Hi Guys,

I need some help... I went out tonight (xmas eve) mobbin with a few friends and found some pretty huge puddles. Had fun throughout the session and on the way back I hit a same big puddle again and my truck made it half way through and sputtered to a stall and shut off. I tried starting it and it would just click. Had it towed a few more yards and tried again and nothing but clicks. Climbed under it and hit the starter a few times and cranked it with a flathead and tried again but no luck. Truck won't start for ****. Even hooked up jumpers and it almost turned but no luck, just went back to clicks. Had it towed finally at 1AM on xmas eve in the rain which sucked.

I gotta get up in the morning and take it apart. But I need your guy's advice on what to do. Do you think it's flooded? Do you think I should just take off all the spark plugs and sand paper em? Maybe start the truck with no plugs and maybe it will shoot out water?

I'll appreciate any help given by anyone!!!!
Thanks!!!

 

id say starter but i dunno

 

Try the no plugs trick. I had the same thing happen to me but luckily it started for me after some pedal action. Make sure to change the filter, oil, etc.

 

Clicking is from relays due to low voltage. You probably killed your starter which is creating a low voltage condition when you try to crank it over.

 

Pull the plugs before you try to crank it again! May have sucked some water in, better be safe than sorry.

 

Alright I'm going to pull all the plugs and clean them up and crank it over with the plugs out and see if I can get any water to shoot out. If it still don't work it's probably the starter?

I'll keep you all posted and thank you!
Merry Xmas!

 

pull plugs and crank all the water out the cylinders...new filter....oil change...change plugs.....check starter...check battery.....

 

Since you have that crappy K&N FIPK you might have splashed water on the filter.

 

UPDATE:

Took all spark plugs out and turned it over to get excess water and gas out. Dried them all off and reinstalled them. Cranked it over again with some starter fluid and it started right up but with a nice piston or rod knock to go with it. I guess my engine is SOL...

How hard is it to change out the rod/piston? Any thoughts?

 

That really sucks.

 

I'm pretty upset :(

 

New rod would require the engine to be out of the truck. I would swap something else in.

 

That's probably the best idea. That really sucks about your engine. Good luck.

 

time for a v8 swap!!!! or at least a 4.0

 

Damn are you serious? :( Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

I've been reading other threads and people are saying that they changed the oil and stuff and it seems to fix it. I'm not sure what kind of knock it is but it sounds like its lacking compression.

Dammit, I'm down for a 4.0 or a v8 but ****ttt not ready to swap it yet :(

 

Does your exhaust sound like it is missing?

I would swap in a 4.0 only because of the emissions laws.

 

I don't think the exhaust sounds like it's missing, it just sounds plugged under the hood. It sounds like a knocking noise but at the same time I don't know :(

 

record it and post it on here

 

I'm kinda scared to start it up again... you think it would be cool?

 

should be if it has water in it

 

x2, but youd have a hell of a time getting a 5.0 to pass ca smog since i dont think they made any after 01 or so.

 

lol ill start it up tomorrow and post it up.

Merry Xmas everyone. *sigh*

 

It's not cool starting it up, obviously, but the only way you can figure out what's wrong is to do so.

I'd start it up, take the vacuum lines off, and spray carb cleaner past them them. If it sounds like it's sputtering (or like a chopper blade), you might have a bent exhaust valve.

 

if you think the motor is allready trashed and plan on swaping something else in it, just run it. I had a 92 3.0 got some water sucked up the intake. Burned a quart of oil every time i filled the gas tank and had a little knock and a miss. drove it like that 80,xxx miles still ran strong, then I sold it. Probably still runs.

 

yup...sounds like worse case might be a reality. i for one held back on mentioning the worse case scenero.

i would still change oil...run seafoam or that motorcraft stuff through it...throw in new plugs...and see what happens.


Get yourself a compression tester to test each cylinders compression. draining your oil should reveal metal particles if a rod too a dump. you could possibly risk rotating assembly seizure if a rod is broke and you decide to run the engine...just a heads up.

how's that oil pan look? dents? holes? etc....hows the oil level?


3.0L's are cheap and everywhere pretty much. I'd get a new engine. I believe you posted 100k miles recently? might as well get a 50k unit or something for $500 and swap it yourself.







hot engine probably running hotter than normal...that engine hits cold cold water.....equals.......crackage.