37 replies to this topic

[mikeynphoto]

Hi Guys!

I am at my wits end here, I have a 91, 998 .. After slightly over heating on the way to work around a month and half ago, I parked it up and had it towed home while i was away working for another month, anyway, I got around to working on it last week...

I changed the Head Gasket, dropped the oil and changed that, put everything back together... now it turns over very slowly and wont start!... I am really confused!

I have tried various batteries, checking earth points, checked i have spark, fuel etc...also contact cleaned the starter motor too... I lubed up the cylinders with a bit of oil through spark plug holes after cleaning the insides out while the head was off...

today i tried loosening off the rockers to see if this would aid in faster turn over but alas,,NOPE!!!!

I am really stumped now, do you think that water may have damaged the piston rings or cylinders etc?...

Thanks in advance,

Mikey

[jsor26]

was there coolant in the oil?  pull the plugs turn it over by hand

[Anthony30]

Have you tested the voltage at the battery. You could also check the voltage at the starter. I would adjust the tappets, then you know that's done. You could test the starter motor off the car to see if that's at fault.

 

If, and that's a big if, It's something mechanical inside the engine stopping the engine from starting, I would say It's more likely to be the crankshaft, IMO. remove all the spark plugs, and turn the crankshaft using a spanner or ratchet/socket, if possible to test if the crankshaft is turning as it should be.

[mikeynphoto]

Thanks for the replies..

Yes there was coolant in the oil, it was a chocolate colour :/ yuck!... that is what prompted the head gasket change...

check voltage at the battery and starter as i crank it?...what would i be looking for?...

I started adjusting the tappets earlier but the heavens opened AGAIN! ... will finish it off while the battery is back on charge...

crankshaft is turning as should be, with plugs out it is pretty easy to turn by hand just on the fan blades etc...

I am contemplating trying a new starter motor,  I think testing the starter off the car on the bench wouldn't show me if it has the torque to turn the engine?..

cheers for helping lads... I have read all the other posts relating to slow cranking that i could find with the search function too,, 

Mikey

Edited by mikeynphoto, 10 January 2016 - 04:11 PM.

[sledgehammer]

after doing all the above - I would look for warm 12v main leads / earth getting hot

 

cranking for a while could have warmed up a terminal / weakened a connection

 

does it crank ok with the plugs out ?

Edited by sledgehammer, 10 January 2016 - 04:19 PM.

[mikeynphoto]

I have a big leisure battery i am using to jump the main battery just to save me recharging all the time... The jumper cables do get a little warm actually, 

with plugs out it cranks faster still not the normal cranking speed as it used to?...

 

[jsor26]

i would have to say battery is low from sitting or bad connection

[mikeynphoto]

tried three batteries Jsor, all fully charged and checked with electrical tester...

[jsor26]

run jumper cable from neg on battery to engine block to help bypass a bad neg connection, if that doesn't work bad pos connection or starter, providing motor is turning freely

[mikeynphoto]

thats worth a try.. cheers

[MrBounce]

Have you checked that your engine earth strap is properly connected? I had this problem with my old 25. I cleaned up the connections but also added a second earth strap. Made the world of difference.

 

Remember if your strap is not earthing correctly, the engine will find another earth, and this is likely to be your choke or accelerator cables first and foremost - not ideal as they may start melting...

[mikeynphoto]

I will double check it and also test the resistance.. but i did have this off to remove the main engine steady to rock the engine back to get the manifold off while changing the headgasket..

it is weird that the starter has been fine up until now. . never had a problem with it before, dont think sitting for a month would cause it to fail now?...

[Stevie W]

I will double check it and also test the resistance.. but i did have this off to remove the main engine steady to rock the engine back to get the manifold off while changing the headgasket..

it is weird that the starter has been fine up until now. . never had a problem with it before, dont think sitting for a month would cause it to fail now?...

I think you may have stumbled across the problem yourself reading the above. If you have an earth strap the runs from one end of the engine steady to the other, you may have a dirty connection.
The issue with an earth strap at this point is that it's difficult to get a good connection from the cable ring terminal to a good earth as there's paint on the bulkhead engine steady bracket and the bolt cannot clamp down hard on the ring terminal.

As advised above try another earth cable between the engine and bodyshell.

Cheers, Steve.

Edited by Stevie W, 10 January 2016 - 06:46 PM.

[ChopperHarris]

and just to point out, leisure batteries are not good for starting

[ChopperHarris]

 

I will double check it and also test the resistance.. but i did have this off to remove the main engine steady to rock the engine back to get the manifold off while changing the headgasket..

it is weird that the starter has been fine up until now. . never had a problem with it before, dont think sitting for a month would cause it to fail now?...

I think you may have stumbled across the problem yourself reading the above. If you have an earth strap the runs from one end of the engine steady to the other, you may have a dirty connection.
The issue with an earth strap at this point is that it's difficult to get a good connection from the cable ring terminal to a good earth as there's paint on the bulkhead engine steady bracket and the bolt cannot clamp down hard on the ring terminal.

As advised above try another earth cable between the engine and bodyshell.

Cheers, Steve.

 

or use a jump lead as a test