.sunlover Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 okay, here's the whole situation. I drove my l20b for 2500 miles before it threw the belt and overheated a bit. did a timing cover set, because I had to extract a busted bolt, and reinforce the alternator swingarm, saw a head gasket leak, changed that, and it just cranked over and didn't start. I nearly fried the starter trying to start it so I could set the timing, and gave it a rest for maybe 4 months and it wouldn't crank over. The battery was charged, so I tried to crank it over with a 2' breaker bar, and it is STUCK. the cam will spin to the end of the timing chain slack, but the crank won't budge. I removed the spark plugs, sprayed pb, still nothing. For the obvious, yes it's out of gear, even tried it with the clutch in, nothing. I sprayed alot of starting fluid trying to start it before it's rest. I really need my truck to start, just lost my last completely road ready vehicle, so any help would be great. Quote Link to comment
DAT510 Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 push it down a hill and dump the clutch... maybe it'll break loose or break whatever it is that's holding it back. hows the oil? You said head gasket was leaking so maybe pistons are rusted stuck? try putting some ATF in there. only other thing i can think of is maybe the starter gear flying off and wedging the flywheel stuck. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Yeah likely a little rust holding the rings. Needs a little shock to break it use. . Quote Link to comment
Sealik Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 push it down a hill and dump the clutch... maybe it'll break loose or break whatever it is that's holding it back. Hmmmmm...not sure if that is a good idea. Could really compound the issue if it's 'locked' up for whatever reason?????? Would definitely break something loose though..... :D Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 If it's really fucked it will just drag the tires. Quote Link to comment
DAT510 Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Hmmmmm...not sure if that is a good idea. Could really compound the issue if it's 'locked' up for whatever reason?????? Would definitely break something loose though..... :D Yeah if the pistons ain't moving, bye bye con rods. lol brute force has it's ups and downs lol Quote Link to comment
Sealik Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 After 4 months..... and the engine/crank is seized?????.... Something is amuk....should not seize after that amount of time.... ..."I had to extract a busted bolt"........you extracted all of the bolt? Head and crank timing is correct after the HG install??? Quote Link to comment
.sunlover Posted March 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 yeah, I thought about the starter, figured it would still move if it was stuck out, but I hear the pop sound, so I left it alone. ATF better then pb? I don't have any atm, but power steering fluid will work the same right? yeah, I'll try rocking it in gear, before I try it on my little driveway hill. Since it didn't want to start before, I don't want to take it on the road and try to break it free, and expect to fix it and drive home. Quote Link to comment
DAT510 Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Also where are the valves? (location wise) The piston might be smacking a valve if the timing is out of whack. Remove the starter and try spinning it the other way, drop the oil pan and look at the bottom end. Quote Link to comment
Sealik Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Also where are the valves? (location wise) The piston might be smacking a valve if the timing is out of whack. Yup.....I was thinking he was not at TDC and or when the HG was replaced Quote Link to comment
bananahamuck Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 4 months doesn`t seem very long, even with lots of water to completely seize an engine so hard a 2 foot breaker bar wouldn`t spin it. try loosening the starter it`s just 2 bolts Quote Link to comment
.sunlover Posted March 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 yeah, I got the extracted stuff out, pretty sure the timing is right, it cranked over just fine before, when I did my head gasket, I just wedged the chain open, held it in place with coat hanger, and didn't turn either at all. Without any trouble I slid the cam gear back in place and bolted it back down. I didn't leave any coolant in the combustion chamber, and ran gas and ether through it after the fix, idk, maybe some stayed, kinda' looks like it now. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Yes the cam could have been accidentally rotated while off. But if the engine was at TDC you would have had trouble setting it on the block if the valves were up. Any movement of the crank and the piston would move away from the valves. Quote Link to comment
Sealik Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 I just wedged the chain open, held it in place with coat hanger, and didn't turn either at all. You did remove the wedge and coat hanger???? :D :D Quote Link to comment
.sunlover Posted March 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 I made a mark at the chain where the 1 was on the cam gear, placed it back in the same position, slid it back on in the same position, and it bolted down no problem, and no hesitation on the first cranking from valves hitting and bending. My plan for today was to check the timing again though, since if everything is right, it starts, and it didn't start, sooooooooo......... Guess action plan is remove starter, see if that helps, if it doesn't power steering fluid and a rocking, break free, check timing, and for water in the fuel, pray to the datsun god, cross fingers, and start, put a light on it, and have a perfectly running truck. Quote Link to comment
.sunlover Posted March 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 You did remove the wedge and coat hanger???? :D :D oll, yeah... :) Quote Link to comment
yello620 Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 So you never got it running after the head gasket was replaced?? Quote Link to comment
.sunlover Posted March 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 So you never got it running after the head gasket was replaced?? True. It spit and sputtered a bit, but made no real effort to start. a couple neat carb fires, and it farted a few times...... Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 True. It spit and sputtered a bit, but made no real effort to start. a couple neat carb fires, and it farted a few times...... You even ck if the rotor was in the correct position after reassembly???????? Maybe the oil pump is off a tooth. 11.28 at TDC? ck for spark? try start in gear to break it loose. Never wait till your last car is broke to fix the last car. Is this the one where you welded the alternator arm to the front cover? Quote Link to comment
banzai510(hainz) Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 plug wires correct? 1 3 4 2 conter clock wise fire order Quote Link to comment
.sunlover Posted March 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 True. It spit and sputtered a bit, but made no real effort to start. a couple neat carb fires, and it farted a few times...... You even ck if the rotor was in the correct position after reassembly???????? Maybe the oil pump is off a tooth. 11.28 at TDC? ck for spark? try start in gear to break it loose. Never wait till your last car is broke to fix the last car. Is this the one where you welded the alternator arm to the front cover? Yeah, that's the one, I watched your video and got it in right where it should be. actually welded a support brace with a bolt working as a pin so the swingarm still swings, but you have the idea. firing order is correct. I'm heading out to break it free in a second, just having coffee first, deciding if I want to rock it in 5th or 1st. torque or pressure... my tbird wasn't broke, I was, missed an insurance payment, got pulled over, towed, can't get it back right now, so I never will. Quote Link to comment
.sunlover Posted March 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 WHEW!!! Broke it free. starter is working. now to put a light on it, little finger nail polish on the timing mark, rough set it, and see what happens. Actually rocked the truck so hard that it started to slide in the gravel :o Yeah-hah!!! My knee kinda' hurts now, but soooooooo worth it. Quote Link to comment
.sunlover Posted April 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2012 Now back to my original problem with the not starting. Although I was VERY careful to tighten the new intake/exhaust evenly and step up to torque evenly, when it tries to start, it looks like its got an air leak under the carb somewhere. pulled the carb and replaced a gasket that was wet, no change. It got pretty hot last time I drove it, and I'm wondering if there's something like the soft plug that might suddenly fail if it got too hot and let extra air in so it won't run. I didn't put the heat shield back in yet since I'm only 99% that the new intake/exhaust gasket isn't leaking. this one laid nice and flat without any hole modding, unlike the last one. doesn't look like any of the heat sheild mounting holes are open to the intake....... oh, yeah.... my timing light decided to pick now to die on me.... fucking pisses me off.... I checked for spark again, and it still has it. So frustrated.... Seems like the only vehicles that are hard to fix are my own. Quote Link to comment
datzenmike Posted April 3, 2012 Report Share Posted April 3, 2012 What's the L20B out of or year? Is the intake and the exhaust bolted together? Quote Link to comment
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