Went to start up the chevelle today (haven't started her in 4 months). Could not get any fuel up to the carb and I was out of starting fluid. After a series of cranks the engine locked up. I jumped the battery and got the dreaded starter clunk. Any advise in trying to free the motor if possible. What would be the best place to try and rotate the motor. Has anyone had luck freeing a motor that got stuck from cranking? I was not getting any gas to the carb so the rings and bearings are not washed down with gas. Thanks -Paul

If its stick shift car, just rock it in gear. If auto, sometimes you can pull on the fan belt. If not you'll have to turn it from the crank pulley either by hand or a socket and breaker bar. Just needs the slightest of movement to unlock the starter from flex plate/flywheel. if thats your problem.

I jumped the battery and got the dreaded starter clunk.
Use quality battery/jumper cables and make sure you have good clean connections as well.

Rich ,thanks for the reply but I believe the engine is locked up not the starter motor

Pull the plugs; maybe a cylinder filled up with water?

Also, maybe it's just the starter. Have you tried manually turning the crank?

Sounds like the solenoid did not retract and the Bendix is jammed on the flywheel. As mentioned if a manual put it gear and rock the car. You might have someone tap the starter with a bar while your doing it. If an auto pull the plugs and use a power bar or large torque wrench with socket on the harmonic damper Bolt. Be sure to pull the plugs or you might back of the damper bolt, in which case you will have to re-torque it and to do that you have to pull the starter and jam the flywheel - which brings back to the same situation your in so I suggest you just loosen or pull the starter and remount it as it must have moved out of alignment causing it to jam - :o

We have no Idea what you have a manual, auto, STD or Reduction Starter.

Thanks the car is an auto-the starter is engaging the flywheel but I think the engine might be seized from cranking to long, I did not see if I had oil pressure as I was cranking it and it was pretty cold out this morning -any ideas?

Thanks the car is an auto-the starter is engaging the flywheel but I think the engine might be seized from cranking to long, I did not see if I had oil pressure as I was cranking it and it was pretty cold out this morning -any ideas?

If you have plenty of oil in the crankcase, I don't think you've got a locked-up engine. Pull the plugs and rotate the motor using a breaker bar on the balancer bolt. Most likely as suggested already the starter is hung up on your flex plate. How long did you attempt to start it this morning? Did the engine ever try to fire? Lack of gas caused by? Electrical or mechanical pump? Or no spark? Give some more details to better help you out.
Another thought: pull the distributor cap and make sure the rotor moves when you attempt to rotate the balancer. There's a chance the timing chain broke, and a valve is hitting a piston.

I think the engine might be seized from cranking to long

You could crank a car til you either burned up the starter or wore out the battery and you wouldn't seize the engine! If your engine is seized, you were living on borrowed time anyway, and it's time for a rebuild :yes:

You could crank a car til you either burned up the starter or wore out the battery and you wouldn't seize the engine! If your engine is seized, you were living on borrowed time anyway, and it's time for a rebuild :yes:
x2

x3...engines don't seize from cranking. Pull the starter out and put a new one in.

Rich ,thanks for the reply but I believe the engine is locked up not the starter motor

Paul, the reason I say you may need to hand turn the engine because I have the same problem right now. I get a click from the starter but it won't turn over the engine. I have a 4 sp so I put it in 3rd gear and rock the car back and forth for a few seconds and the engine will start right up. My starter is having some type of problem, but sometimes it will start with no problem.

For the record. Starters are NOT designed to be run for long periods of time.