The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop possible 235 lock up?

finally got to return "home" to my truck (54) over the holidays. it had not been started in 3 months. it would not turn over. charged the battery up and got lights, horn etc but only an electrical "hum" from the starter. could the engine be locked up in this short of time or possible locked up starter? did not get a chance to actually work on the problem due to holiday travel etc. what would be the best step to take -pull the starter and check it out or pull the plugs and see if the engine will turn over? (started 3 months ago with no problem)

3 months shouldn't cause it to lock up,, make sure even though your battery is suspose to be charged that it is, had one a while back show 12 volts on my voltmeter but it was a dead battery,, just a thought,,good luck,,Fred

djed50,

My vote is with Fred...think of the battery as a consumable.


Stuart

Most generally a fan belt is tight enough that a person can turn an engine by moving the fan. Just don't bend a blade while attempting to do so. Should turn fairly easily.

I agree, I doubt that in this short of time period your engine would be stuck. Too bad that you can't just go out to check with the fan. Distance can be a problem for certain.

I question your term "electrical hum". Most generally a 6 volt or 12 volt auto system will not hum. Since I don't know your level of vehicle knowledge I'll ask, you do know what an unengaged starter running sounds like, don't you? Could it be that?

If the engine can be turned with the fan it almost has to be starter or starter connections.

Good luck.

windy, i did try the fan rotate but belt slipped. i am running 12v with original 6v foot starter. since i was by myself i pushed the starter down by hand from under the hood. all i could get was the "hum". it did not "spin".

it is basically a new battery but it was dead because the horn nor lights would work. i figure i must have something that is causing a slow drain - anyway i put a full charge on it before trying to start again. (vmeter checked ok and lights and horn bright and loud). like i said, 3 months ago every thing was working fine. now i am 3 hours away and won't get back for awhile so i have all this time to worry about it!

it is basically a new battery but it was dead because the horn nor lights would work. i figure i must have something that is causing a slow drain - anyway i put a full charge on it before trying to start again. (vmeter checked ok and lights and horn bright and loud). like i said, 3 months ago every thing was working fine. now i am 3 hours away and won't get back for awhile so i have all this time to worry about it!

djed50,

It sounds like you have some time to watch the ads in the Sunday papers...look for a good deal on a new battery.

A dead battery can take up to 8 hours to charge properly, and without a hydrometer, a meter doesn't have the final say.

Stuart

i suppose the battery could be the problem but i did have it on the charger from 4:00 pm untill around 9:00 am the next morning. i thought with the lights and horn being good that i should have been able to at least get a "growl" out of it. i hope it is the battery - it is still under warranty!

Sure doesn't sound much like a battery problem to me either since you did take a voltmeter reading.

If it were me I would try the fan movement again by either pushing in some slack between pulleys, or by tightening the belt. If that still fails and you don't want to remove the starter then I'd take the sparkplugs out and try turning the engine again.

Personally I've never heard of a starter seizing, so I doubt it would be that.

If the engine is stuck the longer you wait the worse it will get. Shouldn't take much to get it freed up after just 3 months. Of course that is just my opinion.

windy, as previous mentioned I just had an issue with a battery that I thought was good according to my volt meter, but the battery was not up to par,turn the key on one time and it was history,so be sure to check all connections, ground and such,,put a fresh battery in it and watch it roar to life,, if not, I owe you a cup of coffee...Fred

i received a "message" that i should put it in third gear and try to rock it back and forth. if the engine does not turn then it is probably locked up. i should have thought of that when i was home because i have done that before "way back when". i appreciate all the advice and will attack the problem when i get a chance. thanks

djed50,

If your rig is locked up after 3 months of sitting, I will personally come to Whitesboro and paint your house...you pick the color.

(two coats)

Stuart the Painter

Now we,re Paintin Houses
What happened to the Jack Daniels :p

stevesr,

You dog...haven't you ever heard of painting houses drunk! That Tennessee whiskey is great for cleaning brushes too. :p

Stuart

stuart, that would be neat because then you could drop by and see me,, whitesboro is probably less then 100 miles from me...... Fred

ROFLMAO :p :p

how about dropping by and painting my truck - before you get into the jack daniels!!!!!!!!!!!

Sounds to me like the bendix of the starter is not engaging. Check the starter if it's a known good battery. If it was just the relay, there'd be no hum.