My Car didnt start right away after Head Change

[JCCADILLACMOBILE]

Im still a little bit confused as to WHY my car didnt START right after Head Change, your insight please? (It helped me to detail what happened by makign references to my Cat Binky... So if you see "Binky" its just me recalling what happened, and framing my detail, so you can have the best Information to tell me what may have happened. Thanks.)

START

OK, i thought i would ask for your Insight, ive never fully understood WHY my car dd not start back up, although i DID identify that the Battery was Weak (VERY Weak, i had to charge it all night with a Battery Charger now its power has come back, it was made and purchased Brand New in October last year, an Advance Auto "Silver'" by Johnson Control Systems, a.k.a. Interstate Batteries) and that Binky "Forgot to put Gas in the car," as it was under 14 tank.. but im still at a loss. A Brief Run-Down of what happened:

1) Head Gasket -BLOWN,- (This is a fact, ALL Symptoms.) Car driven -ONE TOO MANY TIMES,- Warm water added 15 minutes after Car was "Running Hot," I shut it off before IT did.. 2 Hours after adding Water AND 1/2 gallon GAS (It was low on Gas then too) and nothing but "Crankcrankcrankcrankcrank" Same with Jump.. = Milkshake Oil. First time in my almost 28 Years ive Driven a Car EXACTLY One too many times.. and the first time ive EVER seen Milkshake Oil. CAR NEVER HAD MILKSHAKE OIL BEFORE.

2) Car Towed Home. Milkshake oil Drained.. New Oil put in, tried to turn it over, also with jump, for 2 or 3 minutes.. New oil i just put in was Milkshake as well after this. Drained out Overnight again. (Now car has Water in it, not freezing night, .. no Oil.)

3) Mechanics come, Take head off Car. New Gaskets, Wires, Spark Plugs, Oil, Oil Filter.. Ready to go. HEAD HAD SMALL CRACK LIKE A CROTCH BETWEEN CYLINDERS 2 AND 3. New head Installed, New Gaskets, they said they put some RTV Black Silicone on the Gaskets too... All is well.. i go to turn Car...

4) "WHIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" - One Pitch. I Panic. "Timing?" -- (This car does NOT Have a Timing Belt Nor Chain.. gear Drive this one is.. Sound is EXACTLY likk when my Forf Escort snapped its Timing Belt, 1991 1.9L. Wont Turn.) I say, "Did you guys -Time- The Engine?" They say "We dont have a Timing light, we just put it back together with your New Head and gaskets." I asked if Engine was not Timed right would it not Start, they said "Yeah its possible." I say OK, I pay them, as they just performed Work. (Not done at a Shop.. Done with Tool set in my Driveway, out of their Car.)

I ask all Questions about Timing.. Saddened and Confused. AND Worried.

5) I wait a few hours.. I decide to look at it again, as i cant come up with an Answer. I look at Engine.. the "PCV Elbow" had FALLEN OFF! (It had always been loose and it still is.) I put it back on.. Turn Key, hoping Battery Power came back a little, it was looooww... --It CRANKED!- I give it Gas.. It ALMOST Started! Battery died again. i ask for a Jump.. Battery wouldnt take the Jump, it was looow... I charge car up for two or three hours at 6 Amps.. CAR STARTS!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Im STILL at a Loss as to what happened, and im letting Oil drip out to get the "Water/Antifreeze" that was left over (They said it had pooled up int eh Cylinders) Out.. Also, they cleaned the Replacement head up with Carb & Choke Cleaner, and i took it on the Highway today, and i think some of the Residual Carb & Choke Cleaner is coming out (cleaned via Oil) as well.. so im "Cleaning" the Residual "[censored]" out with Frequent Oil Changes and stuff, as it MUST still be eneding to come out of the Block, the remainder of the Milkshake Oil and Water and all that.

So WHAT HAPPENED?? WHY did my car not START right away, im not sure Why?

P.S.: There is now 1/2 Tank Gas in, i will use SeaFoam AFTER the Filter, i MAY try it myself if its THAT easy when car is sitting and all is cold, i CAN ee the Filter... and the Battery is fully charged, i bought a used Altertnator as well. Trying to cleanse the Block of the Dolvents and Milkshake Oil and Water/Antifreeze that was left behind, feel like its still in there, some not as much, but im tryin gto get it out, thats what caused the Mustard...

Thanks for the Insight, sorry about the Length..

Thank You

 

[willix]

I would be greatful it did start and move forward and not dwell on the past. I wonder why RTV was added to the head gasket? Good luck with that.

 

[JCCADILLACMOBILE]

Originally Posted By: willix
I would be greatful it did start and move forward and not dwell on the past. I wonder why RTV was added to the head gasket? Good luck with that.


