2002 engine seized

G

gordo

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Thunderbird Year
2002
Have a 2002 bird motor can only turn the crank by hand about 3/4 turn back and forward ?? Any one have any ideas had valve cover gaskets replaced And coils ran for a couple mins then seized I nay need another motor If so can a 2003 or 2004 motor be installed or is that a problem Anyone done that Need Help Thanks Gordo.
 

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gordo said:
Have a 2002 bird motor can only turn the crank by hand about 3/4 turn back and forward ?? Any one have any ideas had valve cover gaskets replaced And coils ran for a couple mins then seized I nay need another motor If so can a 2003 or 2004 motor be installed or is that a problem Anyone done that Need Help Thanks Gordo.
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I would have mech look at it could be a stuck valve,or something else,what’s the mileage ?
 
Hi bird has 70.000 miles but why after that work was just done . If something had fallen in plug hole or timing chain Thanks Gordo
 
gordo said:
Hi bird has 70.000 miles but why after that work was just done . If something had fallen in plug hole or timing chain Thanks Gordo
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If the motor seized it would not turn over , I would put a camera on each hole to look around ,you can get one with a 10mm head at harbor freight or ,go to a good shop and have them look with there’s ,who did the work ?,reverse everything that was done !,I would pull the covers to look to see if a tool was left inside ,did you install the correct plugs ?? ,70000 ,is nothing !
 
Hi i had cam in didn’t see anything. Plugs from Lorco Did most work my self but cut end of finger off. Had another mechanic finnish
 
gordo said:
Hi i had cam in didn’t see anything. Plugs from Lorco Did most work my self but cut end of finger off. Had another mechanic finnish
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How”d you slice finger ?,what is
Lorco ?,did you contact mech that finished work about your situation ? ,like I said reverse what u did !
 
Describe what you heard when it was running ... and what it sounded like when the engine seized.

Chances are if a motor seized while running, there would have been a catastrophic sound just before. The likeliness of it seizing after running it then keying off and never starting again seems a bit too suspect to me. IF anything, I would suspect the starter turned over, started the motor, but the bendix gear failed to retract back out of the nose-cone and "ran" with the motor for that short time - heated up like all hell, then the nose-cone bushing seized up from all the heat effectively locking the bendix gear in place.

Try this if it's not too much trouble - remove the starter, visually check if you see the starter motor bendix gear in the "kicked out" position, and try to spin it by hand - if it doesn't move, I think you found your problem). If you hear a snapping 'click' when you took the starter out and the gear looks like it's in the right place, then try turning over the engine by hand again with the starter off. Nose-cone bushing failure in starters is incredibly common and a bendix gear stuck "out" and engaging the flex plate teeth would "lock" and engine because you would literally be fighting the starter motor that's locked in place.

I hope it's something as simple as that for ya - otherwise it'll be a case of removing all the plugs, dropping some amsoil or Kroil down all 8 cylinders and hoping it breaks loose - but I suspect my theory is a bit more sensible. Something like gaskets and plugs/coils shouldn't do anything close to what you're describing unless the plugs you installed were grossly long and smacking pistons (which you would have heard within half a second of cranking before it fired up).
 
Hi sounded like normal on start up idled a couple minutes smoked like crazy put in gear to get it out of shop got about 20 ft Don’t recall any noise it just stopped while moving. Put battery charger on boost wouldn’t turn over.Took plugs out tried to turn it over didn’t move forward tryed backwards.It goes about 3/4 of a turn Forward and Backwards No damage it plugs. Put camera in cylinders didn’t see any damage in there . Thanks Gordo
 
I'm thinking there's something amiss with a piston - like a connecting rod uncoupled from the crank. I can imagine the crank rotating 3/4 turn in each direction until the journal hits the connecting rod hanging in space. I don't see how the motor turns much with the starter engaged, but it's worth a look I guess. One thing I'm pretty sure of - it will be BIG bucks. I'm praying for you Gordo. :( You should look at all the pistons with the camera to see if each one is moving when you turn the engine.
 
Boy I wish I loved next door to you guys.. Man I would learn so much about wrench turning and cam-shafting.. I would even bring over the adult beverages.. J
 
stevedaphotoman said:
Boy I wish I loved next door to you guys.. Man I would learn so much about wrench turning and cam-shafting.. I would even bring over the adult beverages.. J
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Good COORS OR BUD Seeing you don’t live next door. Please Send TO KEIOWNA B.C. Will pay freight
 
vinnie said:
I'm thinking there's something amiss with a piston - like a connecting rod uncoupled from the crank. I can imagine the crank rotating 3/4 turn in each direction until the journal hits the connecting rod hanging in space. I don't see how the motor turns much with the starter engaged, but it's worth a look I guess. One thing I'm pretty sure of - it will be BIG bucks. I'm praying for you Gordo. :( You should look at all the pistons with the camera to see if each one is moving when you turn the engine.
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I don’t think he heard a noise,if as you said it would get really noisy for a short time ! ,i’m kinda lost on this one ,I would like to work on it to find the problem ! ,it would be a nice challenge !
 
Bigdog1949 said:
I don’t think he heard a noise,if as you said it would get really noisy for a short time ! ,i’m kinda lost on this one ,I would like to work on it to find the problem ! ,it would be a nice challenge !
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For some unknown reason a connecting rod cap comes off. The crankshaft disengages from rod/piston, rod is hanging in space. Crank rotates around and contacts the suspended connecting rod smashing it against bottom of the block/bore.
Engine, if only idling, might just come to a stop with a dull thud. Gordo doesn't "recall" a noise. This would allow the engine to rotate in each direction till the crankshaft contacts the disconnected rod. Some theory, eh?
 
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Hi guys can I install a 2003 motor in it Has any one tried that Thank Gordo
 
You might be wise to have a pro take a look before you start pulling the engine. If it were a bearing the engine would knock before a rod seizes, mains would lock the crank completely. Probably not that. Put the camera in each plug hole and watch each piston while turning the crank, see if each piston is moving. If all the pistons are moving you don't have a seized cylinder. I doubt a starter bendix would seize a running engine. I would take a look at the torque converter and tranny front pump, etc. Open the bell housing inspection cover and look around, make sure there's nothing hanging up the flywheel end. If the motor wasn't hot and was running fine for a few minutes then locking up but the crank moves freely 3/4 rotation I don't think your problem has anything to do with the engine. The only thing I don't get is the excessive smoking on start up unless you got oil down the plug holes from replacing the valve cover gaskets. Also take a look at the oil, make sure it's clean with no water in it. Check the tranny fluid level.
 
2 years later, what was the final verdict?
 
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