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1992 with 3.0 locked up,,,


Ilike55s2

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Hello,,to all, I am needing some help on my 92 Ranger. I traded for this trk and now find the engine is locked up and will mot turn even with a pipe wrench on harmonic balancer,,!!
Tried sticking a screwdriver on flywheel teeth to try to turn that way but no dice. Decided oil pan has to come off to take a look but oil pan WILL NOT clear the bellhousing and left front I beam. I put a jack on harmonic balancer to raise engine hoping oil pan will come out but still not enough clearance,,,just about ready to grind some off the driver side I beam so pan can clear
Should I be doing something different,,,,? I'm kinda leery bout raising engine any more,,,as it is in a pretty good bind,,,

Can somebody PLEASE give me a little guidance on this ,,,,,
 


adsm08

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I have one question that I think stabs to the heart of this whole matter.

If the engine is locked up, why is it still in the truck?


Now for some follow up questions.

What are you hoping to see when you get the oil pan off?

Do you think that you are going to find something wrong that you can free up down there that will then allow you to start driving it?

Have you tried taking the spark plugs out?

Have you tried backing the trans off a little, and/or loosening the trans mount? Either of those can get you a surprising amount of extra free play.
 

Ilike55s2

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Jeeeze Guy,,,lighten up a little, would you,,?? I was just trying to give the basics of the status with this trk and really hoping for some suggestions from those who have done this before. It's too bad I caught you at a bad time.
Thanks anyway.
 

adsm08

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No, those were all serious questions.

90% of the time a locked up engine is either something in the cylinder that won't compress, like water, fuel, or coolant, or a bent rod.

If the spark plugs are out a hydro-locked engine is no longer locked and can spin. If it doesn't then you more than likely have a bent rod, or possibly a wiped crank. You might see a bent rod, if the piston is low in the stroke, but if it's up high that will be hard to see. Trying to crank it while hydro-locked also usually bends a rod.

A wiped crank can be seen with the pan off if you pull caps, but if that (or a rod) is suspected then going to the trouble of getting the pan out with the engine in is wasted effort because it has to come out anyway. Also, a wiped crank will usually, but not always, turn backwards a little bit.

A locked up trans can cause the engine to not turn, and will become apparent rather quickly once the trans is removed, or even just backed out far enough for the torque converter to disengage from the pump.

Also, the 3.0 pan is a stupid design and a tight tight fit to the vehicle, as you have seen. It is very hard to get it out with the engine in since that wasn't really something the designers had in mind.


So since your hurt feelings seem to need everything explained I'll take the time.

Taking the spark plugs out will get it moving if an incomprehensible object or substance is in a cylinder.

Barring that there is a better than 95% chance that your locked up engine needs replaced or rebuilt, so removing the oil pan that wasn't designed to be removed in the vehicle, while the engine is in the vehicle, is wasted time and frustration. Additionally, anything you might see once the pan is off ( I genuinely wanted to know what you were looking for on the bottom end to see if I could advise on a better way to get a look) that would be related to this lock up is going to be an engine out repair anyway.

Some engines actually have to have the trans backed off a bit to allow the pan to come out.


I'm sorry that my being direct in asking technical and diagnostic questions trying to understand your situation, thought process, and what you have actually tried to get the engine moving was too mean for you. I don't generally come around here to coddle feelings, I come to try and help people fix vehicles.
 

Craig0320

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adsm is and has been very helpful. Sometimes it is hard to tell a persons tone over the internet. He means well and is not being snippy towards you. I promise. On a side note I have seen a few engines with water in one cylinder and was locked up tight. Pulled the plugs spun it over and started repairing the reason water was in there in the first place.
 

adsm08

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adsm is and has been very helpful. Sometimes it is hard to tell a persons tone over the internet. He means well and is not being snippy towards you. I promise. On a side note I have seen a few engines with water in one cylinder and was locked up tight. Pulled the plugs spun it over and started repairing the reason water was in there in the first place.
Thank you Craig.

It is rarely, but not never, my intention to be rude or mean, but when it is I try to make it obvious.

It is hard to pick up tone and intent over text, since there is no inflection, and I have to ask the stupid questions because I don't know what the other guy does and doesn't know. It makes it hard to help to a meaningful degree without collecting a lot of background info and asking a bunch of extra questions about why something is being done a certain way.
 

Craig0320

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Your welcome.
 

Ilike55s2

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OK,ADSM,,my bad, I guess I'm so pissed bout the locked up engine as I traded work for the trk as the PO told me he stopped it at home, came out 3 hours later and it would not "start" so, he figured fuel pump,,,,but he never said "Would Not Crank" which is miles from "will not start".
I did drain bout a quart of antifreeze from oil pan and the oil was very clean. Overall the trk is very clean and tailpipe has NO sign of oil burning and is a dull grey color which I've always considered a good sign of no oil burning, which is why I did the trade. Engine is also exceptionally clean.
Spark plugs are out and still no turn,,??
I'm hoping I can find problem by removing pan and maybe a quickie repair but do plan to pull engine if damage too extreme for in car repair.
I DO APPRECIATE your input :beer:
 

adsm08

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It's all good man, I understand being upset over a situation and lashing out at everything. Been there, done that, have the wrench stuck in a cinder block wall to prove it.

