91 7.3 siezed after sitting for 2 hours?

[Idilarry89]

Ok, so my personal truck is anot 89 350 srw 7.3 4wd. Just bought a 1991 just like mine with a siezed motor. Not that it really matters, (I bought it for the new IP and injectors), but just out of curiosity, I'm wondering if anyone has run into this. Here's the deal.
The PO started the truck in the morning, used it all morning to haul hay around the ranch, pulled back into the barnyard backed up into the barn, shut it off came back out a couple hours later to haul water, and the motor was seized. It's got almost 200k on the clock. Here's what he tried, pull starting, removed all the belts, new batteries, new starter, starter relay. Honestly I think he was either in denial, or just like replacing parts...
But what do you guys think? I still a little odd that it just siezed up. I will know the whole story once I get her home this weekend and pulled apart but just looking for speculation on the matter thanks!
(BTW I ran into this once where the ac compressor was siezed on a 5.4 f150. But the compressor belt is off as is power steering and alternator/vacuum pump belts)

 

[icanfixall]

WElcome to the forum. My guess is a cylinder filled with coolant because of cavitation or a crack or a head gasket. Dragging to start it did not tell us if the engine was spinning or the wheels were dragging the road. If the engine was spinning during the pull start attempt then other issues are at hand. More info is required to help.

 

[Clb]

^^^ this is my guess!

 

[Idilarry89]

Haha I thought about hydro lock, but it's been that way for 2 months now. The crank WILL move with the starter but only about 4 degrees, then it returns back to its position
I probably should have elaborated on the pull start, the wheels just drag. I didn't check coolant level or oil level when I looked at it. He spent 3 days working on it, you would think after a couple days the coolant would drain into the oil and release the hydro lock.
And who knows if this guy is telling me the truth on what happened. For all I know he could have been pulling his stock trailer loaded with cattle up wasta hill not paying attention to the EGTs and melted a piston or,dropped a valve trying to pull out a stuck tractor from gumbo....or combination of both....
Am kinda hoping this engine is saveable for a rebuild, the beast is getting a little tires at 379k on the clock...

 

[riotwarrior]

Valve dropped?

Seized is onr thing...u say it moves ergo...not seized....blocked

Just sayin

Keep turnin 1 way seems siezed..turn othr direction...and suddenly whole new game


Just sayin

 

[no mufflers]

does it make any clunks when it turns over?

 

[OLDBULL8]

I would say right now that engine has cavitation.

My experience with a 90. Bought it and drove it for a few days. Parked it for a couple of days. Went to start it and wouldn't turn over ( just like you said above) 1/8 turn and bounce back. Removed the GP's on drivers side, tried to start and coolant shot out of #6 and hit my grandson square in the face, he didn't like that at all.

Remove the GP's and roll it over, it's cavitated. That coolant won't go down into the oil pan or very little of it will. Stand back, that coolant will come out with great force.

Here is what the head gaskets looked like from driving it. Pretty Eh. Yes there was holes in the #6 cylinder wall.

New remaned Promar engine for $3200, that was 10 yrs ago.

 

[Idilarry89]

Ouch! That sucks! Ok so cavitation is the common concensus. No clunks when turned over. Well I'm only in the truck 400 bucks and the cab and front Clip are nice, interior is all there and clean, although it looks like a smurf threw up in there it's ALL blue... but it's got a side winder turbo on it, and I figured I could get at least 400 out of that kit so long as it wasn't something that put metal shavings in the oil, and the ZF5 and the t-case has to be worth something as well.

 

[OLDBULL8]

Grab it for $400 quickly.

 

[Idilarry89]

The check was cut as soon as he said 400! He came to me wanting me to work on ithe, even though I own a small engine shop, I have been working on idis since no other mechanic in town will touch them for some reason. And after I told him it would probably need a new engine or at the very least a rebuild, he decided to sell it and offered it to me

 

[G. Mann]

From a recent experience with a chevy engine.. you describe all the symptoms of a hydrolocked engine..

In my case,,, had a fuel injector blow off the tip and fill the cylinder with raw fuel.. while testing the fuel pump.. not running the engine.. went to crank... engine cranked 3 revolutions and locked up.. tight... Gas engine so pulled plugs, soon as I did that... raw fuel came gushing out of #2 cylinder.. engine spun freely..

Quick check on your 7.3 would be to pull the glo plugs and try to crank. the offending cylinders will push coolant out... still have to tear down.. I'm betting head gasket, with the miles quoted... much more common than cavatation.

Drain the coolant so you don't suck new coolant into the cylinder/s and bend a rod from cranking.. water is not compressable.. it will move metal first.

 

[icanfixall]

Water can't compress so a rod takes out a cylinder wall. What you are seeing about the crank bouncing back is the trapped are compressing with a cylinder partly filled with coolant or rain water. Sometimes a cowl to hood seal fails and rain water leaks in and ends up on top of the air filter then it leaks past the center bolt. Not knowing what type of turbo you have on this engine keps me from suggesting rain water leaked into the engine thru the turbo so.. Buy it and fix it.. Might be a simple fix.
Good to know you are the only expert in town that can keep these engines running too.
If you do not have a kent moore J33300 or J33300-A timing meter I suggest you buy one. They are the best easy meters to time our engines with. I rent them to members so we can make our engines run correctly. The meter does all the work thru a microprocessor. You connect it and rev engine to 2000 rpm. Watch the meter rpm and degrees of timing. Then shut down to adjust. It can't get simpler than that.

 

[Idilarry89]

I don't know if I'd call myself an expert other than I grew up working on mechanical injection on construction and farm equipment (mostly Cummins) I was just the odd duck of the family that fell in love with the idi out of high school...Haha
Anyways, it doesn't turn enough to make me think it's compressing air over liquid, but I'm not going to doubt that HG failed and filled her upto the brim. Thinking about it today, I may keep the truck (depending on engine condition) either find a replacement or fix this one, so I hope it's a simple issue.
It is a wastegated banks sidewinder, no IC.
As far as a timing meter I have a snapon mt480 at my disposal, but of course it's older than I am but it works, it's also my father's though, so I will check into the Kent Moore meter. Thanks!

 

[Idilarry89]

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OK so, got her to my shop last night,and I'm 99% sure I found the issue...next step will be pull the head and see the damage. The engine does roll back nice and smooth which is good. Hoping (even though it may be a long shot) there's no piston or wall damage from the valve.

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[riotwarrior]

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OK so, got her to my shop last night,and I'm 99% sure I found the issue...next step will be pull the head and see the damage. The engine does roll back nice and smooth which is good. Hoping (even though it may be a long shot) there's no piston or wall damage from the valve.

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Not fair...what do u suspect?