1996 850 Turbo Is my engine seized..?

Shawn Stanford · Post by **Shawn Stanford** » 03 Oct 2013, 14:00

Okay, so, I'm thinking my engine is seized...

Something over 150k on the clock (odo died at 124 years ago). Known bad headgasket, probably since I got it (it was given to me). I drove it for a year and put at least 12k-15k on it before parking it. The gasket was absolutely bad when I did: it blew smoke, it went through coolant and there was cafe mocha on the dipstick. It's been sitting since March except for two short drives (<10miles) about four months ago.

I pulled it into the garage, put it on stands and flushed out the cooling system intending to Bars-Leak it (I know, but it's a beater and my daughter turns 15 in a few weeks). After flushing the system, it refused to start. It turned over a few times, caught a couple times, then stopped.

Now, when I turn the key I get lights and a fuel pump, but it won't turn over. It goes 'thunk'. I thought it might be a bad starter. But rather than pull everything apart and find out I was wrong, I put the car in 'neutral', got my breaker bar and a 30mm socket, and tried to hand crank it. It was unbelievably stiff! I literally had to push it with my leg, holding the front of the car for leverage. After it went through about a quarter turn, it got easier. So, I buttoned everything up and tried to start it again.

It cranked over a few times (four?) and then 'thunk'. I tried to hand crank it again and no dice. I used everything I had and it's not moving. I poked around on the site and found that while it shouldn't be easy to turn, it sure shouldn't be this hard!

So... Time to have it towed?

Post by **jblackburn** » 03 Oct 2013, 15:49

It probably looks like this inside that motor.

Sat in the garage 20 years with a blown HG.

She's dead.

You could always do an engine transplant if you wanted to give the car to your daughter - there are plenty of these cars out there in junkyards with perfectly good motors.

Shawn Stanford · Post by **Shawn Stanford** » 03 Oct 2013, 16:02

Okay, so it looks like a motor goes for about $400 on eBay.

Two questions:

How difficult to replace?

Can I put a normal 850 motor in place of the turbo motor?

Post by **jblackburn** » 03 Oct 2013, 16:10

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... =1&t=28973

^That should answer most of what you need to know about removing/reinstalling it. It seems more like a matter of having the right tools and being prepared than being an automotive genius.

The 2.4 NA and 2.3 Turbo are not easily interchangeable. A 1994-1998 2.3L turbo will fit your car.

Post by **Ozark Lee** » 03 Oct 2013, 16:18

Shawn Stanford wrote:Can I put a normal 850 motor in place of the turbo motor?

Life is much easier if you replace like for like. If you have a 2.3 now then put a 2.3 back in. Trying to put a 2.4 in a turbo, and leaving the turbo, will blow up the replacement engine. The 2.4 can't handle the boost due to its high compression ratio.

If you put in a 2.4 and remove the turbo then you need the NA exhaust, ECU, and the vacuum plumbing is different.

The street price for used engines isn't very different between the turbo and the NA engines, it is just a matter of what happens to be available at the time you are looking for it. It always seems if I need a turbo engine there are lots of NA engines and if I need a NA engine the local sources have a gob of turbo engines to choose from.

They aren't that tough to change out if you have an engine hoist and it is even easier if you have a lift and you can drop it out from the bottom. I pull the engine and the transmission together.

...Lee

Shawn Stanford · Post by **Shawn Stanford** » 03 Oct 2013, 16:31

Okay, just trying to keep track of what the options and parameters are.

Thanks!

chashiubow · Post by **chashiubow** » 03 Oct 2013, 21:44

I was lucky, found a donor 850 turbo for $400.00. Currently doing the engine/transmission transplant.

Post by **MoVolvos** » 04 Oct 2013, 00:50

Shawn Stanford wrote:
It's been sitting since March except for two short drives (<10miles) about four months ago.

I pulled it into the garage, put it on stands and flushed out the cooling system... After flushing the system, it refused to start. It turned over a few times, caught a couple times, then stopped.

After it went through about a quarter turn, it got easier. So, I buttoned everything up and tried to start it again.

It cranked over a few times (four?) and then 'thunk'. I tried to hand crank it again and no dice. I used everything I had and it's not moving. I poked around on the site and found that while it shouldn't be easy to turn, it sure shouldn't be this hard!

So... Time to have it towed?

**

You did say you pulled (drove) it in for Flushing and then would not start after Flushing? Pull the Spark Plugs and use a Turkey Baster with a tube attached to see if you can pull water out of any of the cylinders. It maybe filled with water and not allowing the piston to move. If there is water just drain the Coolant and pull the Spark Plugs and add 1 oz of Transmission oil or Diesel fuel and let it sit for a day. Try to turn it both ways to see if you can loosen it up. It has not sat that long.

Blessings,

BKM

**

Shawn Stanford · Post by **Shawn Stanford** » 04 Oct 2013, 03:35

OK, but why would the cylinder be full of water?

Post by **MoVolvos** » 04 Oct 2013, 12:02

Shawn Stanford wrote:OK, but why would the cylinder be full of water?

Drawn in during cranking and or flushed in during Coolant Flush if the leak is that bad. Did you drive it in to do the flush? Do not use the Bars Leak. Had a 95 Grand Voyager with head gasket problem. The mechanic used Bars Leak on every one of their head gasket repairs and it clogged the radiator core. Said it was like that when I brought it into the shop and would be $500 to replace it. It was their way of making sure their potential sloppy work on the head gasket was covered. Timing was off one tooth when I picked up the Van and took a week in their shop. Gas fumes and said it was my injectors wanted $500 and turned out to be a fuel line they did not tighten down. Took 2 weeks for me to track it down.

Blessings,

BKM

**