97 Cutlass wont start

SAMDERIGGI

MEMBER
1997 OLDSMOBILE CUTLASS
6 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
155,000 MILES

Battery and starter/solenoid are good. Car makes click sound which I believe is the starter bendix drive sliding into place. A friend suggested that it may be hydrolocked and I should remove spark plugs and try to start the car. I took out the front 3 and tried to crank the engine. Nothing happened but the click noise. Someone else said that I should try to turn the crankshaft by hand with a wrench and breaker bar. I tried to turn the crankshaft clockwise (as I am facing the front with the pulleys and serpentine belt) and I could not turn it. The wrench broke. It will turn counterclockwise with little effort and I turned it only about 1/8 turn. Any ideas? Is there a sensor stopping the crankshaft from turning? BTW, the car was running very well when I parked it. The next morning it would not start.

Sunday, May 1st, 2011 AT 5:00 PM

3 Replies

MERLIN2021

MECHANIC
17,250 POSTS

Check for a broken torque plate ( flywheel)
did you repace the starter.

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Sunday, May 1st, 2011 AT 5:19 PM

SAMDERIGGI

MEMBER
2 POSTS

Starter was replaced. Any easy way to check a flywheel? Will the transmission need removed to check it?

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Sunday, May 1st, 2011 AT 6:51 PM

MERLIN2021

MECHANIC
17,250 POSTS

Pull strter and rotate fly wheel with either a large screwdriver, or a flywheel turner. If the starter was replaced, my money is on starter shims were not put back in! Remove the starter and buy a few shims and put them in before the starter. A jambed starter will produce all your symtoms.

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Monday, May 2nd, 2011 AT 10:53 PM