I am. Im now trying to "Clean" and OCi the remainign Carb & Choke Cleaner and stuff out of the Block.. May i trouble you one more time for the best recommendation on how to do so? And for HOW long will it take to fully "Heat Cycle" the stuff out? Thanks willix...

 

[willix]

Carb and choke cleaner is oil killer. It will vaporize out but not before ruining the oil.

 

[andyd]

The huge vacuum leak caused by the PCV being loose and general funk involved in a Head R+R would be enough to make the 1st start difficult. . A few squirts of TB cleaner aren't gonna hurt the oil. Drive the car up on the highway for 30 minutes. That should cook the solvents and moisture out of the crankcase.

 

[eljefino]

I bet they just put RTV on the valve cover gaskets maybe timing cover but not the head gasket. Where did you get these mechanics? Craigslist?

If the lifters bled down or whatever you could have had low compression until they pumped up. Normal IMO.

 

[lipadj46]

Originally Posted By: JCCADILLACMOBILE
So WHAT HAPPENED?? WHY did my car not START right away, im not sure Why?


Because you were cheap and did not hire a real mechanic. The fact that they put RTV on the head gasket and then told you they did goes to prove this point. I'm not trying to be mean but if you want to do something right either pay a professional or DIY. That is a simple engine and with a haines manual that would have been an easy job.

 

[dime]

Originally Posted By: lipadj46
Originally Posted By: JCCADILLACMOBILE
So WHAT HAPPENED?? WHY did my car not START right away, im not sure Why?


Because you were cheap and did not hire a real mechanic. The fact that they put RTV on the head gasket and then told you they did goes to prove this point. I'm not trying to be mean but if you want to do something right either pay a professional or DIY. That is a simple engine and with a haines manual that would have been an easy job.

+1 they are very easy to work on,there wasn't any timing invovled since they shouldn't have touched anything but the intake,exhaust and head.

 

[willix]

I bet they just put RTV on the valve cover gaskets maybe timing cover but not the head gasket. Where did you get these mechanics? Craigslist?

RTV shouldn't be on a VC gasket either.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: willix

I bet they just put RTV on the valve cover gaskets maybe timing cover but not the head gasket. Where did you get these mechanics? Craigslist?

RTV shouldn't be on a VC gasket either.


That's at least arguable. Sometimes needed in some apps, like a dab in a specific corner or to hold stuff in place before torquing. Often won't hurt anything there. Tube of the stuff says not for head gaskets.

 

[Cutehumor]

I agree, you should have let an independent shop do the work. Here's why. I had a 92 Mitsubishi Mirage with a huge rear main oil leak. My dad got his friend to help me replace b/c the transmission had to be dropped. I paid him $350 that was almost 8 years ago. Well he put everything back right, then three days later, I heard a loud "bang" my car wouldn't shift at all, just reved. I towed the car home, jacked it up, and I found the flexplate broke. So I call the guy up, he says he will come by to recheck it and make it right. two weeks go by as my car sits in my parents driveway!! I must have been 23 or 24 at the time. The guy comes back with a friend to drop the trans again. sure enough, the flexplate broke. He says "man, I should have used loctite on the flexplate bolts" so my neighbor gives him some loctite and everything is put back together. I had no problems at all for six months..until....I GOT REARENDED BY A CHICK, MY FLEXPLATE BROKE AGAIN...her insurance said it was a preexisting condition. So I had to pay a shop 400 bucks to fix it, they put brand new OEM mitsubishi flexplate bolts in with loctite of course. they said they don't reuse those flexplate bolts b/c they were one time use. After two more years, no problems with that flexplate, and I sold the car. So basically, I had to pay to get the job done twice!! I learned my lesson then, not to use bonehead backyard mechanics.

 

[occupant]

Keep in mind that during a head gasket job, fuel system pressure is relieved to allow the fuel rail to be disconnected from the intake so they can take the intake off and get the heads loose.

It might have taken awhile to build fuel pressure.

Your fuel filter may be plugged up causing the excessive time to build that fuel pressure.

A vacuum leak would also make the car more difficult to start.

Shadetree mechanics are great but you either have to know more than they do or be willing to re-do the work yourself. They are paid for their ability to do labor, not for their brainpower. I could have changed the water pump myself on the wife's Durango. And I would have caught the seam leak in the radiator at the same time. But no, we took it to the mechanic because she wanted someone she wasn't madly in love with to beat up if something went wrong. And it did. And he fixed the problem. And it's all good. Cost us $200 more than it would if I had done it, but who cares?

 

[mechtech2]

A car won't start because of: no fuel, no ignition, or no compression.
If she starts on a shot of starting fluid, you have narrowed it down. A compression check, and an ignition test would be next if this test fails.

 

[bigmike]

I've always turned over the motor with no ignition wire hooked up. Does anyone else do that?