Thread: Engine wont roll over

Hey guys i feel pretty embarrassed to say but when doing an oil and filter change on my 1974 2.25 petrol i must of put the oil filter housing on incorrectly.

I was driving into town and was herd a knocking sound that seemed to be coming from the engine, as a slowed the rpm on the engine the sound slowed with it. i was about to pull over when the car lost power and died.

After looking underneath the car i seen that oil had been leaking out from someplace and i had run the car about 1 km or so on no oil.

So i got a ride home and got my uncle to help me retrieve the landy off the side of the road.

The next day i put the oil housing on correctly (i hope) and attempted to start the engine but all i get is a click.

I was thinking that maybe i have seized the engine and thats why the engine wont roll over?

Any ideas or suggestions on where to start?

my uncle told me that i should take the sump off the engine and i might see the problem, he thought it could of been a broken or detached con rod. but im not sure if he knows what hes talking about

Originally Posted by otis

Thanks for the fast reply John.

Do you have any idea what the banging sound coming from the engine might of been?

I was thinking of having the engine rebuilt anyway so i am not terribly worried about spending the money.

If the connecting rod is broken would a rebuild still be a viable or would i just be better off looking at a new engine?

thanks again

Without having heard the noise, I would be guessing. What will usually happen if the engine is run without lubrication is that the most heavily loaded bearings, which are the big end bearings, will fail first This is likely to have one of two results, either the bearing will seize and the engine will stop, or, if the engine is turning fast enough and developing enough power, the bearing will be completely destroyed allowing the big end and its cap to flog back and forth on the crank journal and for the piston to hit the head. This could make the noise, but if the engine was going at any speed, and an attempt is made to keep going, the shock loading is likely to cause the failure of one or both bearing cap bolts. This is likely to result in the big end being jammed against the side of the bore such that it is hit every revolution of the crank, with resulting damage to the bore and the crank. In addition, it is possible that the valves could be hitting the top of the piston. If there is only one bearing bolt broken, the bent cap could be hitting the side of the crankcase.

Whether a rebuild is viable will depend on whether the block is damaged (If the block is damaged, almost certainly a new engine)and the cost of a replacement engine. If the crankshaft is damaged beyond being reclaimed, this is likely to make the engine beyond economic repair, unless this is almost the only damage. But it will all depend on what you can get another engine for and how much needs to be spent on that engine.

John