, This Led up to it,(240SX) won't Start

[phil_z_purrfanity]

first heater use of year, slid lever to hot but no warm air even though running time was sufficient for warm air to be present

strange tick tick tick, rattling noise while accelerating happens a couple times

after 4-5 hours of on and off driving cars temp gauge shows HOT/HOT so after letting it cool down I refill radiator which was completely empty.

going to mechanic ticking noise increases to non-stop, temp gauge reads normal but upon exiting freeway(car filled with water 5min prior to this) car dies on offramp and is once again out of water.

This time after sufficient cooling time 1/2 hour or so, I filled it with water but it won't start

It sounds like someone with asthma trying to cough something upcraaaaaank,craaaank craaaaaayyyynnnnnnnnnnnnnnnuuuuurrrrr

Do you think I've ruined my engine? Whats all this indicative of?Thank you for any and all:help

[NISTECH]

it sounds like your saying engine was cranking normal speed then abrupty stopped during a revolution. if this is the case I would say you hydro locked. these 240's are pretty well known for being hard to purge air from the cooling system. the lack of heat from the heater indicates it had a huge air pocket. Did you just prior to your problem have any cooling system work done? if so i would say the system was not purged properly.

Now the end result is, if you car did sieze during cranking as I described and it did hydro lock, you have most likely blown your head gasket or quite possible cracked the head. the ticking was most likley lifters due to the over heat condition(oil became very thin and foamy cause lifters not to pump up properly).

[phil_z_purrfanity]

I appreciate your answer. We'll see this qfternoon when it gets towed to the mechanic. It didn't actually , well...it's had a recurrent problem of dying at the end of decelleration wherby I took to putting it in neutral and using the brake instead of gradual slowing and letting off gas....so when it died last night it was at a stop ...thanks

[phil_z_purrfanity]

I appreciate your answer. We'll see this qfternoon when it gets towed to the mechanic. It didn't actually , well...it's had a recurrent problem of dying at the end of decelleration wherby I took to putting it in neutral and using the brake instead of gradual slowing and letting off gas....so when it died last night it was at a stop ...thanks...water is visably leaking from the water pump now

[Nismo_Freak]

it sounds like your saying engine was cranking normal speed then abrupty stopped during a revolution. if this is the case I would say you hydro locked. these 240's are pretty well known for being hard to purge air from the cooling system. the lack of heat from the heater indicates it had a huge air pocket. Did you just prior to your problem have any cooling system work done? if so i would say the system was not purged properly.

Now the end result is, if you car did sieze during cranking as I described and it did hydro lock, you have most likely blown your head gasket or quite possible cracked the head. the ticking was most likley lifters due to the over heat condition(oil became very thin and foamy cause lifters not to pump up properly).

His model 240 has solid flat tappet lifters, not hydraulic... so I don't see how they would be affected by the oil thinning.

[NISTECH]

then in that case it was most likely NOT the lifters... maybe tensioner lost pressure and it was chain noise???

[phil_z_purrfanity]

Thanks for the insightful info re. my initial questions.

Now it is official, cracked head............

I have check at the Car-Parts.com site for both a head and a complete engine.

From my service manual I see that the ideal compression for this motor was between 151-179psi with a maximum variance between cylinders of 14psi.

The car parts website has heads going from $175-$350, which is very reasonable in comparison to what the mechanic was guesstimating, he's a Volvo guy, so I don't think I'll have him do the work in any event.

The car-parts.com also has complete engines from $400 up to I'd suppose a grand or more , anyway some list properties such as OD, ST, RWD, FI.....so I'm assuming that there are parameters within which certain engines for certain models are interchangeable. So to my Questions, and I appreciate the opportunity to pick your so comprehensively informed brains!

1. Is there a resource online where I can enter my vin# and get the true specifics of my engine?

2. Are AT and ST not interchangeable assuming I retain the AT I now have?

3. Will a ST and accompanying transmission go into my car w/o complicated modifications?

4. What are the tests I should ask be performed to check the conidtion of a used cylinder head(not rebuilt, but from a wrecker)

5. What are the test I should expect to have been performed to check the condition of an engine from a wrecker? And what are the optimum and indicative of a "pass on that one" results of those tests?

I guess that's all. It is a wonder that you guys are here, thanks~ :bowdown:) :bowdown :bowdown :bowdown :bowdown :bowdown :bowdown :bowdown

[NISTECH]

for engine complete: if you go with a wreaker engine you want a leak down test performed not a compression test. more then 10 % leak down is to much.

OD=over driveRWD=rear wheel driveFI=feul injectedST=standard transAT= auto trans

You should be able to tell all these things visually by looking at your car.

to change from auto to manual you will need to change a harness or 2 add a clutchpedal ,clutch master ,hydro lines,and slave cyl . there are write ups on this that was to just name a few.