Engine locked on start. Need help! First Porsche ever, new owner.
10-25-2016, 12:36 PM
#32
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Ok update finally here:
Starter suffered a complete failure. It jammed the flywheel. Fortunately I kept the old starter rather than get the core charge. So, I disassembled and greased the old starter, removed the failed starter, inspected the flywheel for any damage and reinstalled the old one. Started and runs fine. Thanks for all the great tips and help!
Starter suffered a complete failure. It jammed the flywheel. Fortunately I kept the old starter rather than get the core charge. So, I disassembled and greased the old starter, removed the failed starter, inspected the flywheel for any damage and reinstalled the old one. Started and runs fine. Thanks for all the great tips and help!
10-25-2016, 12:38 PM
#33
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More than likely the old starter was not at fault for the original problem mis-diagnosis. Might as well use it as it's a known good working part. The new starter he bought only lasted a short time, which is consistent with the bathtub curve of infant mortality failures.
10-25-2016, 12:42 PM
#34
Race Director
Sometimes the thing that quacks like a duck and looks like a duck is not in fact a hydrolocked motor with piston/valve interference. Congrats, OP.
10-25-2016, 01:14 PM
#35
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10-25-2016, 01:49 PM
#36
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1999 996 Carrera with 6 speed. Owned car for less than a month, first Porsche ever. Many recent upgrades and low miles on fresh built engine.
Started and drove car early this morning. Starter was weak when I purchased car 4 weeks ago. Just replaced starter 1 week ago with reman unit. Better but still hard to start when warm. Occasionally have to roll start it when warm. No smoke, no sounds, no problems. Oil good and clean. Freshly built engine with many upgrades.
Went to crank car to go to work after having driven it to gym. Very sluggish turn over which it has been doing while warm. Cranked for maybe 2 revolutions, didn't catch, heard a pop sound and everything locked up. Tried to roll start it and it just slid the rear tires when I popped the clutch in 2nd, did not spin engine. Starter does nothing, doesn't move the engine. Nothing moving. Is it possible that there was a bad starter failure that locked up engine? Again, this is a low miles (less than 10k), fresh engine from UFO motorsports. New upgraded bearings and many other upgrades including new 3.6L crank, over bore Nickies cyl, JE pistons, upgraded valve springs and head work plus many others. Please help!
Started and drove car early this morning. Starter was weak when I purchased car 4 weeks ago. Just replaced starter 1 week ago with reman unit. Better but still hard to start when warm. Occasionally have to roll start it when warm. No smoke, no sounds, no problems. Oil good and clean. Freshly built engine with many upgrades.
Went to crank car to go to work after having driven it to gym. Very sluggish turn over which it has been doing while warm. Cranked for maybe 2 revolutions, didn't catch, heard a pop sound and everything locked up. Tried to roll start it and it just slid the rear tires when I popped the clutch in 2nd, did not spin engine. Starter does nothing, doesn't move the engine. Nothing moving. Is it possible that there was a bad starter failure that locked up engine? Again, this is a low miles (less than 10k), fresh engine from UFO motorsports. New upgraded bearings and many other upgrades including new 3.6L crank, over bore Nickies cyl, JE pistons, upgraded valve springs and head work plus many others. Please help!
10-25-2016, 02:00 PM
#37
Race Director
I think he did this to confirm that the issue was the starter and not a hydrolocked/grenaded/otherwise totally blown engine as some of our forum mates suggested.
10-25-2016, 02:02 PM
#38
Rennlist Member
Awesome news! 
10-25-2016, 02:12 PM
#39
Awesome news indeed and congrats to the OP!
BTW, that's why I never trust rebuilt starters and alternators, even from Bosch, both from first hand experience and from reading horror stories on the internet.
BTW, that's why I never trust rebuilt starters and alternators, even from Bosch, both from first hand experience and from reading horror stories on the internet.
10-25-2016, 03:39 PM
#40
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10-25-2016, 03:44 PM
#41
Race Director
...and I was going to let that one go - but you're right, a Gaussian curve and a bathtub curve are inconsistent; I'm not sure what Tony's point was. Unless his point was just to throw in some cool vocabulary to church up his posts and sound more credible. If that's the case, Tony, you can use Occam's Razor as necessary - I'm done with it for a while.
10-25-2016, 03:51 PM
#42
Observation: Many years ago when I worked as a railroad electrician there was this propensity to over-complicate troubleshooting. It led many on a "merry-go-round" of checking, rechecking, changing, rechecking, assuming the worst, repeat...etc. I have found, as some said above, check what was done prior to failure, especially if it involved rebuilt/questionable parts. Might just be the easiest answer that fixes the problem. It's not always a catastrophic cause. Says the guy who is starting to hear a knocking on the passenger side in the engine area! Oh well.
10-25-2016, 04:05 PM
#43
Rennlist Member
Observation: Many years ago when I worked as a railroad electrician there was this propensity to over-complicate troubleshooting. It led many on a "merry-go-round" of checking, rechecking, changing, rechecking, assuming the worst, repeat...etc. I have found, as some said above, check what was done prior to failure, especially if it involved rebuilt/questionable parts. Might just be the easiest answer that fixes the problem. It's not always a catastrophic cause. Says the guy who is starting to hear a knocking on the passenger side in the engine area! Oh well.
10-25-2016, 05:01 PM
#45
True for some! I lasted three years as a wire twister and moved into management(non-union) for the remaining 32 years of my career. I had fun showing up some of the older-more experienced guys. Guess I had some pride in my work and the union never did anything for me except collect dues! My Dad told me the best troubleshooting tools you have are your eyes, ears and nose. He was right so many times!
Last edited by wildbilly32; 10-25-2016 at 05:03 PM. Reason: Added more "rant"...