Engine froze after being water pressure tested for head gasket failure, what can be the freezing problem?

Question

I have a 1997 Ford windstar. I was losing radiator fluid, but it wasn't draining out on the ground. I had a check light come on and say it was the No., 1 cylinder that had a fault. I took it to a garage and they pressure tested it and said it was leaking near the timing chain cover and probably internally because the spark plug was rusty. We determining that it would be too expensive to fix. I was going to take it home and it wouldn't start or budge. A second garage who did heads cheaper, said it engine was frozen. The radiator water had lots of rust in it. Another garage who specialiizes in engine rebuilding said it was unusual for it to freeze up. What is causing it to freeze and is it repairable without much cost (the unfreezing part).

Thanks to all that answered. I decided to have it rebuilt for $3000 which I think is reasonable. I had the transmission rebuilt last year so thought I would put a rebuilt engine into it too.

By the way, one mechic too out the plugs and still couldn't crank it. The last mechanic said that the pistons had rusted to the cylinder. The trouble is that the previous mechanic had put penetrating oil on the pistons but couldn't budge it. So I still don't know what it was. 'Will find out during the rebuild.

Answer 1

its possible that another cylinder filled with coolant while being pressure tested,pull all the plugs and see if the engine will turn over,try it by hand first by turning the engine with the crankshaft front pulley

Answer 2

Remove the plugs and see if it will turn over. Might have a cylinder "water lock". If a cylinder has water in it the water won't compress and so the engine won't turn over and appear to be frozen. If it turns like that then crank some more to pump out the water. Then put the plugs back in and try to start it right away. Let it run for a while until it's completely warmed up before you shut it back off.

Answer 3

its definetly the right gasket once you're saying the water rises attempt to scent the water filler because the vehicle runs see in case you are able to scent burnt gasoline also different indications are heater blowing chilly and wont warmth up ,temperature guage rises, vehicle cuts out or wont even turn over using water contained in the boom chambers , white or black smoke usualy white if this happend in the course of the freeze your engines probs scrap or no longer some distance from it, your maximum ideal guess search for yet another vehicle using the undeniable fact that engine is basically not an similar and puting it into the storage is in trouble-free terms a temperary fix believe me youl be again decrease than a week, each and each and every of the internals interior were prolonged /warped with the frost then fryed with overheat.

Answer 4

OK to be down right specific here about this issue we have to look at what antifreeze does to metal. In the cooling system that metal was designed to handle Etheline glycol. But once you expose it to bearings it now creates havoc on bronze bearings and as well as the rings because of the type of metal material. Thus that's the locking up situation. Sadly Murphy's law had to bite you in the back side while it was being tested. Besides since you already had rusty water in it... It was already doing its damage and the test was coincidental.

I replaced a head for a customer and since it had antifreeze in the oil I suggested we do the lower end bearings. He opted out of that additional fix. Needless to say, He didn't make it home till it sheared the bronze bearings and locked him up. .

Answer 5

bad heads water has been gettin in cylinder check for water in oil