hello fordforums.. im stuck with a problem maybe i can find help here.....

I have a 2001 windstar 145k..

in the last 6 months 3 times i had this problem with starting the van in the morning.

the engine would get stuck when i try to start it...I had to spin the engine backwards a few times by hand to get it to spin enough to start,

it would sound like the battery was dead but its a new bat..

it would go WOW-WOW-WOW-WOooo stuck,..... i could only spin engine backwards by hand..

SOOO today i get up to go to work and it did it to me... it took over a hour tryin to spin it back to get it started BUT this time the engine has a clunk clunk clunk when i start it,, it sounds like its from the lower end but im not sure..

any one out there have this problem b4?
what could it be?

 

In a nutshell, it's not good. Probably you're spot on about the lower end. The 3.8 was never a good engine, and I won't own a Ford with one.
You could try taking out the compression by removing the plugs and checking to see if it turns over. Or possibly the starter drive is hanging up, causing it to bind (it would be rare, but is conceivable).
Is the oil clean or is it milky or low? Has the red (not yellow) engine light been on, indicating an oil pressure concern? This is a lot of miles for this engine. What has the history of the powertrain been? Had a tranmission rebuilt yet?

 

the oil looks good and i just put a used tran [90k] in 3 weeks ago

here is a video i made of the problem..

van - YouTube

Im thinking ill pull the oil pan and maybe start from there,

 

I had a problem with my wife mini van doing the same thing they told us that the fly weel needed to be replaced it was replace and it worked

 

You just gave me a idea,, what if its just a bolt on the torque converter

If i do need a new flywheel.. is there any way to do the job with out pulling the tran? I changed a flywheel on a H1 hummer b4 with out droping the tran,, idk if there is room to do that on the windstar.

 

Ahhh the van has nuts not bolt and there all tight,,

i put my ear on the oil pan the noise is in there,

if i have to pull the engine can i do it from the top? when i take the wiper motor bracket off there looks like it has planty of room.

 

p0303 cylinder 3 misfire

this is a new code.

 

Yes, and the misfire in cly 3 (hence the p0303) is the problem to start with. Do a base compression test. Anything below about 110 psi (and that's a bit of a strecth) is a problem. And yes, you can pull the eng. out that way, though, there is another method, which takes less time and can be easier.
If you use 4 jackstands (one on each corner), and properly level them, take the whole cradle out. It makes matching all this other stuff of the trans bolts and lining up for the subframe mounts ever so much easier to do. It look daunting, but either way is a pain.

 

ahh im only geting 95 psi on back driver side i get 170 psi on front driver side, i didnt test others as it got to dark out,,

Also the oil looked new yesterday, but now its got water in it and looks like mud.
did i crack the block?

 

That or blown a head gasket into a bunch of pieces. With the milage and the fact that this is a 3.8L with all of its problems, then I'd bet a new or some other well running engine would be in order. Don't forget to flush the cooling system.