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Water in oil no crank


Lastminutemedia

New Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2020
Messages
2
City
Virginia Beach
Vehicle Year
1994
Transmission
Manual
I have a ,94 3.0. It started running hot. I let it sit for a month or so. There was a lot of water in the oil. I drained the oil. There was a lot of water. Refilled with oil. Now it won't even try to crank. Is the engine frozen?\
 
Pull the plugs.

All 6

Crank it over and watch the geyser of coolant blow out the plug holes

You popped a head gasket/head. Coolant has filled one or more cylinders...coolant doesnt compress and therefore the starter cant crank the motor.

You need to figure out the root issue before driving it any further, coolant will eat crank/main bearings and destroy the bottom end...if it hasnt already
 
Gaskets don't last forever. How many miles are on it? I've got 291K on mine. What I did to maximize the longetivity is 180 thermostat, 7 lb radiator cap, and high mileage oil. The thermostat and cap will extend the life of your radiator too. (And heater core.)
Its not that bad to pull down being a push rod engine. You don't have to fool around with the cams like on an OHC engine. Its definitely worth fixing. The don't make small trucks anymore. Did you hear about the CAFE ruling? A used car dealer here can't keep small trucks on the lot- no matter how ragged out they are!
 
Pull the plugs.

All 6

Crank it over and watch the geyser of coolant blow out the plug holes

You popped a head gasket/head. Coolant has filled one or more cylinders...coolant doesnt compress and therefore the starter cant crank the motor.

You need to figure out the root issue before driving it any further, coolant will eat crank/main bearings and destroy the bottom end...if it hasnt already
Pull the plugs.

All 6

Crank it over and watch the geyser of coolant blow out the plug holes

You popped a head gasket/head. Coolant has filled one or more cylinders...coolant doesnt compress and therefore the starter cant crank the motor.

You need to figure out the root issue before driving it any further, coolant will eat crank/main bearings and destroy the bottom end...if it hasnt already
Thanks for the reply. I pulled all the plugs but she's still not turning over. I pulled the started and bench tested it, and it seems to wotk fine but it won't turn her over. Any other ideas. I am by no means a mechanic. Just know enough to be dagerous. Any help is greatly appreciated.
 
You could try jumping the solenoid (little black thing on the inner fender by the battery with a cable runing to it and a cable running from it to the starter)

Take a pair of channel locks and touch the 2 terminals togther and see if it cranks. It might just be that...or a bad battery connection....are yoor lights good and bright?
 
If the engine sat with water or old coolant in a cylinder, the bore probably rusted and froze the piston in the cylinder. It doesn't take much rust.

At this point I think you're looking at an engine overhaul with oversized pistons if the block isn't cracked. The heads will also need to be checked for cracks. Also plan to replace the radiator at the same time. Clogged radiators are a big reason engines run hot, which is how this started.

You might be better off with another engine, but still replace the radiator.

Try to back-flush the heater core while the work is going on. It could be clogged too.

Did you have a radiator or heater-core leak and ever use a stop-leak product? Rust or stop-leak junk can clog radiator tubes.
 
If the engine sat with water or old coolant in a cylinder, the bore probably rusted and froze the piston in the cylinder. It doesn't take much rust.

At this point I think you're looking at an engine overhaul with oversized pistons if the block isn't cracked. The heads will also need to be checked for cracks. Also plan to replace the radiator at the same time. Clogged radiators are a big reason engines run hot, which is how this started.

You might be better off with another engine, but still replace the radiator.

Try to back-flush the heater core while the work is going on. It could be clogged too.

Did you have a radiator or heater-core leak and ever use a stop-leak product? Rust or stop-leak junk can clog radiator tubes.
If you cant spin it with a socket on the crank then i think this is where youre at OP
 
HOW did you blow up a 3.0??? I heard a lady on the radio, who was an Air Force recruiter, say she got 400K out of a Taurus. I suspect it was a U engine because I don't think the OHC model would go that far.
 
put marvel mystery oil in the cylinders and let them sit overnight. then try turning it by hand.

i bought a vw 1600 air cooled engine for my blown karmann ghia engine replacement. it was frozen solid from sitting in a shed for years. filled the cylinders with marvel mystery oil and it broke free the next afternoon.

now if you ahve rust, it won't get rid of it but you will be able to turn the cylinders and do a compression check / vacuum checks to see how its going
 
I think I would just go ahead and pull the heads, clean it up and see what you've got. Winter is just right around the corner where you are and you won't want to fool with it when it gets cold. Especially if you're working on it outdoors or even in a garage. Good luck.
 
I think I would just go ahead and pull the heads, clean it up and see what you've got. Winter is just right around the corner where you are and you won't want to fool with it when it gets cold. Especially if you're working on it outdoors or even in a garage. Good luck.
Before even trying to turn the crank with a socket??
 
put marvel mystery oil in the cylinders and let them sit overnight. then try turning it by hand.

i bought a vw 1600 air cooled engine for my blown karmann ghia engine replacement. it was frozen solid from sitting in a shed for years. filled the cylinders with marvel mystery oil and it broke free the next afternoon.

now if you ahve rust, it won't get rid of it but you will be able to turn the cylinders and do a compression check / vacuum checks to see how its going
A mix of kerosene (or diesel), trans fluid, and WD40 can also work for freeing them up.
 
I've used some citric acid rust remover to free up a stuck piston in a sled before
 
I've used some citric acid rust remover to free up a stuck piston in a sled before
I doubt its rusted up. My 460 did the same exact thing and sat for atleast a month (not by choice, i had parked it and wasnt driving it...didnt know itd even happend untill i tried starting it) and it was fine
 

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