GnatGoSplat Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 The poor 1988 Cutlass, it's been sitting in the back yard for 4yrs or so and has been completely neglected and not started in the last 3. I decided to try to get it up and running again, and set a charger on the battery overnight. Amazingly enough, the battery charged up and is able to crank the car. I crank the starter, it turned over 2-3 times then CHUNK! It was as if the engine stopped in its tracks. Now it won't crank a full turn, it sounds like it only moves a 1/4 turn or less. I only did that once or twice because at this point I'm thinking it's hydrolocked and I didn't want to damage things worse. I checked the coolant reservoir. Empty! I pulled the radiator cap. Empty! I checked the oil, looks okay, but overfull. So I grabbed a breaker bar and turned the engine by hand on the TGP for a baseline to judge amount of effort required. Then I tried to turn the engine in the 88. It barely moved, even with a little muscle put into it, then it gets tight. It also seems to spring back when I release it. Damn. I would pull the plugs to verify, but it's way too hot under the scorching sun out there. Anyway, I'm about 99% sure it's hydrolocked, but I've never experienced a hydrolocked engine before. Expert opinions? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornado_735 Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 You gotta pull the plugs and see if it will turn over. Whatever crap might be in there should blow right out. I'd also dump a little motor oil or some MMO in through the plug holes so the rings aren't bone dry when you turn it over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutlassman Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Well I can speak from experience after just hydrolocking my '92 Cutlass 3.1 in May. When it first happened, all I heard was "CHUNK" when turning the key. The starter couldn't turn the engine. Several hours later, once the pressure subsided thru the blown head gasket, I could manually crank the engine with a breaker bar and the car actually cranked and started, but spewed white smoke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted June 30, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Yeah, I suppose I can't be 100% sure without pulling the plugs, but what else could it be but coolant? I did run the fuel pump a couple months ago to make sure it was good, but I'd think that would take more fuel than could leak through a leaky injector and that was a good couple months ago. This sucks. I guess now I have to decide whether to fix it or scrap it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 Pull plugs. Crank engine. Profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BXX Posted June 30, 2010 Report Share Posted June 30, 2010 I can haz it???:laugh: Yeah, pull plugs and go from there. Sounds hydrolocked to me. Sucks to hear. Sounds like the headgasket or intake gasket just rotted out rest of the way due to sitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted July 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2010 If someone plans to fix it and drive it, they can have it for whatever a junkyard would give me for it. I'd rather see the car go to someone who'd fix it up rather than see it get crushed. Yeah, I didn't even know head gaskets could rot out just sitting, but I guess they can. I'm thinking it can't be the intake gasket, because its coolant passages are separated from intake passages. A pushrod passes between the intake passage and coolant passage so a leaky intake would mean coolant gets in the crankcase, but not the combustion chamber. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93cutty Posted July 2, 2010 Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 Is the starter cranking or does it just click because I had that happen in my 93 cutlass and it was the starter that crapped out. I couldnt turn the motor by hand because the starter was stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RareGMFan Posted July 2, 2010 Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 Is the starter cranking or does it just click because I had that happen in my 93 cutlass and it was the starter that crapped out. I couldnt turn the motor by hand because the starter was stuck. x 2 Happened on both my TGP and TSTE. Though I knew the starter was going on the TGP for quite some time, the TSTE took me by surprise one day. I picked up lunch at a restaurant, and when I came back to the car, it just cranked a couple times, then wouldn't turn over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted July 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 It does try to crank, it makes a noise more than a click, like it's able to move a degree or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted July 2, 2010 Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 I'm still interested in the car... but only if I can get it in six months Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted July 2, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 It'll probably still be here, Ken. It's for sure not moving, at least not on its own power. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tornado_735 Posted July 2, 2010 Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 I might be interested if you're willing to let it go for the scrap price. But then it won't be scrapped, so it'd be a win/win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slick Posted July 2, 2010 Report Share Posted July 2, 2010 How about you deliver to Ohio, and I pay you $150? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted July 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2010 I might be interested if you're willing to let it go for the scrap price. But then it won't be scrapped, so it'd be a win/win I would. I don't think it'd be THAT expensive to move, you can rent a Uhaul car trailer for about $45, though you'd also need a winch or something to pull it up onto the trailer, you can buy those from Harbor Freight. I don't have the heart to part out the car myself, and judging by the prices first-gen W-body parts go for on eBay, it's not really worth parting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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