1995 Silverado no start troubleshooting

[Chris Fontenot]

Background: I took the truck out for a drive one day and during normal driving it suddenly "let go." The truck was still running and I was able to rev the engine but it wasn't sending power to the wheels. I tried moving the shifter from neutral to drive and that did nothing. I coasted to a stop sign, pulled to the side, and turned it off. When I went to restart the truck it simply wouldn't. The starter fired but the engine itself wasn't turning. Popped the hood and tried to start again, starter spun but I could see via the serpentine belt that the engine itself wasn't turning over.

Once I towed the truck home I started going through some troubleshooting steps. So far I have changed the battery, the starter (and solenoid), and the transmission range sensor and nothing has changed. Go to crank it up and I get noise from the starter but nothing from the engine. Can anyone help me diagnose this issue from afar or would I be better off having it towed to a shop?

Thanks in advance.

[richard wysong]

Sounds like the flywheel is broken. It can be replaced without completely removing the transmission by unbolting the bell housing , torque converter and trans mount and letting the engine and trans kinda hinge  down from the weight then using a low clearance ratchet and socket (Snap-On) remove the flywheel

Edited December 14, 2022 by richard wysong

[richard wysong]

Oh yeah, Welcome to the forum! if the flywheel isn't broken then the crankshaft probably is. never seen it happen to a Chevy but have seen it .  What engine, model, 2 or 4 wd? more info is always better

[It's Tim]

52 minutes ago, Chris Fontenot said:

Background: I took the truck out for a drive one day and during normal driving it suddenly "let go." The truck was still running and I was able to rev the engine but it wasn't sending power to the wheels. I tried moving the shifter from neutral to drive and that did nothing. I coasted to a stop sign, pulled to the side, and turned it off. When I went to restart the truck it simply wouldn't. The starter fired but the engine itself wasn't turning. Popped the hood and tried to start again, starter spun but I could see via the serpentine belt that the engine itself wasn't turning over.

Once I towed the truck home I started going through some troubleshooting steps. So far I have changed the battery, the starter (and solenoid), and the transmission range sensor and nothing has changed. Go to crank it up and I get noise from the starter but nothing from the engine. Can anyone help me diagnose this issue from afar or would I be better off having it towed to a shop?

Thanks in advance.

b. Towed to a shop.

[Chris Fontenot]

8 minutes ago, richard wysong said:

Oh yeah, Welcome to the forum! if the flywheel isn't broken then the crankshaft probably is. never seen it happen to a Chevy but have seen it .  What engine, model, 2 or 4 wd? more info is always better

Thanks Richard! It's a 2wd with the V8. I'm not sure of the actual engine size, my wife and I inherited the truck and I'm typically a Toyota guy. The guy at O'reilly just said "350" so I think its the 5.7?

 

Oh, and it's an automatic if that helps.

[richard wysong]

2wd will  make a flywheel job easier, if you do indeed need a flywheel then you will need to know what engine etc to get the correct part there are lots of different part numbers for the same engines for some reason, I always use NAPA as most stores have knowledgeable counter help and can get almost any part for you quickly.. Have the VIN when buying parts. Was it making weird noises when it broke? Flywheels usually crack long before failing and make noise before breaking

[richard wysong]

Too bad you fired the parts cannon so early. Diagnosing the problem is ALWAYS the first step before buying parts , always ask if you don't know

[Chris Fontenot]

9 minutes ago, richard wysong said:

Too bad you fired the parts cannon so early. Diagnosing the problem is ALWAYS the first step before buying parts , always ask if you don't know

What was weird about it was there were no noises before it happened, or even after. I even looked in the housing when I changed the starter and saw what appeared to be an intact flywheel. No shards, splits, or missing teeth that was able to see from my less than advantageous point of view.

 

Luckily the starter and sensor weren't very expensive, maybe $100 total, and I see both of those as preventative maintenance anyway.

[richard wysong]

Yep, if it is broken it is probably around the crankshaft bolts, may be difficult to actually see but you should be able to determine by turning the flywheel and seeing if it turns the crankshaft