1998 Chevy Cavalier Will Not Start Makes Clunk Sound

Sounds like you may have turned a bearing and seized the motor....time for a new car..or it could just be a bad connection in the ignition system.....

Sometimes I wonder if CR4 is actually just a different type of call-center for GM.

Not GM, Cavalier.

Think about it. If we took a poll for the world's most trouble prone car, we know what would win.

Ahh, I searched and found that the name Cavalier was retired in 2005. I also found that one of the places it was built was GM's Lordstown, Ohio factory. That explains a lot. I lived in that part of Ohio for a while and heard some stories about that place.

Were you involved with building the Vegas?

I believe you've damaged the framitz bearing. The framitz bearing is part of the turbo encabulator design that GM copied from Chrysler. The framitz bearing was intended to be an improvement on the two spurving bearings of the original design. The lower part count of this bearing was a cost effective improvement that makes a very distinctive clunk upon failure. Unfortunately for you, repair of any variation of an encabulator is far beyond any shade tree mechanic. However, if you tell your local mechanic that you've already diagnosed your failure to the framitz bearing or less accurately to part of the turbo encabulator I'm sure that you will get a special rate for expediting the troubleshooting process.

Remove all personal belongings from the car, ensure you clear out the glovebox, centre console, ashtrays, boot and seat pockets. If you have an aftermarket stereo installed remove it. Take the new starter motor out, put it on ebay. Take the tags off and cash in what registration is left.

Call the local scrap merchants, tell them where they can collect it from. You don't have to bother leaving the keys in it.

Walk away knowing that you have done your part for the environment by recycling the Cavalier into beer cans.

From what you have said so far, it sounds like your timing chain has failed. There is one bolt that is in the center of the lower pulley, into the crankshaft. Put a socket on it, and a long ratchet, or breaker bar. Try to turn the bolt, and crankshaft in the direction that would tighten the bolt. My guess is that the crankshaft will not torn because a valve has hit a piston. Most likely the valve has bent, but it may not have. If your engine is an overhead camshaft, you have a dilemma. If you just replace the timing chain, and the valve is bent, you will have to remove the timing chain again to remove the head. But if you have an overhead valve engine, just have the timing chain replaced, and hope for the best. if the valve is bent, the chain can stay in place.

If you have access to an air compressor and a fitting to pressurize the cylinders through the spark plug hole, it is possible to determine any bent valves. Are you up for this?

Buy the way, welcome to the insanity. We somehow have become noted for Cavalier problems. This site is much more than an automotive Q&A site. Hang on and enjoy the ride.

The engine is seized, kaput, no good. The cost of repairing the engine exceeds the gross worth of the vehicle 4 fold.

Replacing the motor is the only other alternative, and even then it would not be an economicaly viable solution.

Did you ever drive a car or truck in very wet conditions, and shut the vehicle off with water on the clutch face? When that clutch rusts in that condition, and you try to start it with the brake on, the same results as that Cavalier will happen. Glad I did not have your advice that time.

Yeah, that's a good idea. Let's make up all sorts of scenarios and ideas out of whole cloth that conflict with the sparse information we have about this fourteen year old vehicle. Do you think that the cup of water in the intake manifold might have something to do with the engine seizing?

I, like you do not believe that the issue is a rusted clutch. But, I do not think that this young person should junk out what may be their only transportation because someone on a web site does not want hear about another Cavalier problem. I have always taken the stand that I should try to help the OP gather as much information as possible while not committing large amounts of money to what may turn out to be a dead horse.

If the car died at an idle speed, There would be minimum inertia to bend valves. Changing a head, and a timing belt might be good father - son project.

I had a late Series 3 Landrover come into the workshop with "frozen clutch". Sometimes you can drive them to release the clutch plate but not this one, it was an engine out job. When you hit the starter with it in gear it would lurch on its handbrake.

The owners son had driven it through a number of deep creek crossings and then parked it for 3 months. Guess who's son had a big bill.....

To paraphrase the OP, the driver had pulled up to a set of traffic lights and it died. That would suggest (via the zen of the interweb) that the engine seized through lack of or poor oil/broke the timingbelt and jammed up. Failures that are most likely due to lack of maintanence.

Also note the OP's attempt to turn the motor by pulling the drive belt without any movement on the motor.

While I'm happy for anyone to repair, patch and nurse their mode of transport there comes a time where it has to be let go.

Unlike a Series Landrover, Cavaliers have no value beyond scrap once they have any significant issue. In Oz the Cavalier is known as a Camira, at one time they were like Hemmaroids just about every one had one, now you'd be lucky to find one at the wreckers.

Turned out to be the crankshaft. $547 at the mechanic shop and it is fixed. Thanks and

GOD Bless you and your families

Kenneth Lewis

That is an odd way for a crankshaft to have died. BUT, that is a very reasonable price to have a crankshaft replaced. Good luck, and happy motoring.