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Apparently engine was rattling, then died.

Bedwards

Bedwards

New member
Hey guys. I bought another Grand Prix! Yay for me. Anyways, here's the story:

It's a 1999 GT, which I am going to be top swapping, with a VS cam, headers, intake etc. I picked the car up for SUPER cheap, and the body and interior are in very good shape (compared to mine). However, the engine doesn't run. I never got a chance to try to fire it up either because the battery was dead. The guy said the engine was making a rattling noise, and then it died, and wouldn't run after that. I had to make my decision to buy the car or not because another guy was going to come buy it the next day if I didn't. So I took the risk.

Anyways, the guy told me he hada mechanic look at it, and tell him the lifters went on it. I pulled most of the top end of the engine today (besides the heads and LIM, as it got too dark outside). Wouldn't there be play in between the rocker arm and the cam if the lifters collapsed? Because I didn't feel any. Also, wouldn't the car still run with "failed" lifters? I just wanted to get some input, even though I haven't completed the tear down yet. Ideas flowing will help me sort this ouit quicker. Thanks!
 


running a lifter can make noise it it's not getting enough oil to pump it up. Have you tried turning the engine by hand?
 
If it doesn't move, that's a bad sign.

Since you tore it down, you can't fire it up and check oil pressure with it warm to determine if the bottom end is good or not. Your only way to know know is ensure it turns..if that works then build it and pray like a mofo.
 
I can hear it now, lol... Please don't knock please don't knock..... Been there done that. Good luck man!

Pull all the spark plugs out of the motor before trying to turn it by hand so you're not fighting the compression of the motor. That way you can get a good idea if it turns smoothly or not. Any binding and it's longblock time! That and if there is anything noticeably wrong with any of the plugs then it may have chucked a cylinder so look for damage to the plug tips as well.
 


If it were me, I wouldn't take the chance to build a motor that I'm not 100% runs. I would either pull the motor and tear it down to check everything over. Or get a good short block and build that.
 
The pushrods are also able to spin freely with the rockers torqued how they are. I loosed off the valve train and the engine is still refusing to turn. Should I pull the heads and see what's up? Is the short block done? What is causing this?
 
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Plugs were out ya. It almost feels as if something was jamming the flex plate. That's how abrupt it stops.
 
Worst case scenario, I replace the short block I guess. They are cheap. I bought the car for $600, so it's not the end of the world.
 
It may have broken something in the bottom end. Which gets jambed up and stops you from turning it. Glad you tried turning before you built it.
 


But the engine still wouldn't turn over with the valve train unbolted. So valves weren't hitting pistons.
 
oh i see what your saying. It was just a thought. Are you just gonna tear the engine down and see what you can figure out with it?
 
I doubt the timing chain broke. I would venture a guess and say that with it being a 99 GT that either the UIM failed or the LIM gaskets leaked and caused it to spin a bearing and lock up. It probably broke a piston. Time for either a shortblock or just get a whole GTP motor/trans/ECU/harness and swap it in.
 
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