I have a 1995 ford Thunderbird lx the 4.6 v8 I was driving home when I heard like a click clank noise and then the car cut off so when I tried to start it again it Made a click a the stater

5

Asked by Tyreek Sep 26, 2015 at 08:48 PM about the 1995 Ford Thunderbird LX RWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

The stater wire started to smoke the engine
won't turn over could it be the stater

26 Answers

223,945

You have something going on in that area like a SHORT! Starter wire smoking is a short, need to disconnect the battery until you find the problem, as to not start a fire.

1 people found this helpful.
223,945

In the area of the positive cable going down to the starter, or wires crossed somehow down by the starter, Not fun but you have to look. Have to check all wires in the starting system.

1 people found this helpful.
223,945

Not to say but rare, it may be in the starter also, have a shop check it out.

1 people found this helpful.
5

So I went to go look at it this morning still doing the samething it just clicks so I tried to turn it by hand wouldn't move so I turned it backwards and it moved a little bit but it feels like its hitting somthing and when I turn it the other way it moves a little bit and just stop

223,945

Take the starter out. May be jammed into the ring gear, but you have to look to see why..

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223,945

How do we go from a smoking wire to a rod in the engine. Are you going to look at it or what?

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5

That's what I'm saying the wire isn't smokeing any more still waiting for it to get home

223,945

I don't under stand, waiting for it to get home, the car is gone somewhere? Is the motor running? Is it making noise? Are we talking about 2 different things? Let me know what's going on, I'll check back in the AM

1 people found this helpful.
5

Ok just got the car towed home what I was saying was I tried Turing the crank pully be hand and it won't move and I connected the starter wire and when I turn the key it makes a click noise but the stater wire is not smoking anymore but the engine won't turn over

223,945

Ok then, this makes more sense. Thank you for your patients. Sorry to say this does not sound good. We need to know if the motor turns over by hand. First, check the oil, any in there? Next to make life easier, pull all the spark plugs so you are not fighting compression. There should be a bigger bolt down on the bottom pulley, in the middle of the pulley, not the 3 smaller bolts around the face of the pulley, the bigger bolt recessed in the middle of the pulley. Find a socket to fit it (15mm to 18mm or 9/16 to 5/8 or bigger, not sure of size) and try to rotate the motor clockwise. Go at least 1 revolution (if it does) this will tell you if it is locked up or not. I will be in and out today, but I will be checking back with you.

1 people found this helpful.
5

I took all the sparks plugs out and on one side all four has oil on them and the motor turns about an inch and its just stopes think I might just call the junk yard

223,945

That's what we needed to know, motor locked up. Junk yard sound good to me, good luck.

1 people found this helpful.
5

ended up keeping the car took the motor down to the block found out it had a broken value and spring now the motor turns over great

5

can anyone point me in the the right direction with the timing can i just put everything at top dead center

223,945

Woe Tyreek! Not giving up on this, that is great! Dropped valve locking the motor up and hanging on to the key trying to start, would overheat the battery cable. That aside, you are at a very critical part of this job. What ever you do, Do Not Be Rotating the engine as that one is an interference engine, meaning the valves will hit the pistons if the timing of cam shafts to the crank shaft are off. You would have to loosen up all the rocker arms so the valves are closed, not being pushed down into the cylinder. I have to assume you have the head torqued properly and focus on setting up this timing. This is gotta be the most difficult engines that I have seen to do so. SO, there is way too much to explain on doing this, so I suggest having another persons to watch with you (if you are doing this). Go to you-tube and watch a video on how to do this. I looked at;- "In car service of Timing Chain on Ford 4.6L Modular V8". Everything has to be set perfect or you would be wasting your time. Thinking about being a mechanic?

1 people found this helpful.
Best Answer Mark helpful
5

i took pictures of the cam gears before i took the cams off and the heads to get to that broken value think i can put the cam back to the poition i took them off from

223,945

Ok that is fine but if you are 1 tooth off, no good. Did you watch a video on doing this? A picture is not going to align the cam shafts. You need 2 special tools to line up the cam shafts in the proper locations. Do you have this?

1 people found this helpful.

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