Seizure?!?!?

[Sdude2008]

So I'm driving my Ranger last night and I hear some kind of a knocking sound. Not a click but a definite knock. It seemed to get worse when I gave it more gas or when the engine was under more stress like going up a hill but the knock wasn't continuous. I had no dash lights or any gauge action going on. I stopped and checked my oil which was about half way in between the low and max marks. I topped off the oil. I drove for a few more miles to get home and got the hood open to see if I could notice anything odd. Nothing. I was tapping the gas and it was knocking each time. At one point it seemed to cough and stalled. I got on the forums and read for a while and decided I had carbon knock. I found the procedure to deal with this online and planned to try it on Saturday. Today I drove to work without any problems, about 25 miles. I was both on streets and freeway and only heard a little knocking. On my way home tonight after driving about 15 miles I heard the knocking get louder and more sustained. Finally while knocking it coughed again and died. All the dash lights came on and I was able to let it roll another 50 yards before pulling it over. I tried the key but the starter would only click like crazy, the engine does not turn. When the tow truck came it did the same with his jump box and when directly connected to his main truck jumper. The truck is a 2003 3.0 flex that just turned over 150k and an auto trans. The only work I have done on it is changed the cam sensor about 8 months ago. Other than that I have changed the oil and put gas in it. So the question is did this damn thing seize on me? I'll try to turn the crank shaft tomorrow but I thought maybe someone might be able to offer some insight or suggest where I should start checking. I've seen engines blow before and they always still turn over but just rap like hell... What do you all think I'm looking at here? Thanks.

 

[countryboy]

sounds to me like u dropped ur bottom end and she locked up. i sure hope not but good luck with what u find.........

 

[n_grimm]

Broken flex plate?

 

[racer1044]

Ive never seen a broken flexplate cause a vehicle to stop running. It sounds to me like a rod let loose. Hope not for your sake. Check the oil for metal shavings and if you can drop the pan and inspect the damage.

 

[Sdude2008]

Somehow I knew what response I would get. Interesting to note it was barely knocking on the day drive but then knocked much more at night with more drain on the battery. The tow driver said the battery seems spent at about 5 years old... I've never heard of low juice causing these kind of symptoms but I wonder... So if I have good power and the starter has a strong click but I have no enigine spin does that mean it's just locked up? Wouldn't a broken rod etc still turn over and bang like heck? I guess I'll see tomorrow.

 

[n_grimm]

Just thinking about things other than major engine problems. We were getting ready to pull an engine with a knock that I thought was a rod but it turned out the bellhousing bolts had backed out. Tightened it up and no more problem. Could try turning the crank backwards with a socket and see what happens.

 

[Explorin94]

Ive never seen a broken flexplate cause a vehicle to stop running. It sounds to me like a rod let loose. Hope not for your sake. Check the oil for metal shavings and if you can drop the pan and inspect the damage.

It can happen, but in this case it soundslike a motor problem.

 

[Rearanger]

$20 oil analysis would tell you pretty fast what's gone on inside.
www.blackstone-labs.com/

 

[cush]

if you got water in your oil you could have experienced"thermoplastic seizure" which happens when water gets in your oil and that can seize up your engine, so i'd look for cross-fluid contamination. if this happened there's some stuff you can pour in your cylinders to help free them up.

ps. i kinda just wanted to post thermoplastic seizure, even though it is a possibility.

 

[jhammel85]

Perhaps the oil pump was partially clogged, cleared and clogged bad the second time causing a seizure? Maybe the pump is bad?

Try to turn it over by hand. Put it in neutral and see what happens.