Help me identify sabotage?
 

Hello! It’s been a long time since I’ve been on here but I finally got my 1972 gmc Stepside back! Yay! Not without complication of course. My ex decided to steal my battery, disconnect a cable off the carburetor, there were three small washers sitting on the manifold underneath the cable but no screws or nuts, there was some broken plastic on the ground under the truck but unidentifiable. I’m not proficient enough to look and see what’s been disassembled so I’m hoping you all could help. I’ve attached pics. One of the last pics has a paperclip (don’t laugh, I know it’s so very....) attaching the previously disconnected cable in a slight attempt to at least be able to start the engine.

When I attempted to start it the starter made a horrific grinding sound like when you try to start an engine that’s already been started. Since am familiar with starters, basically a took a look and the teeth on the starter are pretty ground where they hit the flywheel and I’m wondering how bad those teeth can get before it’s a lost cause. I am aware there are two ways to shim a starter, the round shim inside the body or the rectangular oblong shim that sits where you bolt the starter on. I just don’t know if it’s worth trying if there is a point when the teeth on the starter gear are too damaged. I did “futz” with it enough to be able to attempt to turn it over without grinding it but it just cycles like it’s not getting gas. (Sorry my vocabulary is way off the industry norm, (my engine talk is like my Spanish) I understand more than I speak, lol. )

Oh yeah, as far as the starter teeth, they are ground down in the middle of the tooth so my amateur mind tells me if I positioned the starter so that gear hits 100% of the flywheel instead of the roughly 60%-70% it is now, then the top and bottom edge of each tooth with will catch and the pits in the middle won’t matter as much. Maybe get a few more starts before I replace it. Does this even make sense? Ugh 🥴

Any and all help is appreciated, thank you!!

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Please post pic of your ex so we can steer clear of her..
Sounds like she is evil..

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Maybe the starter bolts are just loose? You might try to find someone more knowledgeable to take a look.

And yes, post a pic of your hex-wife to alert us to run away. :D

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

I would pull the plugs to make she didn't dump stuff into the cylinders. It almost sounds like the engine is frozen up.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

I didn't realize how close you are to me. The pic might be a good idea. ...lol

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

You already need a new starter. Change it before you need to replace the fly wheel. Looks like the oil line going to the gauge has been cut. You must repair that before you attempt to start it. The washers and that piece of wire had some thing to do with your down shift cable. The wire circled in yellow is a ground wire. You probably have a professional look it over and fix any thing else that you haven't seen.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

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Maybe the missing nuts and bolts are down inside the engine. Have you tried turning the engine over by hand? (with the plugs out)

LockDoc

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

That btch. Yeah, post a pic so others can steer clear.

Since you filed a police report and the local PD arrested her for vandalism, just have it towed to the mechanic of your choice to have diagnosed and repaired. The bill will obviously go to her or you'll pay and get reimbursed when you take her to small claims court if the criminal court doesn't require her to pay.

One of my favorites..

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Hahaha you guys are so funny!! This is my ex ...
Does being sans penis disqualify me from help? 😁😘

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Man, woman, other. Still a btch in my book for doing this. ;)

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

small pieces on intake manifold take the air cleaner off and look to make sure nothing got poured in there before you do anything

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

The starter bolts were in tight.
In regard to local law enforcement, well, the night I called the sheriff asking for assistance to remove him from the property and tell them he was trying to steal my truck, despite CHP saying don’t let the truck leave the property, the deputy got scared when he got mad and told him go ahead, take the truck, I’m not gonna follow you. I screaming no, and the sheriff tells me to be quiet, save my breath, let him go Chp will get him....

Yeah, no one got him. I had to get it myself. For any doubters, the pink and the reg are in my name. :-). So, calling the police is not an option for me anymore. Sadly...

How do you guys feel about women owning awesome trucks? I can personally attest to discrimination, this encounter was just one example of many...

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Sans penis ?

You mean you are a female...no worries here as we are all here to help...

The cable laying on the manifold under the linkage is the TV cable for the transmission....do not drive it until it gets looked at by a professional....

