like a clunk, it sounds like an electrical problem, I would check the solenoid.
Click to expand...


I agree.
Probably just shorted out the starter or starter connections.
The car may of stalled because the water suffocated the filter.
Get a huge breaker bar, put it on the balancer bolt and turn the engine.
 

NIKwoaC

中國製造
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Oct 15, 2011
#12
  • Oct 15, 2011
  • #12
Hydrolock from a puddle? Did your puddle look like this?



You shouldn't need a breaker bar to turn the engine over. Belt off, plugs out, trans in neutral, you should be able to spin the engine with a regular 1/2" drive ratchet. If not, then yea, you've got a problem.
 

xMalignancy

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Oct 15, 2011
#13
  • Oct 15, 2011
  • #13
Haha yeah the puddle did kinda look like that. But this week im gonna take the oil pan off and see if i can see anything. I was kinda thinking that it was electrical too but i cant turn it over. I havent tried a breaker bar yet but it wont move with a 1/2 ratchet. I appreciate the help guys.
 
K

knarf

Member
Apr 24, 2010
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nj
Oct 16, 2011
#14
  • Oct 16, 2011
  • #14
i agree no way its hrdoblocked. ive worked with hydrolocked motors on boats that either sunk or wee semi submerged and this just doesn't have the symptoms. either you overlooked something when you trried to turn the motor over by hand like neutral and its just an electrical problem or you had a catastrophic failure but i dont think that was due to water ingestion either. it really takes alot of water to cause hydrolocking and the engine will almost always stall long before it becomes locked
 

xMalignancy

Member
Jun 30, 2010
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Nov 5, 2011
#15
  • Nov 5, 2011
  • #15
ok. so there actually WAS water in the oil. a pretty decent amount. idk if that makes a difference cuz it still wont turn over. ive tried marvel mystery in the cylinders and everything. is there anything anything ANYTHING i can try? im about to pull it out but if could get it to run that would be awesome. haha thanks!
 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.
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#16
  • Nov 5, 2011
  • #16
If you put a breaker bar on the crank will it spin( I use a breaker bar becaus a ratchet is a pita)? make sure the ignition is off and the spark plugs are out when you do this. The plugs being out will eliminate all the compression so there shouldnt be any resistance when you spin it.
 
V

vertvert

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Nov 3, 2011
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#17
  • Nov 5, 2011
  • #17
v8stang289 said:
I agree you should try to turn the motor over by hand. But you most likely bent a rod or busted a piston, locking the engine up. Water doesn't like being compressed.
Click to expand...

as a matter of physics, water CANNOT be compressed so i'd agree that it doesn't like to either., lol

to the OP have you turned the engine over by hand with the plugs out in neutral? if it won't spin then you have a failure somewhere!!!! It does take quite a lot of water to hydrolock. was this just a puddle or lake? were you idling or high rpm when this happend? either way spin it over by hand. you said the starter was tested, well keep it out of the car when you spin it over by hand (that isn't typically neccessary but if the bendix grossly failed it may be jamming the flywheel, still unklikely)
 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.
15 Year Member
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Nov 5, 2011
#18
  • Nov 5, 2011
  • #18
even if it is locked. I have been able to squeeze a few extra months out of an engine by just busting it loose with a breaker bar. Not professional by any means, but if this is your only means of transport it may work for you.
 

xMalignancy

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Chico, CA
Nov 5, 2011
#19
  • Nov 5, 2011
  • #19
Yeah i tried the breaker bar with all the plugs out, starter out, and in neutral and nothing.... and i was at about 1100-1300 RPM when it happened but i didnt hear any noise it just kinda shut off.... I guess ill just really try to break it loose since it is my only transportation.
 
V

vertvert

Member
Nov 3, 2011
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Nov 5, 2011
#20
  • Nov 5, 2011
  • #20
xMalignancy said:
Yeah i tried the breaker bar with all the plugs out, starter out, and in neutral and nothing.... and i was at about 1100-1300 RPM when it happened but i didnt hear any noise it just kinda shut off.... I guess ill just really try to break it loose since it is my only transportation.
Click to expand...

I hate to say it but that isn't gonna work. If you have seizure only maybe u could free it up but have scoring and serious loss of compression, but if rods are bent then it's a gonner!
 
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