No Start ... any help truly appreciated

[Kizer]

New (4 mos) Optima reds ... read fully charged ... checked grounds ... jumped from solenoid to starter ... jumped from battery (+) to starter (+) ... all I get is a BANG!! and a 1/4 rotation ... no spin.
Do starters "kinda" fail?

 

[icanfixall]

This sounds really bad... Use a 15/16 inch socket and breaker bar. Turn the motor over by hand using the dampner bolt on the front of the crank. Post back if you can turn the motor one full revolution. Have you been loosing any coolant without seeing any puddles on the ground...

 

[Kizer]

Would you believe no 15/16 socket ... 13/16 and 1" but no 15/16!
I haven't lost coolant ... no overheat ... no wierdness. I drove her home as usual ... parked ... next day no start.

 

[RLDSL]

If you have a 24mm socket that will work too. or possible a flywheel turner and remove the inspection cover, be careful to not damage any teeth

 

[Kizer]

I'm headed to Sears for 15/16 ... right back
Thank you for your help icanfixall ... I smell what you're cooking ... I really don't believe she's locked up though ... I'd swear that the first time I turned the key (with no start) she went around once ... can't be sure 'cause the hood wasn't up and I wasn't expecting a problem (wasn't really paying attention).

 

[hesutton]

If you cannot bar it over, you should remove all the glowplugs and look for fluid in one of the cylinders. You can bar it over with them out and any fluid would be forced out the glow plug opening. If you still cannot bar it over, pull the valve covers and look anything weird there.

Heath

 

[Kizer]

ok ... made it back ... I can turn the motor with a breaker bar ... not easy though ... I broke my creeper!! I've had it about 20 years ... guess it was time for a new one anyway.
Any ideas gentlemen?

 

[icanfixall]

Glad it turned thru one complete turn. A starter can fail the way you seem to be experianceing but... Its really unusual for that to go that way. I think its time to remove the starter and have it tested. If its bad replace it with a gear reduction starter. If you do this I don't think you will be throwing parts and money at a problem hopeing something fixs it. The starter testing is the important part of all this. Hope you have a rebuilder in your town... They usually do a better job on rebuilds because they want your business.

 

[Kizer]

Maybe it didn't go around ...
I have a motor full of rain water ... yes.
The plastic seal between the hood and cowl has been broken for some time now ... I guess rain water collected and seeped through the breather cap grommet.
I'm only guessing that this is what happened. I was taking the glow plugs out ... saw my reflection in the bottom of the intake ... took the screen off and I've got a 1/4 inch of clean water in there ...
Now what?

 

[Agnem]

Ouch. Don't panic though. take all the glow plugs out, and keep barring it over. When it has gone around 4 times, crank it with the starter, before putting the glow plugs back in. If you have the time/tool/talent, do a compression test. The water is most likely in the back two cylinders. Take the intake screen off and suck what you can out with a shop vac. I had water in Lady Moose from the same cause as your experienceing. The water collects on top of the air cleaner, and runs down the bolt that holds it on. That washer on top has got to be good to seal. I got that water out, and have had no issues with it. It's all going to depend on where the crank was when the piston ran out of travel. If the angle was a good 90 degrees, then the presure exerted will be much less than if the piston was near TDC. That's a connecting rod bending situation. If you get it turning, and put it back together, pray it doesn't have a lope or a miss. You could get lucky.

 

[icanfixall]

I completely agree with what Mel has posted. Remove all the glow plugs... Hand crank it thru several times... Jump the starter solenoid with very small hits so the motor doesn't turn thru really fast. If a compression test is possible then do it. Post those numbers. If they are within 25% from high to low reinstall the glow plugs and fire it up. Probably should drain the water off the bottom of the pan first before trying to turn the motor any more. You wont want the water flowing thru the oil circuts... After its running, change the oil... You really can't get all the water out by draining the pan but its close... Remember its heavier than oil so it stays on the pan bottom... Till it gets sucked up. Very sorry for the finding but its not all bad. I have the special rubber washer and can mail it to you if you want it or Ford will have on... The cowl seal at the top of the firewall probably is damaged so replace that too...

 

[Kizer]

Thank you all for the help and for the words of encouragement Mel ... I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[Kizer]

Alright ... I got the water out ... put the GPs back and she will spin ... but I ran the batteries too low to get her going ... waiting on the charge ... should be good to go. Thank you all again.
I'll get a washer and a cowl seal, but I appreciate the offer icanfixall.

 

[gonecrazyi]

When I first picked up my truck, it had been sitting for awhile. The previous owner went our to fire it up and found the intake was full of water. Nothin a shop vac couldnt fix. I changed the oil and put duck tape over the hole in the intake box until I found one that didnt have a rust hole in it.

The motor lasted 2 years after that but always had a little miss, when it finally died I found that the number 8 hole was rusted out pretty bad(no oil maybe).

 

[Kizer]

MAN ... now the batteries are up ... I have fuel at the injectors and NO START!!! I'm obviously missing something simple since there's nothing real complicated under the hood ... any ideas?