Hello well i had a severe rod knock in my engine i managed to find another cavalier with a 2.4L I was ognna swap into my car but the problem is i cannot get it to start. When i turn over the ignition it just clicks. Ive tired 2 batteries still nothing. some facts are

1) the car has probably has been sitting awhile
2) i checked the fluids the oil still looked golden and was pretty full
3) when i keep trying to crank it the pos battery term. starts to smoke

So i heard tha i should try to crank the pulley to see if its locked up or not? how exactly do i do this? and if its not that is it the starter? Anyway do yoi guys have any suggetions on what else i should do?

You put a socket on the crank pulley, think its 18mm, not sure. You use a 1/2 breaker bar and try to turn the crank, if you cant turn it by hand the engine is seized up.




- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new

Rob S wrote:You put a socket on the crank pulley, think its 18mm, not sure. You use a 1/2 breaker bar and try to turn the crank, if you cant turn it by hand the engine is seized up.

if you can turn it and the engine is good....then try jumping the starter to the battery. the starter is under the intake manifold. see if the starter cranks over.....if it does then the engine and motor are fine..and its some wiring you did or somthing else.

if the starter fails to kick on, its the starter.



- Cameron (CaliforniaCavalier)
- www.csc-motorsports.com (my new NOR-CAL car club site!)

well like i said when i try to turn it over i get a clicking sound from the engine thats it then when i keep trying the pos. battery terminal smokes. so obviously the wiring is good. since it clicks correct? im going to try to turn the engine tomorow the first day i put a lil seafoam in all cylinders, crank case and a lil thru T/b. Anyway any more suggestions?

Jonathan shumacker wrote:well like i said when i try to turn it over i get a clicking sound from the engine thats it then when i keep trying the pos. battery terminal smokes. so obviously the wiring is good. since it clicks correct? im going to try to turn the engine tomorow the first day i put a lil seafoam in all cylinders, crank case and a lil thru T/b. Anyway any more suggestions?

I wouldnt put seafoam in there, but then again not my car.




- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new

why wouldnt you put seafoam in?

just a little bit of oil into each of the chambers should be sufficient.

the starter may still be hosed, even it it clicks the arm inside could be broken. This happened to one of my starters on my old bonneville. clicked fine, but thats about as much as it would do.


-Chris

well i believe its a 28mm-27mm nut? . i couldnt turn it today i didnt try too hard because i couldnt get much leverage even with a breaker bar i will try to jack it up and try it again. How hard should it be to turn?

Jonathan shumacker wrote:well i believe its a 28mm-27mm nut? . i couldnt turn it today i didnt try too hard because i couldnt get much leverage even with a breaker bar i will try to jack it up and try it again. How hard should it be to turn?

It shouldnt be to hard to turn. If you turn it like 1/4 turn or so and break out into a sweat and are using all your strenght, then the engine is most likely seized.




- 2004 Cavalier - 124k, owned since new