Help Needed - Steel Soldiers::Military Vehicles Supersite

M35A2 · 11-20-2006, 16:00

Hi all.

A friend of mine has an M109A3 and needs some help. He thinks his engine has seized and I need some ideas.

He said the truck ran fine. He then parked it up for two weeks. When he went to use it he said he started the engine and within 20 seconds the engine shut down. When he went to re-start it he said it will only turn over half an inch. The engine is a LDT-465-1D Hurcules unit. He said the last time it ran it was running great.

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Andy

willysmd · 11-20-2006, 16:18

Hi Andy
You can sometimes get engine lock through un-burnt fuel in the cylinders, did it go BANG when it happened?

Massm35a2 · 11-20-2006, 19:17

Have him try to remove all the injectors and turn it over to see if it is hydrolocked.

poppop · 11-20-2006, 19:58

Get on the flywheel first and see if it will turn backwards. If it does then it is hydro locked.

willysmd · 11-21-2006, 03:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Massm35a2

Have him try to remove all the injectors and turn it over to see if it is hydrolocked.

Thats the word I was looking for Hydrolocked

builder77 · 11-21-2006, 03:30

How could it be hydrolocked if it ran for 20 seconds? I thought that that was just at initial cranking.

JDToumanian · 11-21-2006, 05:51

Quote:

How could it be hydrolocked if it ran for 20 seconds? I thought that that was just at initial cranking.

I agree... If it hydrolocked while running the pistons and rods would be bent / broken. It sounds like it seized before the oil pressure had a chance to come up and / or there's a problem with the oil pump or oil (diluted with fuel, etc.). Not good, but I've heard of engines being unstuck with the use of a penetrating oil, you would need to remove the injectors to pour it into the cylinders. The engine would probably never be the same though...

My guess is that your friend will soon be shopping for either an overhaul kit or a replacement engine.

Regards,
Jon

Manstein · 11-21-2006, 12:30

Make sure to tell him to take all the drive belts off the engine before trying to turn it by the crank. I have seen many engines that folks thought were locked up only to have a alternator/generator or other component that was locked up and the belt stopped the engine.

rdixiemiller · 11-21-2006, 13:05

I would wonder if it popped a rod in the first 20 seconds.

M35A2 · 11-21-2006, 15:44

Thanks for all the replies guys, keep them coming.

I thought that it hydrolocked myself, but when he told me the engine ran for about 20-30 secs before shutting down, I thought that this can't be the problem as any water that was in the cylinders would have been burnt off by then.

As I haven't seen the truck I can't really help much. He said when he cranks the starter the engine will only turn about half an inch, then jams. I'm at a loss as to what this could be. Maybe he has blown a con rod? I'm also wondering if the timing chain failed and mashed the engine, but he never said it made a really bad noise, just that it shut down.

I suppose oil pump failure is a very possible possibility? I will ask him if his gauge was working? But when you look at this video link of a chevy V8 running at full revs with a gallon of water in the crankcase and two blown head gaskets, 20 seconds on tickover then engine shutdown must mean something serious has happened.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=TuKYBb9wPDs

This is the poor sods second engine, the first burnt the pistons out using contam as fuel.

Any more ideas will be great, then I can go down and have a look at the truck for him as he isn't mechanically minded.

Cheers Guys.

Andy