[kylem1987]

the car was fine when i got it. over a week it started to sputter, now at over quarter throttle it'll sputter and not have any power at all along with a rattle coming from top of motor above 2500 rpms. well the motor just locked up on me, wont turn over at all. when i turn the key the starter just clicks.

sputtering, no power, rattle noise, motor locked up. when i turn the key and keep clicking it though i can see the pulleys turn ever so slightly.

i dont know where to go from here, oil is spotless, pulled the valve covers and all the valves are in. the pulleys arent seized..

i dont know what to do!! any help greatly appreciated!

[futureMACH1racer]

Have you paid attention to your oil pressure gauge? Sounds like either the timing belt jumped, or your oil pump shattered like mine.

[kylem1987]

oil pressure is fine. has been during the sputtering and rattling. could a starter stop a motor like that and lock it ? it was a rattle/knock like a rod bearing. what happened was the car just cut out and locked up the rear. i started it back up and headed about another 50 feet and locked up again except this time it wouldnt turn over at all. i have no idea where to go or look. i'm about to just pull the heads off and take a look but i really don't want to if its something else elsewhere

[kylem1987]

anyone?

[HMUSN]

check for spark yet?

[acidtonic]

Double check your belt has all the ribs.....

Mine lost 1 rib cleanly and otherwise looked normal. It was ever so slightly wobbling left and right on the pulleys with each oscillation making a clinking/dinging sound.

New belt and things were fine. I had no locking issues but that could be your sound possibly before something worse happened.

Mine is a Rio Red 97 Cobra.... Sound came from the top driverside head, but was just the tensioner clinking each time the belt shifted.

I wish you luck man. Hopefully that helped.

[weems]

Try pulling all the spark plugs out and turning it over by hand.

[futureMACH1racer]

I think perhaps his timing chain jumped.

[spike spiegel]

Originally Posted by HMUSN check for spark yet?

+1

[kylem1987]

pulled all the plugs and all of them had white on the tip. running lean i guess? cant turn it over by hand. forward or back. the belt has all the ribs and the pulleys are all free.

but i turn the starter over and it just clicks. but everytime i turn it over the crank turns a fraction of a milimeter.

what i don't understand is why the back wheels locked up. i have a 5 speed and i was going about 20 when the motor stopped the 1st time and the back wheels locked up. started it back up and went another 20 feet and locked up for good.

i dont know i am really stumped!

[01GTstang]

Well seein as your rear wheels are locked up as well, did you think of checking for transmission problems? Have you tried turning over the rear wheels with the clutch disengaged? I'm not sure how it could affect the motor from turning over since you have to push the clutch in to start it but... Just an off the wall guess. But your problems could also have nothing at all to do with eachother.

[acidtonic]

Originally Posted by 01GTstang Well seein as your rear wheels are locked up as well, did you think of checking for transmission problems? Have you tried turning over the rear wheels with the clutch disengaged? I'm not sure how it could affect the motor from turning over since you have to push the clutch in to start it but... Just an off the wall guess. But your problems could also have nothing at all to do with eachother.

Good point. The clutch just has a sensor to detect when its engaged. Doesnt mean for sure the clutch really is engaged....

Another area to check I guess.

[Doc8224]

if you where in gear when it locked up the rear wheels it could be the motor locked up and that will lock up everthing from the crank pulley to the rear tires if it is in gear.

[kylem1987]

yeah. so it has to be something in the motor. but i don't see what would cause it. i know nothing about dohc's. in my old ls1, if this happened and i heard a rattle from the top of the motor i would think a lifter broke and fell down inside the motor/crank area and jammed up. is there anything in the valvetrain that could fall down into the motor other then valves?

[Doc8224]

no but if you dropped a valve and bent it in the open position it would turn one way or the other, because the piston would move away from the valve.

[Mustang RacR94]

if its running like crap, I dont think its anything to do with the starter, but i could be wrong. even if the clutch stayed fully engaged you can still start the car as long as you put the pedal down all the way, it will buck forward and move but it will start and drive, that wouldn't cause bucking either, check all your coil packs, but as FM1R said, if it doesn't start, if it just keeps trying to crank over, could a timing issue. did you ever replace the timing chain or any of the guides? that tapping could be one of the guides wore down and the chain is tapping the valve cover or something.

doesn't sound like a starter or anything like that to me. I know my friends ran like crap his 04 cobra, turned out to be dirty gas and bad fuel pumps, runs fine now, did you check that you have all your fuel pressure, maybe your fuel pump was taking a crap, usually doesn't do anything, but check the fuel filter to. start with the small stuff.

[futureMACH1racer]

Sounds to me like either the timing chain, broke or jumped. Which would result in a bent valve. or he dropped a valve.