If you have the skills and tools, remove the plugs and hand turn the engine over to see if there are any parts down inside the engine,,,,if it locks up or knocks, stop immediately and seek professional help.
remove the air cleaner and look for small parts down inside the carb,
remove the carb and look down inside the manifold for small parts...
if you find any small parts in there you must remove the heads and make sure all parts are removed prior to attempting to start the engine.
Repair the oil line at back of engine.
Check the oil level and check for water in the oil.
Check water in radiator.
Check oil in transmission.
Check brake fluid and make sure pedal feels solid.
Check all steering joints and ensure they are secure.

Keep us informed on progress.....

:chevy::gmc2::chevy::gmc2::chevy:

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Thank you AUSSIEinNC, yes, I’m a mom. �� I appreciate the solid instruction. Yes I can remove the plugs and try to manually turn over the engine. I’ll go through your list and post what I find. I fear the worst ... items dropped down in there is a very good possibility. :-(

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

If I hand turn over the engine does that screw up the timing?

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

What a big baby

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

I won't speak for the knuckle draggers in this thread, but I dig it. Actually, I dig women even if they don't own awesome trucks. :metal:

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

If he was this big of an A.H. you might want to drain the gas tank in case he poured some contaminant in it.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

If it were me I’d drain the gas tank, change the oil in the motor and transmission. Probably do the same with brake and power steering as well. Cheap insurance.

Check brake lines and steering components for tampering along with all the engine recommendations.

Long list but if you have a vindictive pice of crap doodling with your truck you never know. I hate people that mess with folks rides. Cowards as the ride didn’t do anything and they are too chicken to stand up face to face.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Yep- flashlight and or one of those long skinny magnets down the carb to make sure the screws/bolts didn’t go down there.
The yellow circled areas in pic 2 I believe are fine, the red wire circled in green pic 3 may be a wire for the tach. Help in person is probably your best way to proceed.
Good luck

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

:o My apologies for assuming that you were a guy. What kind of Deputy Sheriff ever waffled when a guy yelled at him? My experience (watching people I knew do it) was a bit...different, to say the least. Title's in your name, he goes away, if he knows what is good for him. Wow, this is weird. Like others have pointed out, it needs to go to a trusted mechanic for evaluation.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

After looking at the photos again, It looks like the power to the distributor has been removed. It could be the big red wire in the bottom of the photo. Take another photo of the end of that wire for us.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

What a terrible story, sorry you are going through this. I recommend installing a hood lock soon, or at least chain and padlock. Locking gas cap. I think you're going to have to inspect every inch of the truck, even underneath, up under the dash, etc.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Nope no issues with timing, your crank and cam are married together with a chain behind that long pan behind the water pump. I doubt he opened that up way too much work. But he could have re-clocked the distributor real easy so the timing would be off

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

No, that won't mess up the timing at all unless the distributor is removed.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

I wouldn't recommend turning the engine over using the starter until a mechanic uses a tool to turn it over by hand using the flywheel, to make sure that it turns all the way through 2 revolutions of the crankshaft. This will not eliminate the possibility of foreign objects in the cylinders, though. What a mess! And yes, get a hood lock. Man, some people. SMH

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Wow, crazy— like an episode out of Cops. Good advice from the posters above. Main thing is to stay safe— a person who does what he did is erratic to say the least—protect your property to be sure but just stay safe (and protect yourself first)—free legal advice.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Like some of the others ave mentioned, your kick down cable to your transmission is definitely loose, your oil pressure line has been cut, and it looks like probably the power to the distributor. I would definitely take it to a mechanic and have it looked at before i tried to start it. It could've had sugar or sand poured down the tank, and who knows who dropped down the carb or into the cylinders. He definitely tried to screw it up for you. what an a**hole!

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

If you can get it towed up to me, I'll take a look at it and do some repairs. Actually may be good to get out of the area for awhile, unless some one is closer and willing to do the same

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

I think you should file a complaint in regard to the Sheriff allowing YOUR TRUCK being stolen. If I understand what you said correctly, the Sheriff told you to be quiet while he let your truck drive away, presumably because he was wanting to avoid confrontation, only to encourage you that a different law enforcement agency would do HIS job for you???!!! Now I know California does things different than the rest of the states, but please tell me I'm not understanding something here.

If that is exactly what happened I believe you have a legitimate discrimination complaint and should be compensated for the damages to your truck, and also a formal apology from the Sheriffs office. I'm no lawyer , but justice was completely overlooked it seems to me.

