Hydraulic lock broke starter?

[6.2Frank]

Napa life-x starter put in in May; pulled yesterday w/cracked housing.
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While cranking last week the engine seemed to hit a brick wall and stop dead. When I 'hit' the starter again it didn't sound good and took all the batteries had to barely start. Driven normally a couple of times b4 pulling starter.
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Could an injector leak enough to fill a cyl. enuf to cause a hydraulic lock?
Could guides leak enough to fill a cyl. enuf?.. It sometimes smokes after starting, mostly in winter.
Could my early 6.2 heads be cracked and letting oil as above?
What else???
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How diagnose - cheaply?
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Tnx!!

[npauli]

Be glad it's just the starter that broke. My old F150 did the same thing and bent a conrod. Another reason diesels are better, I guess. Mine was coolant leaking through a bad intake manifold gasket.

How hard is it to get to glow plugs on these? (Sorry, I don't know jack about 6.5's). Diagnosis on gas engines involved access to cylinders through spark plug holes.

[DmaxMaverick]

If you were still able to crank, it isn't/wasn't hydro-locked. More likely, the starter was installed without the front support bracket, or a starter bolt broke/stripped (or the block is cracked at the starter bolt hole).

In regards to your other thread, if the starter requires shims, don't use it. It isn't a GM (or equivalent) starter (questionable country of origin), and will not likely give you good service. Lifetime warranties on starters are great, but will usually have you regularly replacing starters, for a lifetime.

[6.2Frank]

Be glad it's just the starter that broke. My old F150 did the same thing and bent a conrod. Another reason diesels are better, I guess. Mine was coolant leaking through a bad intake manifold gasket.

How hard is it to get to glow plugs on these? (Sorry, I don't know jack about 6.5's). Diagnosis on gas engines involved access to cylinders through spark plug holes.

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Glow plugs tiny diameter.

[6.2Frank]

If you were still able to crank, it isn't/wasn't hydro-locked. More likely, the starter was installed without the front support bracket, or a starter bolt broke/stripped (or the block is cracked at the starter bolt hole).

In regards to your other thread, if the starter requires shims, don't use it. It isn't a GM (or equivalent) starter (questionable country of origin), and will not likely give you good service. Lifetime warranties on starters are great, but will usually have you regularly replacing starters, for a lifetime.

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Has bracket. Bolt(s) not broken or stripped. All was tight as I installed it in May - except starter cast part cracked, I assume from hitting brick wall - engine stopping suddenly, and as above, starter sounds lousey and needs excessive battery energy to barely start truck - all at once after stopping w/a bang.. No cracks visible at around or between mount bolts in eng. block - w/out degrerasing. Engine stopped dead like it hit something while cranking - as above - loud and/or felt jolt. Partial hyd. lock? What???
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'Everybody' uses GM starters, and they don't use shims??
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Tnx!!

[john8662]

Sounds like it hydrolocked.

Are you losing coolant?

The guides can wear and cause issues with oil, but I haven't had one stop from it. I did have an engine that had bad guides that would sound like a nasty rod knock until the oil left the cylinders, kinda scary.

Usually if it's a stop situation, it's because of coolant, usually a gasket, and most likely on the end cylinders 1,7,2,8.

J

[6.2Frank]

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Has bracket. Bolt(s) not broken or stripped. All was tight as I installed it in May - except starter cast part cracked, I assume from hitting brick wall - engine stopping suddenly, and as above, starter sounds lousey and needs excessive battery energy to barely start truck - all at once after stopping w/a bang.. No cracks visible at around or between mount bolts in eng. block - w/out degrerasing. Engine stopped dead like it hit something while cranking - as above - loud and/or felt jolt. Partial hyd. lock? What???
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'Everybody' uses GM starters, and they don't use shims??
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Tnx!!


Added: Starter a Delco from Napa. Doesn't GM use Delco? Instructions w/both starters said check clearance. You don't check yours? Mine needed adjusting - if I understood and did correctly... . Other thread referred to above was an attempt to get help on that. New starter in & working, so guess I didn't get it too far wrong - but it worked for 5 months last x.
I did NOT understand at all last install, and that may have caused the problem - maybe I increased clearance to the point that teeth bound end to end - causing big bang when starter gave - dunno. You?? End 'Added'
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Tnx!!

[6.2Frank]

Sounds like it hydrolocked.

Are you losing coolant?

The guides can wear and cause issues with oil, but I haven't had one stop from it. I did have an engine that had bad guides that would sound like a nasty rod knock until the oil left the cylinders, kinda scary.

Usually if it's a stop situation, it's because of coolant, usually a gasket, and most likely on the end cylinders 1,7,2,8.

J
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Not loosing enuf oil or coolant unless it just started - or worsened. X will tell on that.
Thanks for helping me kick this around in my thick head!