Pa_Jero, you're going to need the title for the 95 if it's going bye-bye. Let me know first.

John B.

Ill let you know jbfp, maybe everybody should come take one last look before it goes.

Sounds good PAJ. I'll be here pretty much all week. Took vacation to spend a week with the kids before they go back to school, so we'll just be hanging around here mostly.

I was kicking around the idea of rebuilding Lloyds long block since it'll be laying around, let me know I can rebuild a block no problem and Lloyds block is already overbored <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />. We'll just have to wait until Kevin gets done with my engine stand.

Thanks for the offer for assistance Toasty. It's going to be a bit before I can get to this rebuild, and I need to start budgeting and researching to figure out how much this is going to cost me, so there is no rush until I get the funds together. Plus, I've gotta get the kids beds done so I have space to put the engine on a stand and start disassembling to figure out the extent of the damage and what I'm going to have to replace, so there really isn't a timeline for me to get this done. Work is just going to have to deal with me using my work truck for now.

If it just has bad bearings i know Tay is good at rolling in new bearings with the engine in the truck. Not that anyone has heard from him and he might not ever make it out. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

What is so confusing to me, is if the rotating assembly is shot, how am I able to turn the engine over by hand, but the starter (which tested good BTW) can't rotate the engine with the ease my arm can? I'm no 100lb weakling, but I'm no Hercules either. Something just isn't making sense, but I've never had engine trouble like this before. Maybe PA JERO will have some ideas if he gets a chance to swing by this week. As an old southern buddy of mine used to say: "This don't pass my logic test".

Is it possible the starter is somehow not in straight? or perhaps the bellhousing isn't on the engine exactly straight so the starter gear doesn't engage directly and is binding? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/zombie.gif" alt="" />

I'm entertaining all ideas at this point WW. I got the starter in and out without too much trouble considering it's placement when I pulled it to get it tested, but that doesn't mean much if the bell housing is somehow off. If that ws the case, wouldn't I be seeing some large oil leak? I'm a little over my head with my lack of experience, so my apologies if this is a stupid question.

EDIT:

You know, I may be completely writing out of my a$$ right now, and this is purely conjecture at this point. But I wonder if this would be an indication of a bad rear crank bearing, but the front bearing is fine? Here's my thinking: I can turn the engine over fine by hand with a ratchet on the crank bolt. There is no deflection in the bearing so it rotates freely. But when using the starter to turn over, it is creating pressure on the flywheel and a bad rear bearing causing it to bind up. Does that theory make any sense?

I really doubt that could be it. If there was that much deflection possible at the rear of the engine, it wouldn't have kept oil in itself.

If there was a gap at the bellhousing seam, it wouldn't necessarily cause an oil leak. There's no loose oil in there.

Something really doesn't make sense to me, either. A starter is technically strong enough to crawl (slowly) a manual transmission vehicle. I still regard the starter/wiring/battery with suspicion...sorry.

Geez, maybe the flex plate isn't on straight, although I have no idea how that's even possible.

John B.