Technical jammed engine!!!

[pmitch69]

Just had a clutch fitted in my wifes 2000 sporting(in yellow) and while we waited for the mechanic to show it froze solid, now i dealt with the freeze with a fanheater and antifreeze the bloke came and changed the clutch(£160 supplied and fitted) but now the engine wont turn over and when you try to move the car in gear it wont move.
Have had plugs out...still wont turn over


any ideas? clutch fitter is coming back but xmas got in the way.:bang:

 

[fingers99]

Not sure I understand.

If the block froze there's a fair chance the engine is finished. The anti-freeze is supposed to be in the coolant, not in the garage.

 

[rallycinq]

Stick a socket on the crank bolt with the plugs out to see if the engine actually turns at all.

Cheers

SPD

 

[allanhelen]

you sure that the battery isn't flat? cold weather kills many a battery

 

[Roger NE]

Yes you're not being very clear !

Are you saying the coolant in the engine had frozen solid ?! (if so you may have just damaged some components, like the water pump and radiator . . . but possibly the block too)

Or are you just saying the engine won't turn over . . . as if it's seized? If so, was it running fine last time you used it?

You'd not normally be able to move the car when it's in gear

As suggested, take the plugs out and put a big spanner on the crankshaft pulley bolt and try turning the engine with that

 

[fingers99]

Also possible that blind panic has taken over. Check everything again.

 

[Nathan126]

Tried a jump-start?
My battery just died, was running with the code light on after only just starting. (Will be buying new battery tomorrow)

Do you have any warning lights? at the moment mine does nothing except click (presumably a solenoid).

 

[pmitch69]

Sorry if not clear. 1 clutch failed fri evening car recovered to house on trailer 2 weekend worst freeze for years 3 clutch replaced mon morning advised against trying to start 4 Tuesday thawed out car with fan heater and new antifreeze 5 starter motor wont turn engine over(new battery 2 weeks previous) 6 tried jump leads no good 7 removed plugs still wont spin 8 cant move car in any gear just takes up slack in drive train and stops all local garages shut, wife moaning me well pissed off, only had car 3 months after previous cinque died. Love the car, looks nice drives well and even I at 6,4 can fit in.

 

[Eklipze3k]

As said before - if the engine isn't running and you try and roll the car in gear it shouldn't move anyway so thats not a problem, unless you're trying to bump start it in which case you need to depress the clutch until you get rolling.

If you were advised after having the clutch replaced not to try and start it, why are you trying to start it?
It sounds to me like whoever changed the clutch hasn't finished the job and may not have reconnected something.

 

[rallycinq]

Somrthing doesn't add up. I would expect the garage to have thawed the car out while doing the clutch.

However, I am surprised at the OP letting the car freeze, that is, after all, what anti freeze is for and with a history of these cars the OP should have had the coolant up to date.

Cheers

SPD

 

[arc]

When you try and start it, do all the dash lights dim or go off, or does nothing happen. Clutch bloke might have disconnected the starter and left it off if he was coming back

 

[pmitch69]

To clarify... the clutch was done on my drive on mon morning, the mechanic phoned me at work to say it was frozen and not to try and start it till it was thawed out. The dash lights all come on, the solenoid goes in and you can hear the starter trying to turn but it cant. ive since tried removing the plugs and pushing the car in gear but (and I have bump started cars before) It is jammed solid not just usual compression resistance. also tried substituting a jump lead for the earth strap. Im wondering if the starter motor was not re tightened when he did the clutch and its on the **** and jamming the flywheel. It was a very cold day and frequent sits in the van may have made him miss it. The new cluth appears to work as I can easily push the car with the prdal depressed and it "feels" ok. have used this guy loads of times on diff cars and the company I work for use him and never had a problem.

 

[fingers99]

I'd try unbolting the starter motor, seeing if the car will move in gear with the plugs out and, if so, bolting it back in again.

 

[Roger NE]

Before you do all that . . why don't you just try bump starting it the normal way?

Ie get someone to push it along (pref downhill) . . . . when you're moving turn the ignition on, depress the clutch, slip it into 2nd gear then release the clutch slowly

Engines rarely seize when they're frozen . . . freezing usually causes other problems

I suspect, as you say, your mechanic has made an error when re-fitting the starter motor . . . but either way this will prove it!

 

[fingers99]

Before you do all that . . why don't you just try bump starting it the normal way?

Er, because the engine won't turn over with the plugs out when pushed....................

 

[pmitch69]

Ok people get your thinking heads on, if you reach down and grab the starter motor should it move at all cos I can move the main body a bit. Im pretty sure that the starter is jamming the motor up now but its a sod of a job and its cold out there.
any ideas? any advice on removing it?

Oh and happy new year and thanks for the help.

 

[fingers99]

Should be absolutely rigid. As I say, undo it (no need to do more than remove the bolts), pull it out of the way, see if the engine now turns (in gear, plugs out, push it).

You could see if the starter spins while it's not attatched.

 

[rallycinq]

Only three bolts hold it on, one from the bellhousing side, two from the block side.

13mm head on the bolts.

Remove earth lead before touching starter motor with spanner.

Cheers

SPD

 

[pmitch69]

Cheers guys. I'm pretty sure its that, cant be anything else really. saw what a dropped spanner did to a battery once .....most exciting and ruined the spanner will let u know what I find if it doesn't snow.

 

[arc]

get the clutch guy back, he would've removed the starter (to get the box off). Why hasn't he finished the job? Sounds like he got cold and left it!