If you got a bunch of coolant out of the oil you probably had a cylinder that was full of it. He probably did drive it home, shut it down and then the cylinder filled over night. Then in the morning he tried to crank it not having any idea it was hydro-locked and bent a rod with the starter. I have seen it happen many times on 4.6 and 5.4 engine when they were having issues with the fuel injectors leaking. Sometimes it would happen in the time it took to gas up the truck.

Honestly, I'd just stop with the oil pan and yank the engine now, because with the new info I'm revising my estimate of the need for an out of vehicle repair upwards closer to 99%.
 

Ilike55s2

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OK,,Thanks for understandin Guy. I did not get anything done on the Ranger today as I had to take the wife to clinic for her monthly check-up. She had a stroke bout 2 years ago and cannot maneuver by herself,,so I'm chauefer, cook, dishwasher and maid and,,,and,,,all of it unpaid,,,!!!!!LOL
I was mistaken as a buddy was helpin me and I asked him to help pull plugs on pass side but he did not get to em,,cause of all the BS he was putting out. The driver side plugs are out but now I'm thinkin,,with the water in oil pan, one of the passenger side cylinders may just be full of water,,,???I did try a 18" pipe wrench on harmonic balancer both ways and I could not budge it at all,,even with my 240# on the wrench. Guess I'll pull the plugs first thing and see if it will turn to run a compression test to check for blown head gasket,,or,,gulp,,cracked head.
Do these 3.0 engines have history of busted heads/ blown head gaskets,,??
Dang,,my fingers are sore from doin a kings X,,,,,
 

Craig0320

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I'll bet money one or more of those cylinders is full of water on the pass side. I would drain it out inspect the cylinder and squirt little oil in it .Pull the thermostat out top the radiator off and If the leak is bad enough it will fill the cylinder with water without even running. If it does not I would try and crank and allow it to warm up a few minutes to see if any knocks or internal noises pop up. I have used this method many times. Just be sure water is not pouring in the cylinder first you do not want a bent rod. You do not have to use this method if you are uncomfortable with it.
 

Ilike55s2

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Hey Craig,,,Ya see,,,I do got the cart before the horse,,cause I was well on the way to removing the oil pan and tryin to lift engine to get pan to clear the left I Beam. The one good thing to that is the engine had only one oil leak and it was at the rear main area of oil pan. When I got the last bolt off pan,,,the dang pan gasket literally fell off the pan in several pieces almost like it had been installed in 2" long cut pieces,,,really weird.
I agree with your plan of attack,, as we got to locate where the water is getting into the oil pan. I'm gonna take a quick look at the rods/ mains, since I now got to remove pan to replace gasket and see if any signs of them getting hot, OR,,Gulp bent rod(s),,then if OK,,get the oil pan lashed up, run a compression check before adding water.
Hopin to have better news this PM,,,,
 

Ilike55s2

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Well,,lookin like I got a BFP,,,! Got 3 plugs off pass side and,,,,no water in cylinders,,CHIT,,!! Oil pan is fightin me all the way and not off yet.
Gonna have to pull engine WITH torque convertor hangin to flywheel as cannot get to convertor bolts. Sure didn't want to do that and make one heck of a big mess out of convertor,,!! Jeeeze,,what a CF,,,,,,
Anybody got a magic wand,??
Maybe better news in a couple, three days. Wish me luck,,,,,,
 

Craig0320

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I am pretty sure that 3.0 is a non interference engine. Meaning if the timing chain breaks the pistons wont hit the valves and really tear stuff up.That being said it probably spun a bearing or threw a rod. A last resort you could try is pouring some oil down each one of the cylinders and try to free the rings up if they are stuck. It only takes one cylinder. My buddy did that to a froze up 350 and let it sit for three days. He went out on the third day and put a breaker bar on it and it popped loose. Good luck and keep us updated.
 
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Ilike55s2

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Well,,finally got the pan off,,,and like ADSM did with his wrench,,the friggin oil pan may as well be stuck thru the wall cause it won't ever be used as an oil pan no more,,,!! least of my worries long about now. LOL.
What I figured,, is #1 and # 4 rod caps didn't get any oil,,!! but even after removing the rod caps,,I could NOT push the pistons up to clear the crankshaft. Was tryin to get engine to turn over to keep from pullin torque convertor WITH the engine as engine still will not turn over. Dang,, hate to make a BFM with all the oil in the convertor,,,,,,
Question for the GURUs,,,depending how bad this engine is as far as repairs/ overhaul,,,I have located a 3.0 out of a 1996 Ranger that was rolled and in good shape with 86,560 miles,,looks to be identical as far as the upper plenum and everything up top. It also is an automatic,,like mine. Anybody know for sure if it will work with my ECM,,??
 

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