Thread: 86 olds Cutlass wont turn over

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Someone please help. I have a 86 Cutlass Supreme 307 8 cyl that will not start. I took it to a shop and the mechanic told me he thinks the motor is starting to freeze up. The car has been sitting for a year. It tried to crank but won't turn over. The starter has been tested and is still in brand new condition. The plugs have been changed, and the battery is good. I hope there is someone out there who can help me. Thanks in advance.

Originally posted by femalenonmechan
Someone please help. I have a 86 Cutlass Supreme 307 8 cyl that will not start. I took it to a shop and the mechanic told me he thinks the motor is starting to freeze up. The car has been sitting for a year. It tried to crank but won't turn over. The starter has been tested and is still in brand new condition. The plugs have been changed, and the battery is good. I hope there is someone out there who can help me. Thanks in advance.

Your mechanic may be on to something.

Shoot some WD40 in the spark plug holes, replace the plugs and let it set a few days. Then pull the plugs out and try it again on a full battery charge.

Has it ever been run low on oil? If so it could be spun bearings ....... Or is it just rust from sitting so long?

How can I tell if the bearings are spun. The car cranks but wont turn over. New distributor, rotor, cap, wires, battery. All tune up things. When I tried to start it I get at least one good turn and then the battery seems to die on me and it doesnt get enough revolutions to start the car. I have noticed that when trying to start the car the negative battery cable jumps like it is being shocked or something. It is noticeably smaller than other neg. cables I have saw on other vehicles.

Wait, it cranks but it wont turn over? You mean it wont start? If thats the case, check timing, and check for spark. If the car doesnt spark, the ground for the distributor is probably corroded. Youll find it on the right rear of the intake. If you clean that up and still nothing, clean the contact plates under the distributor.

Also, as a side note. Have your battery tested. If it cant hold a charge, that will cause the problems listed. I personally reccomend the Autograft titanium. It will fit in you engine bay, and the best one holds 1000 CCAs

when it cranks over does it sound like its dragging? Like a slow crank of a battery dieing or is it a normal crank then starts dieing? If the battery tests fine, and its still a slow crank could be what the mechanic says and starting to freeze up so the rust is starting to tighten the pistons along the walls slowing down the crank.
Besides WD40 there is some engine freeze stuff you can use, can't remember the name but there was a thread here recently about it I will try to find it for you.

Try this for a frozen engine
http://www.lubegard.com/automotive/engine_free_eze.html

Boys sorry got to jump in on this. As an olds man myself I'd like to say that olds is one of the best for sitting around for long periods of time without locking up. Mine sat for 5 years outside through winter and all and I just put a battery in it and it ran fine. Try drippin a lil gas in the carburator just to get it to fire "it might just have a weak spark do to carbons" if it won't fire after that I'd say it's either your battery or you aren't getting spark. Since it's die on you get your batt. tested. If it's good try checking your plugs wires everything. Try a bigger ground to you might not have a good ground with the small wire. This is all the stuff I can think of that could cause what your sayin.

Originally posted by cutlassrebel
Boys sorry got to jump in on this. As an olds man myself I'd like to say that olds is one of the best for sitting around for long periods of time without locking up. Mine sat for 5 years outside through winter and all and I just put a battery in it and it ran fine. Try drippin a lil gas in the carburator just to get it to fire "it might just have a weak spark do to carbons" if it won't fire after that I'd say it's either your battery or you aren't getting spark. Since it's die on you get your batt. tested. If it's good try checking your plugs wires everything. Try a bigger ground to you might not have a good ground with the small wire. This is all the stuff I can think of that could cause what your sayin.

Are we all running on the assumption that it is getting fuel?????? Is it getting fuel to the carb? (just checked ALLDATA to confirm it is carbed 4bbl stock) fuel filter? Pump? Pressure? good gas? don't assume it's ONLY sprak related.

But definately check the battery.

~Critter

Originally posted by femalenonmechan
It tried to crank but won't turn over. The starter has been tested and is still in brand new condition.

By femalenonmechan's first post I was under the assumption that the engine would not even turn over. If that's the case the rings are stuck in the cyl. bores or a bearing (s) are spun or there is a problem somewhere in the starting system (i.e. starter, starter switch, battery or wiring). If it does turn over but doesn't start, that's a different question.