The engine might be toast or it may need a head.
Will towing an automatic in drive turn the motor?
- Thread starter Insight
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JHZR2
Staff member
Pull the plugs and crank it with them out. That should significantly reduce the load and let you see what is the issue. Agree with spraying a bit of mmo or something down there.
Confirm good connection with the battery and especially the ground for the starter. Sitting very long the ground may be rusted up. Giving enough to energize the starter but not enough to make it kick in.
indeed. The Chevy power glide would do it, each and every time.
the only risk with newer transmissions is spinning all the innards if it goes on a LONG time without lubrication for whatever is turning. An in-town tow shouldnt be an issue at all. RV’ers like vehicles such as jeeps with a t-case specifically for dropping to N and not spinning the transmission.
Only if it's equipped with a 1960's powerglide transmission.
Did you remove or cut the belt?
Maybe an accessory is seized
Yes, the belt/tensioner can have enough grip to lock an engine with a seized WP/PS pump/alternator
Maybe an accessory is seized
Yes, the belt/tensioner can have enough grip to lock an engine with a seized WP/PS pump/alternator
Remove spark plugs and fuel pump fuse, put a 50/50 mix of acetone and atf down each cylinder. Only an ounce or two. Cover holes with paper towels and wait a good night. Try and turn it over with no plugs in the morning. If still nothing repeat, and rotate the crank manually until free. Rotate with starter until all fluid is expelled. Then reinstall spark plugs and fuel pump fuse and see if it starts.
Wrong.
Later Powerglides didn't have rear oil pumps, '68 & later IIRC
I got a surplus XJ Cherokee from my work that had a locked up alternator.
It would crank and catch but one had to keep their foot on the gas to keep it running. The noise of the belt complaining was unreal.
I eventually put a breaker bar on the big ole alternator nut and got it freed up. Vehicle had been sitting and something in the alt (brush?) seized up. Incredibly, the alternator worked after this, and after a few minutes it stopped making noise.
I'm on board with the idea that it's the starter. Pull it, test it with jumper cables. If there's corrosion inside, brushes stuck to something, spinning it without load might just clear it out and get it working again.
Automatics had to be "Tow Started"......It's was a silly feature even for it's time.
All that is necessary is to get the vehicle speed to 35 MPH. We used to coast my buddies corvair van to that speed to start it.
I pushed many to start them, only towed a few. Does not have to be "TOW STARTED". Just the correct speed.
I would love to see someone push start a Powerglide on flat ground.
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The first thing you'll need to do is get a wrench on the harmonic balancer, or even an accessory, and put tension on the belt to see if the engine turns over. If it does then you have your answer... it's either a bad starter, or bad wiring. If it doesn't, it's either a frozen accessory or frozen motor. You need to start at the source first (the engine), and work your way back. If you have to pull some radiator shrouds etc then so be it. There's not always an "easy cheat" to get these things done... you either have to do it right, or your friend has to pay someone to do it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
And unless it was parked with a bad engine, or the hood off and air filter housing completely removed/plugs removed etc, I highly doubt the engine's frozen in one year outside.
That's nothing. I just recently started 2 vehicles that sat for eight years, and they pretty much started up like they ran yesterday (fuel injected). I helped my dad start up some antique vehicles that hadn't been started in 40 to 50 years... we just pulled the plugs and added some MMO to preserve the bores and pistons/rings, cranked them by hand, then cranked them with the starter/no spark to build up oil pressure... and started them
I do need to add all the above vehicles were garaged though... and were all parked running fine.
I've had multiple vehicles in the family that have sat for over a year outside, and when I stuck the battery in I was maintaining in the garage, they fired right up and were put into daily driver duties.
The 8 year old starts I mentioned above started up and were driven on the full tanks of 8 year old gas... as daily drivers like I said. Even the antiques didn't get the tanks drained, they just got fresh gas and started up to be sold at auction.
It always surprises me how folks figure a good running car can sit for a year and all of a sudden need a full restoration to be drivable again
People will buy a brand new vehicle that's been sitting on a lot for well over a year and not think twice about it.... even when the dealership has to charge the completely dead battery just to start it
And unless it was parked with a bad engine, or the hood off and air filter housing completely removed/plugs removed etc, I highly doubt the engine's frozen in one year outside.
That's nothing. I just recently started 2 vehicles that sat for eight years, and they pretty much started up like they ran yesterday (fuel injected). I helped my dad start up some antique vehicles that hadn't been started in 40 to 50 years... we just pulled the plugs and added some MMO to preserve the bores and pistons/rings, cranked them by hand, then cranked them with the starter/no spark to build up oil pressure... and started them
I do need to add all the above vehicles were garaged though... and were all parked running fine.
I've had multiple vehicles in the family that have sat for over a year outside, and when I stuck the battery in I was maintaining in the garage, they fired right up and were put into daily driver duties.
The 8 year old starts I mentioned above started up and were driven on the full tanks of 8 year old gas... as daily drivers like I said. Even the antiques didn't get the tanks drained, they just got fresh gas and started up to be sold at auction.
It always surprises me how folks figure a good running car can sit for a year and all of a sudden need a full restoration to be drivable again
People will buy a brand new vehicle that's been sitting on a lot for well over a year and not think twice about it.... even when the dealership has to charge the completely dead battery just to start it
Years ago had a friend with an '05-ish Escape that wouldn't crank. Turned out the a/c compressor seized (and apparently the clutch, too?).
But yeah, depending upon belt routing, condition of tensioner, state of charge, starter gear reduction and other variables a frozen accessory certainly can stop a starter from even cranking.
But yeah, depending upon belt routing, condition of tensioner, state of charge, starter gear reduction and other variables a frozen accessory certainly can stop a starter from even cranking.
Did he tell you why it was parked? Unless it had the HG go or it ran without oil. it shouldn't be seized.
Does The Canyon have the 4 the 5 or the V8?
When you say there is no room, I am guessing the 5. Usually you are able to get a breaker bar on the pulley from underneath to turn the engine, easier if if you get it up on some jack stands.
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our 57 with the 283 needed to be rolling 20-25 to get it. We lived in a hilly town and on a steep hill ourselves, so usually gravity was nicely available. obviously, man-powered push start was no, nuh-uh, no way. It’s hard enough to push start a motorcycle!
I used to notice kids or guys trying to push start manual trans cars and bikes and having a hard time. They were doing it wrong. You don't push start in first gear you push start in 3rd or top gear. First or second tries to spin the engine too fast ( 3.55:1 * 2.64:1 = 9.372)
So, on a wide ratio first gear T-10 with 3:55 rear gear, one rotation of the rear tire tries to spin the engine
almost 9-1/2 times! Put it in top gear that would reduce to 3-1/2 times - much easier to push or roll start.
- Ken
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