Thread: Perentie will not start

Originally Posted by poundsterling

It looks like it maybe a Hydraulic lock, hopefully and not worse, tried to move the engine by hand , no movement or give. So its not the starter motor.
Have undone the nuts to the angled / vertical bolts which hold the injectors, I have also disconnected the fuel pump feeder lines at the injectors.
I now wish to take off the return fuel line at the top of the 4 injectors but the holding nuts are not budging, are they torque tightened?? if so what torque setting? Thanks.

When you get the injectors out and the engine turns over, take note of any liquid that comes out of the injector hole. Is it water or distillate?

Water means a dud head gasket or a hole in a sleeve. Distillate most likely means your engine has a dribbly dick. In any case, if it has locked or seized you will need to strip the engine and check for piston, conrod, piston pin damage. Hopefully not a broken crankshaft as used to happen to 855 cummins when the water filter was not regularly changed.

[QUOTE=Bigbjorn;2802988]When you get the injectors out and the engine turns over, take note of any liquid that comes out of the injector hole. Is it water or distillate?

Water means a dud head gasket or a hole in a sleeve. Or a bent rod. Most likely in an ex ADF Isuzu, That's the main reason they won't turn over.

Good evening all,

The Perentie is obviously ex-army, spoke to the Isuzu Dealer at Eagle Farm, they were very helpful, so I have got the injectors out, they look pretty clean, so the motor must have been going well until the problem. Definitely unable to turn the motor over by hand, looks like I will have to take the radiator out so as to get good access to the main pulley (Harmonica balance ?) and bolt to fit a suitable spanner and lever, and perhaps with some good penetrating oil over a few days should be able to turn the motor over. here's hopeing!

To answer those comments of interest, when I bid on the vehicle at auction with a bit of apprehension, because it did warn potential bidders the Perentie was "Incomplete & not operational" and as per all auctions, Sold "as is condition" . So as always let the buyer beware. I have bought 6 x Perenties, this is the only one to give me a problem, thats pretty good odds.

This has been a bit of a learning experience, along the way I ascertained that this motor didn't have a thermostat fitted, just a bronze plug and the thermostat lead tucked up behind the radiator hose, so I am really hoping this thing hasn't seized. Any good penetrating oils out there for these type of situations, please feel free to suggest one. Cheers.

They have chrome bores and it's unlikely it is rusted tight. Most likely it has had a drink and has a bent rod (or 2) easy way to check is pull the glow plugs and insert a length of wire into each cylinder. 1 and 4 should be the same length and 2 and 3 the same. Any that are shorter than the other are the bent ones.

Originally Posted by Bearman

They have chrome bores and it's unlikely it is rusted tight. Most likely it has had a drink and has a bent rod (or 2) easy way to check is pull the glow plugs and insert a length of wire into each cylinder. 1 and 4 should be the same length and 2 and 3 the same. Any that are shorter than the other are the bent ones.

G/day Bearman,

Listed are the readings Cylinder 1 - 210mm Cyl 2 - 14.5mm Cyl 3.- 14.5mm. Cyl 4 - 210mm. Used a white plastic coated wire coat hanger, marked and measured with a tape.
Any potential additional damage if a put it in 1st Gear and gently rocked it with my other Perentie??

Cheers.

Obviously not a bent rod then. You could try that or put the socket and a long bar on the harmonic balancer.

Originally Posted by Bearman

Obviously not a bent rod then. You could try that or put the socket and a long bar on the harmonic balancer.

My, thankfully, limited experience with one seized car engine (ie run out of oil because the pressure sender popped its ceramic centre) is that it turned when cooled down. But then I didn't throw any rings..,

You did indicate a light thump when trying to start the engine, so the solenoid is probably moving or a twitch of movement in the starter motor. Long shot that starter is locked in engagement and the starter is full of water and corroded solid or some one has belted the crap out of its casing dislodging the magnets and jamming it? The solenoid core could also be friction bound and holding the bendix gear in engagement so you would be working by hand to also turn the starter motor. Try hand rotation with starter out before bringing in the long arm of physics law.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

It should be possible to turn the motor by hand without removing the injectors - just have to do it very slowly, allowing compression to bleed off past the rings - easier if the engine has not been started for a while and the rings are dry. I do this when checking tappets.

I didn't have much luck trying to turn engine by hand without removing glow plugs to do tappet clearance -you must have strong arms!