Seized my engine!

[donner1122]

I just put in a new distributor and took my 1952 m211 for a test drive. It was running fine but started to get loud while climbing the hill to get out of my neighborhood. I slowed down to check it out but as I slowed the engine stalled out. The starter wouldn't turn the engine at all.

I've taken out all of the spark plugs and tried turning it by putting a wrench on the pulley. I also tried pulling on the belt.

I then took out the starter and pried on the flywheel.

Nothing will budge.

Ive poured diesel and marvel mystery oil down the cylinders to hopefully loosen it up.

Any idea why the engine would have seized? It looks like I have plenty of oil on the dipstick. When I was putting in the distributor I may have accidentally cut the wire going to the "oil pressure guage sending unit", would that have done it?

What should I do from here? Keep trying to loosen up the engine? Part the truck out or sell it whole?

 

[frank8003]

Oh Golly!

 

[porkysplace]

Just cutting the wire to the oil pressure sender wouldn't seize the motor , how ever losing oil pressure without a oil pressure gauge to tell you that you lost pressure would.
Where in Michigan are you ? there is a scrap yard up by Bellaire that had a few GMC's a couple years ago It may be a parts source..

 

[donner1122]

I'm in Grand Rapids. Bellaire would be doable if I wanted to swap the engine. However I don't think I have the motivation to do that.

 

[m1010plowboy]

Did you put in a fresh engine oil filter and new oil? It's a tough little motor so let's keep some hope.

We've seen a lot of tar, sticky oil, bitumen, whatever you want to call it, in the filter housing, page 184 TM 9-8024. The drain plug on the filter wasn't big enough to let the blobs out so the outlet line clearly wouldn't let oil in to the motor.

Goose the deuce barely registers on the gauge with the little 302 only pushing about 5psi. Page 55, same book.

Time for some troubleshooting, page 152, section IV, #81. It's going to be fine unless it's a Mechanical Seizure of parts.

pt 1 9-8024.
https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?106483-More-M135-TM-s

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

I'm just thinking out loud here.....

You replaced the distributor.
Was it running smoothly after you restarted her and THEN became rough under load?
OR was it running roughly from the very first upon restart with the replacement of the distributor..... If this is the case, I might suspect that you may have mis-wired the sparkplugs (wrong firing order) and thereby, at a certain rpm/load/fuel-flow and hence LARGER EXPLOSIONS in the cylinders one of the pistons and its connecting rod may have FAILED.... This COULD cause the crankshaft to be mechanically JAMMED thus preventing it from turning at all.

But again, I'm just guessing that a firing order error COULD have occurred with the re-installation of the distributor. That's why it'd be good to know if she idled smoothly or was coughing and/or backfiring before the test drive.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this???

 

[donner1122]

Idled smoothly beforehand. Ran the same as it ran on the old distributor. The idea that something may have gotten in the oil filter assembly lines when I took out the old distributor is possible.

 

[Valley Rock]

Pull that distributor out and see if it will turn over .

 

[DUUANE]

Could the distributor hold down have been left loose and the distributor timing changed under load causing preignition and cylinder damage? Years ago i bought a 1980 k10 with a swapped in 454 from a kid in north delta..by the time i dove it the 20 miles to my place the exhaust manifolds were cherry red..timing was set at 10° after top center..

 

[tobyS]

Is there an oil pump drive that comes off the bottom of the distributor? If there is, are you sure you got it back into place?

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Is there an oil pump drive that comes off the bottom of the distributor? If there is, are you sure you got it back into place?

That was exactly what I was thinking, and then with no pressure gauge, no way to know there was no oil pressure. Was it starting to run hot when it happened?

 

[NDT]

Yes the distributor drives the oil pump. Can say for nearly certain this was operator error. Is the distributor dimensionally identical? You will need to rebuild your seized lower end. Top end likely ok.

 

[donner1122]

I just pulled the distributor. I must have overlooked the difference shaft sizes in the excitement of getting the truck running. In the picture, the distributor on the right is the original and the left is the new one. The new one is a bit shorter and the gear is upside down.

I ordered this chevy 235 distributor because I read it was interchangeable. (https://www.amazon.com/Team-Perform...x=chevy+235+valve+cover,automotive,165&sr=1-3)

Obviously the oil pump must not have been turning and caused the seize.

What part resources are out there for rebuilding the engine's lower end?

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

I just pulled the distributor. I must have overlooked the difference shaft sizes in the excitement of getting the truck running. In the picture, the distributor on the right is the original and the left is the new one. The new one is a bit shorter and the gear is upside down.

I ordered this chevy 235 distributor because I read it was interchangeable. (https://www.amazon.com/Team-Perform...x=chevy+235+valve+cover,automotive,165&sr=1-3)

Obviously the oil pump must not have been turning and caused the seize.

What part resources are out there for rebuilding the engine's lower end?



View attachment 766613

Ouch.

 

[frank8003]

I sympathize with your predicament.
Yes, "getdoneitis" got me one time too.
I started my new engine without the carb spring so it was wide open.
Good that the ignition switch was able to shut it down.
That was in 1967. I still always try to understand stuff.

I am still interested in not so strange stuff that happens from "getdonitis" and "gethomeitis"
I was reading and interested in a March 2019 Hot Rod Magazine very well done story about "getitdoneitis".

This is from section called PIT STOP. Excellent descriptions and photography, and good story within the magazine. This is the web trunciated version.

https://www.hotrod.com/articles/pit-stop-chevy-v8-right-hand-valvetrain-not-getting-oil/

 

[Valley Rock]

Here's a 302 engine for you if he still has it :

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?188344-New-member-xm211


And it is only three small states away, unless you paddle across Lake Michigan then it'd be only two states away .

 

[hendersond]

Welcome! Sorry about the turn of events. Do you have any pics of your truck?

 

[donner1122]

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

View attachment 767014View attachment 767015View attachment 767016View attachment 767017

Donner1122:
That's a truck worthy of resuscitation. To quote the opening line from THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN: "We have the technology. We can rebuild him."
And, with that, I encourage you to bring this fine specimen of an vintage MV back to life, Sir.

 

[donner1122]

Update on the engine:

I've pulled the head and lower pans off. I removed pistons 6, 1,2,3. They came right out of the cylinder with no issues. Piston 4 came out the same but there was no bearing on it. Turns out the connecting rod bearing 4 welded itself to the crankshaft. The crank and last remaining piston spin free by hand now.

Is there a way to remove the bearing that is stuck to the crank? Or am I going to have to buy another crank.