Engine seized up

[SeanyCash]

Hello everyone,

I bought a silver marauder recently and the owner told me the engine quit on him. He had already taken the passenger side cam cover as well as some of the coolant hoses...etc.

Anyways I wanted to try and troubleshoot the engine so I put back everything he removed and popped a battery in her and cranked...

The starter tries to crank the engine, but it only allows it to turn a tiny bit. It basically cranks forward and takes up the slack in the timing chain, but then it stops and moves back to its original position if that makes sense.

It looks like im going to be pulling the engine and tearing into the short block to see what the deal is. I suppose if I pull the timing chains off the crank and try to spin it that way it will tell me for sure it is seized up.

If anybody has any advice to offer that would be great, otherwise it looks like im going to pull the engine and transmission together and tear the engine down from there....

Wish me luck as this will be the first time ive done something like this :D

[justbob]

Do exactly as you described. Good luck.


Self proclaimed Builder Of Badassery.

Buy it, Break it, Build it BETTER.
"Since 2004"

[Motorhead350]

Thats what happened to me. Unless you have the skills, time and tools for a rebuild... if its even worth using... look for another engine. I picked one up from a Lincoln Aviator. After a few worn out parts were replaced by a good friend of mine I was good again. Save your upper intake system, if you get a Lincoln engine you will need it.

[mrjones]

did you pull all the spark plugs and try to crank it?

[SeanyCash]

Yea i figured my options were:

1. pull the engine and if the shortblock is good have MMR rebuild it and install my heads

2. find a used shortblock from a similar vehicle and swap it out

3. buy a complete engine from something similar like an automatic mach mustang or lincoln aviator like you suggested

Should I pull the plugs and try to crank it? I guess im not sure what that would tell me

[fastblackmerc]

Yea i figured my options were:

1. pull the engine and if the shortblock is good have MMR rebuild it and install my heads

2. find a used shortblock from a similar vehicle and swap it out

3. buy a complete engine from something similar like an automatic mach mustang or lincoln aviator like you suggested

Should I pull the plugs and try to crank it? I guess im not sure what that would tell me

The motor might be hydrolocked. Pulling the plugs will release compression.

[SeanyCash]

The motor might be hydrolocked. Pulling the plugs will release compression.

Oh ok, I will have to try that as well. Thanks for the clarification

[fastblackmerc]

If pulling the plugs doesn't do anything, then I'd pull the timing chain cover off.
The timing chain(s) might have a problem.

[SeanyCash]

If pulling the plugs doesn't do anything, then I'd pull the timing chain cover off.
The timing chain(s) might have a problem.

Yea I thought maybe it could be the timing chains or something in the valvetrain screwed up, I was just dreading removing the cover. I'll have to check that as well when I have the time

[svtguy]

Getting the cover off not really that bad at all. Lots of good info here that will walk you through it.