1998 F150 locked up during starting, help!

Tater wrote:
> My F150 is my once a month vehicle, and the other day when I tried to
> start it, it turned over about 3/4 then stopped cold, like something
> was blocking something. any advise what it could be? my friends and I
> say that it is either something wedged in the starter area or possibly
> a stuck vavle wedged against a piston. snows pretty deep and I'd
> prefer to work on it when warm, so I don't have any rush to find out.

Question: What engine? V-6 or V-8
 >> Stay informed about: 1998 F150 locked up during starting, help! 

You might have a 'compression lock' or a 'water lock' on the rotating
mechanism of the pistons and crank shaft.

Crack a block and get water to seep into the piston, it fills the top as
the values are closed on the compression stroke ... and the engine
stops, sometimes it will even whine a bit before it stops ...

as you would whine as well if someone was kicking you in the ass to turn
over and you couldn't.

Soooooo ... pull the truck into your gargage, thaw it out, pull the
spark plugs, and see if you can crank it by hand in a backwards
direction and then in a forwards direction until it stops again or not.

If it stops with the spark plugs pulled .. then a mechanical function is
broken, a piece of metal is in there hindering the rotation the engine
pistons and crank.

If it all moves, then put it together with the plugs back in, check for
spark, add engine start to the fuel system, and give it a crank.

Not work again, then check for the compression, vapor, water lock stuff
again. It is likely to be made known to you what it is at this time if
you have not figured it out when you take it and thaw it out.

hope that helps ...

Alan






Tater wrote:
> My F150 is my once a month vehicle, and the other day when I tried to
> start it, it turned over about 3/4 then stopped cold, like something
> was blocking something. any advise what it could be? my friends and I
> say that it is either something wedged in the starter area or possibly
> a stuck vavle wedged against a piston. snows pretty deep and I'd
> prefer to work on it when warm, so I don't have any rush to find out.
 >> Stay informed about: 1998 F150 locked up during starting, help! 

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 >> Stay informed about: 1998 F150 locked up during starting, help! 

ya lugnut .. this is sooo easy to Dx once the plugs are pulled.

he will see what the problem is real quick ...

if he has any eye for reading plugs.

This has been going down for some time and a hard freeze is what pulled
it over just like taking a borderline battery down.

IMO and all that rot.



lugnut wrote:
> On Mon, 08 Feb 2010 19:43:38 -0800, "Alan B. Mac Farlane"
> wrote:
>
>> You might have a 'compression lock' or a 'water lock' on the rotating
>> mechanism of the pistons and crank shaft.
>>
>> Crack a block and get water to seep into the piston, it fills the top as
>> the values are closed on the compression stroke ... and the engine
>> stops, sometimes it will even whine a bit before it stops ...
>>
>> as you would whine as well if someone was kicking you in the ass to turn
>> over and you couldn't.
>>
>> Soooooo ... pull the truck into your gargage, thaw it out, pull the
>> spark plugs, and see if you can crank it by hand in a backwards
>> direction and then in a forwards direction until it stops again or not.
>>
>> If it stops with the spark plugs pulled .. then a mechanical function is
>> broken, a piece of metal is in there hindering the rotation the engine
>> pistons and crank.
>>
>> If it all moves, then put it together with the plugs back in, check for
>> spark, add engine start to the fuel system, and give it a crank.
>>
>> Not work again, then check for the compression, vapor, water lock stuff
>> again. It is likely to be made known to you what it is at this time if
>> you have not figured it out when you take it and thaw it out.
>>
>> hope that helps ...
>>
>> Alan
>
> He should not turn these engines backwards with the
> hydraulically tensioned timing chains. If the plugs are
> out, he should be able to turn it in it's normal rotation.
> It should also be turned at least 2 complete revolutions to
> make sure all cylinders have been fully cycled. He should
> see the suspect cylinder (not always) when the plugs are
> pulled. If there is a lot of fluid in a cylinder that is
> just beginning the compression stroke, it may lock before
> any liquid is pushed up to the plug. That is the reason for
> hand rotation in it's normal direction.
>
> Lugnut
>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Tater wrote:
>>> My F150 is my once a month vehicle, and the other day when I tried to
>>> start it, it turned over about 3/4 then stopped cold, like something
>>> was blocking something. any advise what it could be? my friends and I
>>> say that it is either something wedged in the starter area or possibly
>>> a stuck vavle wedged against a piston. snows pretty deep and I'd
>>> prefer to work on it when warm, so I don't have any rush to find out.
>
 >> Stay informed about: 1998 F150 locked up during starting, help!