Engine sticks

[3aJeeper]

99 out of 100 times my engine will turn right over and fire right up. Runs pretty good too. However, sometime it will seize/stick/freeze and I'll have to turn the crankshaft by hand to free it up. Once I do that it'll be a while before it happens again.

There seems to be no correlation with sitting for a few weeks. I've had it happen after it was just running - shutting off to work on the carb for example.

I probably don't want to know the answer, but anyone have any ideas?

[Gunslinger]

You might have your starter motor checked out,  sounds like a dead spot on one of the coils or a bad connection that hangs up.  Sometimes if your engine stops on a compression stroke it will be hard for a weak starter to juice it up and over the top.

[ventport]

Bad starter bendix can stick and make the engine hard to turn over.  Rocking the jeep in 2nd gear will usually free it up.

[Carls_jeep]

JB, when that happens does the starter not try to spin when you push the button on the floor? If so then the starter rotor has one or more bad segments on the commutator and when you move the crank the starter will engage the flywheel in a different spot. If you have the CJ3A starter with the floor button you engage the bendix with your foot as the starter motor is engaged.

I would start with pulling the starter and taking it apart and testing the continuity of the rotor commutator segments. If your not up to that take it to a starter rebuild shop and have them test the rotor and rebuild the starter.