engine trouble

2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU
154,450 MILES • 6 CYL • FWD • AUTOMATIC
Avatar
RAYGONZALESJR
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
MY CAR ENGINE FROZE UP AND I WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING I CAN DO TO FREE IT UP
Aug 15, 2011 at 5:11 PM
Advertisement
Avatar
CARADIODOC
  • CERTIFIED EXPERT
  • 34,308 POSTS
What's the history? It's summer so should it shouldn't have frozen. If it ran out of oil and seized up, it's better to look for a good used engine. If a connecting rod broke and jammed the crankshaft, those parts will need to be replaced. With all the disassembly required, you might as well rebuild the entire engine or replace it. If it simply sat for a long time, the piston rings are rusted to the cylinder walls. Remove the spark plugs and pour a couple of tablespoons of diesel fuel in them and let it sit a few days. If the timing belt broke and you can't turn the crankshaft by hand, it is likely an "interference" engine and one of the pistons is hitting an open valve. The cylinder heads will have to be removed to replace the bent valves, and a new timing belt will be needed. I don't know if this really is an interference engine or not.
Aug 15, 2011 at 8:01 PM