She stuck i think?

[Shawry]

Hi I have an old ford dexta which sadly dose not get lots of use and when i recently tried to start her the engine fails to turn even though the battery is fully charged, The starter will turn with no load? a friend seems to think that the engine has siezed ie the pistons are stuck any help would be greatful.

Regards Shawry
 

[Super Trucker]

Check for stuck valves. A tap on the lifter to see if it moves. I've had a couple of tractors do this. Just a squirt of pb blaster and tap lightly untill loose
 

[Shawry]

Thanks for the suggestion do i need to tap all valves or just the push rods and what sort of tap are we talking light i guess? will i be able to attempt turning engine with starter with the cover off the valves?
 

[cdmn]

If the starter spins but doesn't turn the engine, it may just be a minor starter problem. The bendix may be dirty and stuck. Does the engine turn if you have the transmission in high gear and you roll the tractor a foot or so? (make sure the shut-off handle is pulled out, so it won't accidentally start and run over something.) If so, remove the starter and check the bendix. Maybe only cleaning it will free it up. Disconnect the battery before you do this, so you don't get sparking. You could also reach in thru the starter hole and pry on the flywheel teeth and see if it is stuck. If it is not actually stuck, you should be able to pull-start the Dexta with another tractor.