I think anyone who has the bug for an old chevy truck has good taste, enjoys nostalgia, quality, simplicity, and a laid back mentality... woman or man.:metal:

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Wow!

Glad to see you have gotten your truck back. I would completely go through the vehicle dumping all the fluids and getting everything hooked back up.

Watch out for the vindictive ridicule to come back again, they always do.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Grrr I had a looong update written and it expired. Ahh will repost in a bit. But wanted to say thank you! On my way to get a lizardcam and see if I can look down in there without taking too much stuff apart. Bbs <be back soon>

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

I sure hate reading about all the problems he caused, but be glad he's gone so you can work on getting your life back in order for your child.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

I wish you luck, but not sure if sugar would show up in the gas tank, I would drop the tank, before starting

sorry for the sans penis comment, just usually its the men that are getting burnt from the women financially, but I apologize for my thinking that way

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Looks like the red wire you have circled goes to the battery plug on the distributor. It should have 12 volts going to it when the key is on.

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

@steeveedee no apologies necessary, I’m playing in the boys sandbox, I know that. :-). All good. As for the sheriff, yeah and it gets weirder... the night I called the sheriff for help, I can assume one of two things: 1. My ex is tagged as a high officer risk meaning he beat up a cop pretty bad in his past and that never goes away. I’m pretty remote and he was alone so backup is at least 20mins away. 2. Prefaced with I don’t play the sexist card too often but the first time I said don’t let the truck leave the property, if you do he’d rather crash it in a ditch than give it back he said “he wouldn’t let anything happen to that nice if a truck”...almost as if “you shouldn’t be driving that truck anyway...” that combined with him telling me to be quiet at least 5 times as I was protesting, screaming “no he can’t take it” each time he said just stop, save your breath let him go...Chp will get him...so I had to stand there and watch the f’g ahole drive my truck out of here. I immediately called Chp and they informed me I had to wait three days before filing a stolen vehicle report, 3 days because the officer gave him permission to take it. I was furious!! I called his sergeant right then and there and guess what, he yelled at me for telling him his deputy wasn’t doing his job! Can you believe that?! He actually got pissed at me for complaining! 3 days go by, I file the report you’d think Chp or sheriff could go to his house and get it. Nope. He lives behind a gate and they can’t go in uninvited. So, I’m speechless and in awe. I call the sheriff himself, never got a call back. I called the deputy himself to let him know what his actions caused, never returned my call. Followed up for the next 5 days and the most response I got was being hung up on twice by the girls answering the phone. I now am convinced the sheriff’s deputy’s couldn’t save me from a paper bag.


@jimijam good answer! Lol
@BigBird attaching more photos of the distributor

He had a limited amount of time and access to the truck, from approximately 8pm-2am when I finally got the RO served. He’s very capable mechanically and very devious mentally so whatever he did he did within the engine bay. I do have a locking gas cap that hasn’t been compromised. Transmission and engine oil definitely worth dumping. I have an endoscope coming tomorrow. And I’m attaching more pics of the to help

Thank you all for being so kind and responsive. All I ever wanted was a classic truck to tool around in and learn how to work on. It’s just always been something I loved, the gratification of the whole process and ending up with something few have and many enjoy. I never in my wildest dreams thought I’d get tangled in a web like this!

Round of virtual beers 🍻 🍻 🍻 on me! And 💦 for those who don’t drink ! Much respect and admiration to you all!

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

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My ex a long time ago put sugar in my tank and I've recently had one of my rides keyed really bad... nobody should every mess with anybody's vehicles. There's a special place in H3LL for them...

That said...I'm hoping with the help of this board and good vibes all around you this will soon be a distant memory and you'll be cruisin' around trouble free!

-klb

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

I managed one but takes too long and Cant really upload pics at home will have to wait til I’m in town with better cell reception. I know this isn’t the pic that helps at all

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

Ok, GOOD NEWS!!! The truck is running and no items were thrown into the carb. Yay!! All he did was disconnect the distributor and take the battery. He planted the washers to send me on a wild good chase. Karma is a butch though, his 72 nova broke down on his way home and he ended up in the ER with unrelated health issues. (Is how I had his friend investigate for me, talk to him in the hospital, and he verified all he did was the dist and batt).

Thank you all for your help and kind words and encouragement! I appreciate it more than you could know!

Re: Help me identify sabotage?
 

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:metal:

-klb