Engine seized ?

[TN Mopar]

with today's cell phone there is no excuse for not having a borescope
Cheap ones can be had for 20 bucks and give you a pretty good idea of what is going on.
I do have a more expensive one, but for quick looks and video or pictures the cheapo is awesome

 

[Aarons Air]

with today's cell phone there is no excuse for not having a borescope
Cheap ones can be had for 20 bucks and give you a pretty good idea of what is going on.
I do have a more expensive one, but for quick looks and video or pictures the cheapo is awesome

Really ? I had no clue. Thanks.

 

[TN Mopar]

Google Cell phone borescope
if you have amazon prime you can have your own in 24-48 hours

 

[66Satellite47]

I may have gotten very lost in this thread. Did you ever get the torque converter to spin freely? The most likely is the converter did not have the front pump lugs/slot fully engaged(sometimes very tricky), may take many attempts pulling the converter back slightly, rotating a bit sliding forward. You can usually feel a "clunck" when it goes in. Converter bolts not all the way in. Or wrong converter bolts, the flex plate to crank bolts look the same, but the head is enough thicker if used as converter bolts to hit the block & jam it. Also the flex plate CAN be bolted to the crank BACKWARDS. Same result as wrong or untightened bolts. Let us know.

 

[Aarons Air]

I may have gotten very lost in this thread. Did you ever get the torque converter to spin freely? The most likely is the converter did not have the front pump lugs/slot fully engaged(sometimes very tricky), may take many attempts pulling the converter back slightly, rotating a bit sliding forward. You can usually feel a "clunck" when it goes in. Converter bolts not all the way in. Or wrong converter bolts, the flex plate to crank bolts look the same, but the head is enough thicker if used as converter bolts to hit the block & jam it. Also the flex plate CAN be bolted to the crank BACKWARDS. Same result as wrong or untightened bolts. Let us know.

Thanks, but yes, you're a li'l behind. The trans is out. Crank pulley & belts off. Waiting on a no show buddy to bring a scope to look in plug holes. Tn mopar just enlightened me to buying one for a cell phone.

 

[Aarons Air]

With warmer temps, and corona induced extra free time, i've started back on my engine. I now have taken the rocker assemblies off ( which made no difference). Yesterday, i used a borescope to look in the cylinders, through the plug holes. I had high hopes of seeing a bolt or nut laying in one, but didn't see anything. So to recap, i now have the following removed; trans, valve covers, rocker assemblies, crank pulley, all belts, distributor, and intermediate shaft. With all of this out/ off, the engine still comes just shy of making a complete revolution clockwise, or counterclockwise. And stops/ hits at the same spot both ways. Could this be a rod bearing ? Is it time to pull the heads ? Drop the oil pan ? Or just yank the engine, and start over ?

 

[Don Frelier]

You are most of the way there.
I would pull it out.

 

[33 IMP]

I agree with Don. Unfortunately it sounds like something you are only gonna find with the pan off , on an engine stand. I think we are all a little mystified. With all you have done ,it should have been found by now.
I have only one other thought. I once put a radical roller in a 400 small block chevy, that didnt have a small base circle, and as i turned it on the stand, the rod hit the cam in a couple spots. The reason i mention is... i wonder if the cam timing you have could be off (ground wrong or installed wrong, no offense) that a rod could be hitting something. Farfetched ,i know, but thats all i got left.

 

[bearman]

Sounds like bottom end problem. Sorry for your troubles but you will get this. Best part of this is your sharing with us so we all get to learn something.

 

[Aarons Air]

I agree with Don. Unfortunately it sounds like something you are only gonna find with the pan off , on an engine stand. I think we are all a little mystified. With all you have done ,it should have been found by now.
I have only one other thought. I once put a radical roller in a 400 small block chevy, that didnt have a small base circle, and as i turned it on the stand, the rod hit the cam in a couple spots. The reason i mention is... i wonder if the cam timing you have could be off (ground wrong or installed wrong, no offense) that a rod could be hitting something. Farfetched ,i know, but thats all i got left.

Thanks, i'm a li'l mystified myself. At this point, i'm ready to pull it out, and use it as a door stop. When i bought my car, 4 years ago, i also bought a 68 block, complete, all original, unmolested. 383. Its been sitting on a stand in my garage ever since. Considering it's the correct year anyway, i may just start from scratch, and build it. I have a 69 n96 hood, air box, and 383 air cleaner. I want to use/ keep all of that. So, i'm definitely staying with a 383, and stock intake. Idk if i could use that intake, and make the motor a stroker, but i'm not opposed to building, mo par.

 

[Durandal25]

With warmer temps, and corona induced extra free time, i've started back on my engine. I now have taken the rocker assemblies off ( which made no difference). Yesterday, i used a borescope to look in the cylinders, through the plug holes. I had high hopes of seeing a bolt or nut laying in one, but didn't see anything. So to recap, i now have the following removed; trans, valve covers, rocker assemblies, crank pulley, all belts, distributor, and intermediate shaft. With all of this out/ off, the engine still comes just shy of making a complete revolution clockwise, or counterclockwise. And stops/ hits at the same spot both ways. Could this be a rod bearing ? Is it time to pull the heads ? Drop the oil pan ? Or just yank the engine, and start over ?

Dude, I'd have pulled the heads way long time ago.......something like that needs a total review......

 

[Aarons Air]

Dude, I'd have pulled the heads way long time ago.......something like that needs a total review......

Thanks, i had hoped the borescope would of at least shown which head to pull. But what the hec, i'm knee deep now anyway. Lol

 

[Fran Blacker]

Thanks, i had hoped the borescope would of at least shown which head to pull. But what the hec, i'm knee deep now anyway. Lol

It will weigh less when/if you pull it.

 

[Don Frelier]

If you didn't see anything with a boroscope. Then pulling the heads in the vehicle seems pointless. Something is wrong below and to fix that you need the engine on a stand.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Here's a wild possibility severely bent tooth on crank timing gear?

 

[33 IMP]

Have you determined which pistons are at the top of the bore when it locks up?

 

[Aarons Air]

Have you determined which pistons are at the top of the bore when it locks up?

Haven't paid attention to that yet

 

[khryslerkid]

Did you lay a straight edge across all the valves in the head to see if one is down lower than the rest? At a quick glance you don't always see if one is lower than the rest just looking at it.

I didn't read where you have the flywheel/flex plate removed. One flywheel bolt too long?

 

[dvw]

There cant be too many possibilities left. Flex plate off? Too long a bolt will lock it. Has this engine ever ran? I'm assuming no. Cam hitting a rod? Its possible the assembler was confused with a multi key timing gear and has the cam way off. If so with a big enough cam a lobe may contact a rod. Deck height causing one piston to hit the head? unlikely. Oil pick up bent hitting the crank? Galley plug behind the cam gear hitting the gear?
Doug

 

[Aarons Air]

Did you lay a straight edge across all the valves in the head to see if one is down lower than the rest? At a quick glance you don't always see if one is lower than the rest just looking at it.

I didn't read where you have the flywheel/flex plate removed. One flywheel bolt too long?

Just tried a straight edge. There all the same. The bolts i bought new with the plate. They were all the same.