Seized engine 277 V8 56' plymouth belvedere
Justinsane
Posted 2018-09-17 10:15 PM (#570293)
Subject: Seized engine 277 V8 56' plymouth belvedere



252525
Location: Binghamton NY
I finally finished the interior and took my girlfriend on a cruise around town. It started off great, then the engine started making a knocking sound. The engine always made a slight chatter and i was hoping i was just hearing things, but before i could pull over, it made a loud screech noise and shut down. I coasted to the side of the road. I grapped a hold of the camshaft pulley and couldn't turn it at all. Trying to start it with the starter, it would just click, and not turn the flywheel. I got it towed home and rolled it into the garage. Still wouldn't turn over. I removed all the spark plugs and tried to turn it with a breaker bar on the cam shaft. Wouldn't turn either direction. I thought for sure it was seized up from a bad oil pump or something. My oil level was still full, but i was suspicious my indicator light on the dash for oil pressure was faulty so i didn't know.
After screwing around with it checking to see if a 230 flathead would mount to the bell housing of a powerflite. I decided to try it one last time. I unplugged the ignition coil and turned the key several times just until the starter engaged the flywheel. After about ten tries it turned over!! When i turn it with the breaker bar, i can hear something in the back of the engine, sounds like gears or something. Maybe in the transmission? I haven't heard that before. I haven't tried to start it yet until i figure out what caused it to lock up? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!
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58coupe
Posted 2018-09-17 11:02 PM (#570294 - in reply to #570293)
Subject: Re: Seized engine 277 V8 56' plymouth belvedere



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Location: Alaska
My guess (from personal experience) is the main bearings went and after the engine cooled down, you could turn it over, sorta. Too bad you are so far away, I have a 57 301 that is complete and turns over and would be a good one to rebuild.
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Justinsane
Posted 2018-09-18 3:11 AM (#570297 - in reply to #570294)
Subject: Re: Seized engine 277 V8 56' plymouth belvedere



252525
Location: Binghamton NY
I'm probably going to pull it apart this winter. I'm interested to see what failed in there. Hopefully i can find parts for it. If not, i'll have to find another engine. I have a feeling i'm going to have troubles finding another up here in upstate NY. I've got a flathead six 230 i was going to drop in it temporarily, but people say the bell housing bolt pattern is different.
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Mopar1
Posted 2018-09-18 6:44 AM (#570298 - in reply to #570297)
Subject: Re: Seized engine 277 V8 56' plymouth belvedere



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Location: N.W. Fla.
Seems strange you could grab the cam gear....You should be able to find parts for a 277, or swap in a '61 or earlier 318 or other A poly.

Edited by Mopar1 2018-09-18 10:14 AM
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Justinsane
Posted 2018-09-18 12:57 PM (#570305 - in reply to #570298)
Subject: Re: Seized engine 277 V8 56' plymouth belvedere



252525
Location: Binghamton NY
I haven't even gotten the engine out yet, and i'm already pricing parts. I can definitely get parts for it. I won't know if it's worth saving until i tear it down though. I'm not really concerned about matching numbers and the original engine, so if i do come across a late fifties poly, i'll probably get it. It just seems odd it freed itself up my plugging away at the starter several times. It turnes over nice and fast like it use to. I can only hear the gear noise when i turn it by hand, the starter motor noise covers the sound up.
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finsruskw
Posted 2018-09-18 1:28 PM (#570308 - in reply to #570293)
Subject: Re: Seized engine 277 V8 56' plymouth belvedere


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Location: Eastern Iowa
Quit guessing and drop the pan and take a look see.
Draning the oil will likely yield some clues as well.
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Justinsane
Posted 2018-09-19 10:53 AM (#570380 - in reply to #570308)
Subject: Re: Seized engine 277 V8 56' plymouth belvedere



252525
Location: Binghamton NY
Absolutely! I'll drain it out and remove the pan, i'll post some pictures on this thread of what i find in there!
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57chizler
Posted 2018-09-20 5:54 PM (#570466 - in reply to #570293)
Subject: RE: Seized engine 277 V8 56' plymouth belvedere



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Justinsane - 2018-09-17 7:15 PM

I grapped a hold of the camshaft pulley and couldn't turn it at all.


I'm sure you mean crankshaft.
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Justinsane
Posted 2018-09-22 8:53 PM (#570594 - in reply to #570466)
Subject: RE: Seized engine 277 V8 56' plymouth belvedere



252525
Location: Binghamton NY
Haha, yes yes, you know what i mean man! The crankshaft pulley thingamajig.
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