Zetec internal problem

[Dave Price]

Yesterday I pick up a phase 2 silver top 1800 Zetec, for vurtually free, the price of a few beers. I knew it had been standing outside for two years under a sheet. I was told it turned over. I set about examining it last night. Put a spanner on the crank, would not turn. Thinking one of the ancillaries could be seized I cut the aux drive belt off. Still won't turn. Out with a socket and big bar, a gentle push with a 1m tube on the socket wrench got it to turn, did a few moves of the ratchet. Then thought to check it will do a full turn I marked the crank and continued to turn it. One full turn no problem. Then moved the engine from the trailer on to a trolley , big problem - now it won't turn over. Maximum it will turn is approx 1/2 a turn.
Thoughts were
- stuck valve
- drawn in water causing hydraulic pressure

Had a look in the throttle body, could see water. Whipped out the plugs and went to turn it over to drive out the water. Nothing, still only 1/2 turn

Checked the cam followers / lifters as the cam shafts rotate, each seem to follow the limited movement of the cam shafts.

Current thoughts
- stuck valve
- broken piston ring stuck above piston
- foreign debris in the cylinders

Any advice of thoughts please. The engine has the code RKC so I believe it to be a 115 bhp Escort engine

I think the head will be coming off. This bargain is now looking expensive

[Brian (up north) Morris]

was it a good engine to start with....its a minefield..

[Adrian Southgate]

Drain it of oil, if there is water present in the sump then drop the sump, flip it over and look inside. Sump gasket is less of an arse to do if the engine is out already. Don't try to turn it 

[Dave Price]

Not sure if water has got in. There is some in the inlet manifold. What puzzles me is that I got the engine to turn through about two full revolutions before it then hit something solid. I am thinking stuck valves or broken rings. Once I had the plugs out I put penetrating oil in all bores, Numbers 2,3&4 still have the oil visible on the piston crown, number has no oil visible so the oil has got passed the rings. May be a broken ring causing the sudden stop.

[Dave Adams]

the tappets are bucket and shim on the later engines ....hydraulic on the earlier ones both are prone to seizing.....a cylinder head strip may be in order. 

[Dave Price]

Dave, it looks like you are correct. Just popped a screwdriver down the plug holes and watched the piston positions relative to the limited movement of the crank. The rotation stops as soon as each pair of cylinder approach the top of the bores.

[Paul Thomas]

 you said before you cut off the timming belt, you sure its not the pisons clipping the valves.