Felicia engine puzzle

[Skodle]

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I’m struggling with the most frustrating engine problem I’ve ever experienced in many decades.   Bear with me ‘cos I need to tell the long story, in case it offers any clues.

 

Ten years ago I spent about 6 months seeking a replacement for my wonderful but moribund Favorit estate.    None forthcoming, I bought my Felicia hatchback - then Sod’s Law self-activated, and my desired Felica estate appeared within days.

 

Having bought the estate, I have kept the hatchback laid up as replacement all these years, and in that time I have taken care to start her at intervals and, in particular, to warm her up properly because I am sharply aware of the insidious corrosion damage resulting from switching off engines whilst still cool.

 

Always started at first attempt  ... until now, when I really want to get her back on the road.  Starter began to turn then stalled.   Aha, thinks I - just a bit of corrosion in the circuit causing excessive voltage drop thence inadequate torque, even possibly jammed ‘bendix’ because it was clear that heavy current was being drawn.

 

Spent ages stripping starter etc. etc., but no apparent problems in the circuit ... oh, dear .. when jacked up to rotate crankshaft via wheel (as if to check valve clearances), very stiff, only moves a few degrees.   Hmm, I begin to fear coolant leak to cylinder  ... but no, reservoir level is OK.

 

Replaced starter etc. still hopeful that torque shortage might be the issue .... but no, starter wanted to turn even less before stall, and now I can’t hand-rotate the engine at all even with the starter removed again.

 

This is serious!  ... but remains baffling.  Rocker box off, no indication of dropped valve (and why should there be in such benign conditions)  ... Plugs out, all good colour, and probing thro’ t’ plug’oles offers no evidence of moisture ingress.

 

Any of you good folks ever experienced a similar problem?

Anyone have any bright ideas?

[R_U_AFA]

I wouldn't try starting it on the starter again untill you can turn the engine by hand

How long since you last had it running?

3 hours ago, Skodle said:

Starter began to turn then stalled. 

Do you mean starter just stopped turning, or the car lurched forward as if the car had been left in gear then the starter stopped.

How much can you move the road wheel by hand in either direction? Zero, a few mm, a couple of cm.

I'm making an assumption it's the 1.3 petrol engine.

Edited 21 March by R_U_AFA

[Papez]

13 hours ago, Skodle said:

Plugs out, all good colour, and probing thro’ t’ plug’oles offers no evidence of moisture ingress.

 

I can think of 3 reasons of seized engine: hydrolock, valve/piston collision due to skipped timing chain, or something's stuck due to corrosion. 

 

Were you able to turn the engine with plugs out? Valves do open at right crank position? 

Edited 21 March by Papez

[Skodle]

Huge thanks for your swift and well-considered replies.

In response:

 

-  agreed, further electric start attempts unwise whilst engine remains stuck.

 

-  How long since run?   Can’t remember exactly, but I’ve been running every few months to keep things well lubed  ( I thought I had run her in the last few weeks to use the brake servo, but I might well be wrong on that ).

 

-  I invariably start in neutral with clutch disengaged, so yes, the starter just stopped turning within 1 second ... and on a later attempt stopped after an even shorter interval .. and later did not rotate at all.  By now, it seems clear that the problem is other than the starter.

 

-  Hand turning movement, just a few cm in either direction at tyre circumference (disregarding the expected ‘backlash’ slackness) to begin with, but now stuck fast.

 

-  Yes, it’s the 1.3 MPI petrol engine.

 

-   Seems hydrolock - which I at first suspected - can now be eliminated entirely because with the plugs out she is now still stuck solid .

 

-   I think a valve/piston conflict is most unlikely, everything looks OK under the rocker box  ... and whilst I can’t check this out absolutely, now that everything is frozen solid, the progressive nature of the worsening freezup - in both directions! - would seem to rule this out.

 

So, I fear that that you may be on exactly the right lines, Papez, in pointing to sticking due to some sort of corrosion effects.

 

This is very puzzling given my care over the years to prevent this, and I remain very grateful for any possible suggestions for a fix.

 

 

 

[R_U_AFA]

I agree this is a puzzling head scratcher, I also agree with your summations as well. You obviously know your way around an engine.

I can't really see the engine seizing due to corrosion in such a short period of time but it's possible.

My initial thought was clutch friction disc stuck to flywheel, but it can't be that. 

So,

Some thoughts:

I nearly suggested this yesterday, but just wondering if it's a ancillary component on the auxiliary belt that has seized, i.e water pump, p.s. pump. Maybe check to see if the belt is super taught at some point, or remove it completely.

My other thought is if something is jamming the flywheel, mabey for some reason hall sensor fallen apart? or a clutch diaphragm spring arm snapped off. (Both very very unlikely)

Of course there are numerous components in the engine that could jam or seize, too many to list and even if it is one of them, it would probably be cheaper to replace engine than repair.

Sometimes going simple is best so I'd Check drivebelt and/or plenty of WD-40 or some Redex down bores. And see what the results are.

[R_U_AFA]

Oh, If you've got the rocker cover off, check the push rods. That's another simple one.

Edited 22 March by R_U_AFA

[Thefeliciahacker]

remove plugs and rocker shaft then try to rotate the engine, also check that all the valves are on the same level and none stays depressed 

[Skodle]

Thanks, evgaristume, ...  update:

 

- fiddling with the free pushrods, seem just fine, don’t think that can be the problem.

 

- yesterday I had already shot off into town to grab a can of WD-40, but I haven’t started squirting it yet, because right now I’m charging up a laptop in the hope of using a mini-borescope to look inside the cylinders, before squirting .. .but I rather doubt this will reveal anything much.

 

- today I was able to slacken off the aux drive belt, and establish that I didn’t have a stuck alternator problem ... but the water pump pulley doesn’t seem very keen to budge, and I’ll now have to wait till daylight returns to apply investigation via a special wrench

.

- searching this site suggests that water pumps can be problematic, and corrosion buildup within it might explain the weird progressive development of the seizure  ... so stand by, and I’ll report back if I discover anything exciting tomorrow.

[Thefeliciahacker]

Water pump should spin easily by hand