Help! Hydro locked engine!?

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Apr 13, 2012 | 06:10 PM

0verkill

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From: USA

Help! Hydro locked engine!?

I was out driving the other night and was going WOT and felt a vibration in the motor, then I saw a bunch of smoke behind me and the engine shut off completely. I tried to restart the car as I was still driving on the road and it didn't do anything at all. I checked the radiator and it lost a bunch of coolant and the oil dipstick shows 2 quarts over full (it's not over full of oil). It was smoking from the intake and radiator. So I believe it's hydro locked. There's no leaks anywhere.

Any ides on what broke?

Apr 13, 2012 | 06:21 PM

TransamGCS

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sounds like you blew a head gasket,

Apr 13, 2012 | 06:22 PM

trans_am7935

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From: Glen Burnie, MD

head gasket

Apr 13, 2012 | 06:59 PM

redsilv

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From: colorado

x3 head gasket

Apr 13, 2012 | 07:59 PM

tsquared38016

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If it is still locked, take out the plugs. You will probably drain some water out of at least one cylinder

Apr 13, 2012 | 08:01 PM

badazz81z28

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What the heck is hydro locked???

Apr 13, 2012 | 08:01 PM

BOBS99SS

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From: Elyria Ohio

x4 headgasket

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Apr 13, 2012 | 08:05 PM

01BlueSS1995

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From: Loganville, Georgia

hydrolock is where water gets in combustion chambers, since water is near impossible to compress, bad things normally happen, enough water and blocks have a tendency to go kaboom!

Apr 13, 2012 | 08:28 PM

#10

badazz81z28

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Seems like a term I have only heard here. I don't see why that couldnt happen to a trad SBC

Apr 13, 2012 | 09:37 PM

#11

88blackiroc

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I want a video of when you pull a spark plug! Haha
Seriously though im gonna go x2123 on head gasket.

Apr 13, 2012 | 09:41 PM

#12

I_Need_Land

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From: Lexington, KY

Quote:

Originally Posted by badazz81z28

Seems like a term I have only heard here. I don't see why that couldnt happen to a trad SBC

think how a 4 stroke engine works.

intake, compression, power, exhaust strokes...

water, non compressible...

water goes in the intake, or in this case a popped head gasket leaks water into a cylinder, when the piston comes up to the compression stroke, well.. 7 other cylinders are trying to force that water to compress - which isnt gonna happen, so naturally the rod tries to leave planet earth with a quickness.

as for the op, good luck, motor vibration? ill bet you've got one hell of a bent rod.

Apr 13, 2012 | 09:42 PM

#13

I_Need_Land

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From: Lexington, KY

heres a hydrolocked amg 6.3 engine i tore down last summer due to a failed injector sticking open.

Apr 13, 2012 | 09:43 PM

#14

I_Need_Land

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From: Lexington, KY

heres what it looks like on the topside, the piston in the back cylinder, the black line on the wall is where it was reaching top dead center, now look at the piston at tdc right in front of it..

this engine ran and had a slight knocking noise.

Apr 14, 2012 | 12:26 AM

#15

Syclone538

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LS1, from driving through water.

Apr 14, 2012 | 04:13 AM

#16

LS6

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From: Cherry Hill, New Jersey State

Scary and informative pictures

Apr 14, 2012 | 07:35 AM

#17

I_Need_Land

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From: Lexington, KY

hmm. funny i forgot about an ins engine i just did as well. lady said she drove through a big puddle and was coming out the other side when the engine died... i took the plugs out and couldnt rotate the engine over.. (again have to take the plugs out because you cant compress water)so anyways, found a rod broken and bent and jammed up into the balance shaft, obviously it windowed the block out the way out...