tloftus Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 Hey guys, my cousin called me down the other day. He's got a '89 Beretta GT (2.8 V6) that isn't starting. I thought at first that it was a starter, it was just really slow to crank if it cranked at all. We dropped the starter and hooked it up to the battery and it spun but it was kind of loud and nasty so we just replaced it. However the replacement starter does the same thing. I thought it might be shimmed wrong or something, but I can't see in there good enough to look at the teeth on the starter / flywheel. I thought maybe not enough juice to turn it over so we tried jumping it - same deal. This started as he pulled away from the gas pump, got around the corner it just quit and never ran again. A while back some of the bolts on my flywheel worked themselves loose a bit so I had to tighten them down, I dropped the starter and could (fairly) easily turn the flywheel with a screwdriver - no such luck on this 'retta. That piece won't move AT ALL either direction. I'm gonna drain the oil tonight to see if there's any metal filings in the oil or the pan. If there is I'm going to junk it, if not I'm going to pull the plugs -- possibly it's hydro-locked? Any other ideas?? =) Thanks to all. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cryptnix Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 I haven't a clue ... best of luck tho Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 breaker bar on the crank bolt see what hapiens,and heck 2.8s are common as dirt, may be a good time to upgrade to a 3.1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tloftus Posted August 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 How tough should it be to turn that crank pully? I'm sure it will turn b/c the motor does move very little with the starter, but just not sure how easy it should turn. If this motor is blown I'm gonna sell him my 88 Beretta I don't drive since upgrading to the 89 Cutlass. Thanks, Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 shoulden't be very hard at all to turn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gp90se Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 Go make sure theres oil in it motor, and in worst case, go grab a bottle ob WD40 or PB blaster, spray some in each cylinder and let it sit for a few minutes, then try 2 turn it over by hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tloftus Posted August 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 There is oil in the motor (first thing I checked), but I can't say for sure if the oil pump is working. By spraying the PB Blaster what am I doing? Lubercating the cylinders I'm sure but what would cause them just to stop like that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gp90se Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 I dunno what made the motor stop, by my 305 that sat for a year wouldnt start, we filled the cylinders with WD, cranked it by hand, put the plugs back in and it fired up, then we stripped it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 when you spray WD-40 in the cylinders, leave the spark plugs out - that will make it much easier to turn the engine by hand. I thought it might be shimmed wrong or something, but I can't see in there good enough to look at the teeth on the starter / flywheel.Thanks to all. Tom it has a flywheel (not a flexplate) so it must have a manual transmission right? have you tried push starting it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tloftus Posted August 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 Maybe I'm using the wrong word, I thought that was called a flywheel. It's an automatic transmission - the piece I'm referring to is what the starter kicks in and spins to start. Thanks for clearing me up there. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitaloutsider Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 Maybe I'm using the wrong word, I thought that was called a flywheel. It's an automatic transmission - the piece I'm referring to is what the starter kicks in and spins to start. Thanks for clearing me up there. Tom Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a bendix? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tloftus Posted August 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 No bro, the bendix is part of the starter. I'm talking about the part of the motor that it spins when the starter is engaged and running. Now that I re-read my post I can see where I wasn't clear. Sorry. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 yeah that's technically called a flexplate, but alot of people refer to it as a flywheel. i should have known anyway, cuz if it had a manual transmission i'm sure you would have tried push starting it by now lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4spdz34 Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 did u test for fuel. sounds like it needs a fuel pump. let me guess he was very low on gas a gallon or so and the pump has some milage on it. he basically put cold fuel on a hot pump. and boom. slow cranking issue could be hire resitance in the ground or positve cables. even if it cranks slow because something is internally wrong it will start. as long as it isn't super low Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tloftus Posted August 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2004 Hey guys, well, here it is after a long night of work. The piston rod bearings are all cut up along with the crankshaft (cyl #2 only). So screw it, a car with 110,000 he only paid $300 for - not worth it. I'm not sure what he's gonna do with it, but it would cost more to fix it or to replace the motor than he paid for the car. Looks like I'll have to offer him my Beretta. Thanks for all your suggestions though. I took off the piston rod cap on cyl 2 and it spun fine, put it back on locked it down - quit turning. That was the only cyl. that didn't have any movement in the rod. Merry christmas cousin! Have a good one. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tloftus Posted August 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2004 Aparently I was a little wrong in my diagnois of the problem here. I was looking at the piston rod cap and it is a little messed up, however there is no bearing there. I'm gonna crawl back under tonight and take a look but what are the chances it spun the bearing and I can clean up the crankshaft journal with some fine sandpaper and replace the bearings? I know this isn't the "right" way to fix it but when the kid only paid $300 for the car I suppose a few more miles might be worth the $3 bearings. Thanks. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tloftus Posted August 19, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2004 I was wrong again -- bearings wern't spun, they were just stuck to the crank journal. I popped them off (fairly easy) - the crank journal looked good. I cleaned up the inside of the rod and cap, put in the new bearings, put a little oil on them and everything started right up! I told him it could go any time and what I did was something a guy would to before he sold a car off, but it's running now, we'll see how long it lasts. Thanks for your help! Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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