Happened while driving home. Car was not hot, only drove 3-4 miles, I made a left turn and began to accelerate. All of a sudden the engine quit. I still had headlights, threw it in neutral and tried to restart, heard starter hit flywheel but engine woldn't turn, No loud noises either. I took starter off, tested fine, battery too. Had coolant loss problem month ago, used copper seal to stop leak, seemed to work. Tried to turn engine over at crank pulley with ratchet and cheater pipe, less than an eighth if an inch movement. Thought might be hydrolocked, removed drivers side plugs nothing came out. Haven't had chance to pull other 3 yet. Any Ideas???

 

what yr and model car? sure sounds like the motor siezed up.

 

If engine was overheating the oil could have thinned out enough for the engine to seize (possible spun bearing). The problem with using stop leaks as a permanent fix is that they are not permanent and you never know when they are going to fail and cause damage.
Hydro lock does not usually happen while the engine is running unless you suck a lot of water through the intake and into the combustion chamber.

 

oops,it's a 95 with a 3.8L

 

At the time the engine quit, I had only driven approx 3-4 miles, And since I stopped the leak, I knew too take it easy, no lead footing, etc. And since I heard no noise when she died, I am thinking that th copper seal stop leak may have failed and sucked water into cylinder. As soon as I can ,weather permitting, I will pull pass. side plugs and update.

 

When you tried to turn the engine over was it out of park and in neutral with emergency brake on? If it was in park or in gear you'll be trying to turn the engine along with the transmission, driveshaft and rear end. That wouldn't give you too much of a turn. You should even have enough play to turn it more then what you said with it in park or gear though.

 

I didn't think to take it out of gear. Thanks, I'll try again.

 

If you are saying you were able to turn the crank by putting a socket on the crank bolt, the engine is not seized. A seized engine feels like a single large block of steel when you try to turn the crank manually.

 

kyphur, the motor will turn over in any gear with a auto trans, park or not. with a manual trans its a different story and would need to be in nutural. austyn, not all motors seize up completly when they fail. could be a spun bearing and thats what i would suspect.

 

Yeah, you're right. I was just thinking about when I was turning mine over a week or so ago when I was getting the deck height. I had to take it out of gear and put on the emergency brake. Wasn't thinking 100% apparently.