Engine failure after oil change

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sas73

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Help! Changed the oil and oil filter on my 273 in my Barracuda today. Let it warm up for 20 min and then headed to the store. I forgot to check the oil pressure gauge. ( I'm an idiot)

3 miles away from home, the engine suddenly cut out and stopped. No smoke, no appreciable noises (although it is a convertible with the top down and I couldn't hear much). I tried to turn it over, but it wouldn't budge.

After towing it home, engine appears seized- I can't budge it with a socket even. Any thoughts on what I need to do next?
 
If the engine is really seized, you will be pulling it out.

Pull out all your plugs and see if you can turn it over by hand.
 
An engine won't typically seize from lack of lubrication. It can, but more common is spun bearings which make ALOT of noise, or it will blow parts through the most convenient path. Either way, you know when it happens. Suddenly stopping with no warning doesn't seem oil change related.
 
My uncle had a 58 Edsel (jem) that he was going to change the engine in so on purpose he drained the oil and beat on the car w no oil in it just to try blow the engine. Although for some reason it did not come appart. It did start knocking pretty good but in the mean time it would get hot and sieze up. After cooling a while it would start back up and he would beat it untill it siezed again. After 5 or 6 times he gave up. I think w no oil it caused alot more friction, something was expanding enough to cause the engine to lock up. But after cooling this one would turn over again. Makes me sick to think an edsel may be tuffer than a mopar.
 
slantsixdan said:
I'm sorta curious…what brand of oil filter did you install?
Click to expand...
Me too, but wondering if he used synthetic?
Could`nt have been a Fram, cause they`re the best:-D
I would pull all plugs as said, and try a spray bottle of Marvel mystery oil in each cylinder and set over night.
Try it again tomorrow with 3/4 drive rachet. Good luck
 
I guess it turns out that I am a moron. The oil plug is not present as I look. Since there is no oil on my garage floor, I figure I started putting it in and got distracted by one of my 3 kids under the age of 5, and it subsequently loosened and dropped out during the drive. The dip stick right now is dry and there are metal filings on the dipstick. Took out all the plugs and the socket will not move the engine even a few degrees. I'll try the mystery oil in the cylinders, but I must have run it dry for a few miles at least.
 
No need to bother turning it over now. It needs to be pulled and gone through.
 
Dude, done like dinner...... How in the hell you didn't hear the thing coming apart is beyond me...............

Good news is, engines ran out of oil usually spin bearings before the pistons sieze.... and cast crank kits for 273/318's are cheap.
 
I suppose I'll need to pull the engine and transmission together, since I can't rotate the crank to uncouple them. Is there any other way?
 
sas73 said:
I suppose I'll need to pull the engine and transmission together, since I can't rotate the crank to uncouple them. Is there any other way?
Click to expand...

You didn't specify whether or not it was auto or stick. If it's a manual trans, you could put the car in gear and try 'rocking' or pushing to get the engine to rotate. I'd make sure the spark plugs were also removed to 'unload' any cylinder pressure.

Sorry to hear about the engine and good luck bringing it back to life.

S
 
Pull the oil filter, and see if it ever had any oil in it.

The down side of a solid lifter engine is that the lifters don't crap out without oil pressure.

You can pull the engine with the convertor bolted to the flex plate. The torque convertor just slips out of the transmission - you just need to roll the engine foreward an extra 3 inches or so.

Time for a nice 318.
 
engine will turn over with 3/4" breaker bar and long pipe to unbolt from transmission (been there, done that)
 
No cast cranks for 273. Those were all forged steel. Solis lifters dont colaspe due to lack of oil pressure sou wont hear a lot of top end noise from a 273 either
The lubrication is only part of a circulating system. A certain amount of cooling is accomplished as heat is transfered to and carried away by the oil.
I've seen a couple of engines so messed up ( different causes ) that enough pipe and leverager would turn the car on its side before rotating the engine.

You'll need to pull the distributor and radiator, fan and spacer. Seperate the exhaust pipes too.

Throw a strap around the torsion bars to catch the tail of the trans. Remove that cross member and lower the trans tail as far as possible. You'll need a catch pan there and when the torque converter comes out with the engine you'll need another catch pan at the front of the trans.
Good luck
 
Just pull the motor and insert a 318 or better yet a roller block 360.
 
You can pull both at the same time, but youll need to remove radiator and hood. Remove the driveshaft and either get yourself a yoke plug at harbor freight for 4 bucks or a preperly sized asprin bottle to prevent ATF all over the place. Hook it with a load leveler and yank it. Get your chain as short as possible or youll run out of hoist. If you pull the pan prior, itll give you another 3 inches of clearance when you haul it over the radiator support. There is a guy locally that has a 273 for 50 bucks, just missing the timing cover....
 
Wow , sorry to hear about this , underneath and back of the car must be coated in oil . I had that happen but caught it 100 yard from the garage , got it back before any damage . Scared the hell out of me when I saw zero oil pressure .
Hope it is just bearings gone and it won't cost that much to get it running .
 
AND here is a lesson I taught every apprentice and mechanic in my shops,..

IF YOU PUT THE OIL PLUG IN,,, ALWAYS,, ALWAYS HAVE A WRENCH IN HAND TO TIGHTEN IT,, IF YOU DON'T , TAKE THE PLUG OUT... NEVER ! ! NEVER LEAVE A LOOSE PLUG IN THE HOLE
 
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