Burned ground wires , Is my 4.0L shot?

[speedy_fisher3]

My son was 4 wheelin and dropped off in a water hole and the engine stalled. When he tried to crank it nothing happened, only clicked. After he pulled it home I raised the hood and smelled burned wires and found the ground from the battery to the radiator support was gone. The flat cable from the fire wall to the block was burned where it crossed other things but it is ok. I found that the big ground to the starter was broken off so I figured this caused the problem. Well I fixed it and the ground from the battery and nothing but a click. Took the stater off and it will spin when hooked directly to battery with jumper cables. Put it back and still nothing but a big click at the selonoid. This may be bad. I put a socket and ratchet on the pulley on the crank and it will not turn over at all. Has something else failed and ruined the engine. It appears to be locked up. I have not yet taken the plugs out and tried it. Any ideas? Someone said Cam Position Synch. may have sheared and locked it up. Could this be hydrolocking and what can I do if it is?

Speedy

 

[Simple_serf]

yes, it could be hydrolocked...

First thing is to pull the plugs and try to turn the engine over with a breaker bar. If you didn't take the plugs out, the cylinders are probably still full of water, which can't be compressed, which equals a stuck motor.

If the starter runs off the truck, it is probably fine, But when you try and turn a locked engine over with it, it just acts like a big short, so yeah, stuff burns up.

Something else to remember is that a hydrolocked engine usually doesn't last long afterwards.... all of that spinning energy gets stopped very quickly in a not-so-gentle manner. Bent connecting rods are common and I have seen broken and bent crankshafts as a result as well.

 

[94 splash]

yea deff dosn't sound good if her was turning some high rpms that prolly bent a rod.... but pull the plugs turn it over get the water out then drain the oil upper and lower intakes and when u turn it over feel for and hard resistant parts ....

and o yea prolly wouldn't be a bad idea to put some oil directly into the cylinders of u can squirt some in their so it stops rust

 

[Ranger44]

Agreed. Him going through water and it stopping like that......hydrolocked.

I would get the air intake put up higher if another water crossing is likely......a snorkel....

 

[AllanD]

usually a 2.9 or 4.0 that has hydrolocked will not turn evenafter the plugs have been removed.

it usually stops with ONE bent rod enough to cause the crank counterweight
to impact the underside of the wrist pin boss.

Basically if this happens the engine is scrap metal.

It can be fixed, but only for several times what it would cost
to simply replace it with another one that is not nearly as f'ed up.


The ONLY reason to disassemble the engine in question is to collect a trophy.

Yes I have the bent connecting rod and broken piston (Cyl#3)
from the 2.9 I "U-boated" in the July '06 flooding of the Susquehana River

AD

 

[speedy_fisher3]

Thanks Guys, I guess I should scrap that 4.0 and hang the boy. Oh I can't do that - guess I'll just put him to work.

Speedy

 

[akers4291]

dont scap it its hydrolocked but u can get it undone

 

[Ranger5.0]

usualy after somthing been locked up its more valuable as a core then anything else...

 

[speedy_fisher3]

Yep, Pulled the plugs and it won't budge. I used a breaking bar with lots of leverage and it is "Done For" I guess. Thanks for the help though. What all models will work and do I need to get an engine from a 5 speed or will the autos bolt up? How much trouble is it to go to a 5.0 as far as wiring and computer and such?