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HELP! The engine won't turn over by hand!

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Old 05-22-2007, 09:16 PM
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Default HELP! The engine won't turn over by hand!

I have the heads off, lifters out, oil pump off, the timing chain off and the engine won't turn over. I'll crank it by hand, and it'll go to a point and then seem like it's hitting on something in the oil pan.

Background: I was basically doing an oil pump swap at this point and left the oil pan completely unbolted for about 2 days. Could that have bent something and now making it hit on the crank? It feels like the crank is hitting something like the pickup tube. Please help!
Old 05-23-2007, 05:07 AM
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check to see if you left anything by the oil pump. (RAG)
Old 05-23-2007, 06:13 AM
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its not in gear is it??
Old 05-23-2007, 06:23 AM
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it sounds like a crank throw is hitting something. have a buddy come over and one of you turn it over and the other one shine a light in there from under the car and you will probably find the problem.
Old 05-23-2007, 09:17 AM
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Yeah...I think one the crank counterweights is hitting something. What's the crank throw? There's no rag in there, and it's not in gear cause I can rotate the engine a few turns and then "clunk" it stops.

In regards to the oil pickup system, could there be anything that would get bent from leaving the pan unbolted and hanging for 2 days? It doesn't matter if the oil pan is bolted up or not. It will stop after a few turns no matter what.
Old 05-23-2007, 11:12 AM
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Hears another case of someone who should have either paid to have this job done or invited someone over who knew what they were doing. If he doesn't know what a "throw" is he's already in over his head. If you can turn the crank over one full revolution you've already made it around the world in less than 80 days so spinning the crank any additional turns isn't going uncover any hidden secrets. Unless you have a mouse on steroids in your garage just leaving you motor set idle for only two days isn't going to cause your problem. Is this a postive stop? Are the plugs out? Did you drop something into the pan? Something bigger than a nut or bolt as a crank throw would likely move something that small out of the way. Have you tried turning the crank CW and CCW? Is the tail end of the pan snagging on one of the flywheel theeth? There are only a very limited number of things that can cause this problem since you have disconnected the top end from the bottom by removing the timing set. Maybe you had a pre-existing condition since the purpose of this tear down is an oil pump swap. If you only removed the one flange bolt at the output side of the oil pump pickup tube that isn't going to keep the crank from spinning. At least you decided to turn the crank over as an intermediate step rather than waiting until the project is over to spin the crank only to find that it won't turn as has happened to some people who frequent this site. Your problem is miniscule compared to theirs.
Old 05-23-2007, 11:37 AM
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Dude...I'm definitely not in over my head. I've done a head swap, tranny and clutch swap, and cam swap before with no problem. I'm also learning to tune with EFI Live so lets not take a turn to negative town

As I said...the heads are off so why does it matter if the plugs are still in? I guess there's another name for a crank throw. I knew it as a crank pin.

The crank will not rotate a complete revolution. When I said it will stop after a few turns no matter what, I meant it would stop after a few turns of the ratchet. I should have been more specific. The crank won't go completely around. I've moved the crank CW and it'll hit. I'm not sure what would happen if I go CCW.

Btw...the purpose of the tear down was to have the heads milled, swap the cam, flycut the pistons, replace the oil pump and chain, and swap the lifters. Thanks for the posts everyone! I appreciate the help!
Old 05-23-2007, 11:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Xtnct00WS6
Dude...I'm definitely not in over my head. I've done a head swap, tranny and clutch swap, and cam swap before with no problem. I'm also learning to tune with EFI Live so lets not take a turn to negative town

As I said...the heads are off so why does it matter if the plugs are still in? I guess there's another name for a crank throw. I knew it as a crank pin.

The crank will not rotate a complete revolution. When I said it will stop after a few turns no matter what, I meant it would stop after a few turns of the ratchet. I should have been more specific. The crank won't go completely around. I've moved the crank CW and it'll hit. I'm not sure what would happen if I go CCW.

Btw...the purpose of the tear down was to have the heads milled, swap the cam, flycut the pistons, replace the oil pump and chain, and swap the lifters. Thanks for the posts everyone! I appreciate the help!
Pull the bolts out of the cam retainer plate. One of the bolts is not the same length as the rest. Most likely you put a shorter one in the camshaft itself and got it switched with the ones that go with the retainer plate. Its nothing big, you just didn't organize your bolts when you pulled the thing apart. Thank me later via paypal for all the other ignorant ***** in here ragging on you bro for a simple mistake I guarantee more people have made at one time or another they wont admit to. I've done this same thing 6 years ago, thats why I know. I spun the motor over by hand and felt the same thing you felt and that was my issue thats why I'm sharing.
Old 05-23-2007, 11:59 AM
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Originally Posted by 1936FordPU
Pull the bolts out of the cam retainer plate. One of the bolts is not the same length as the rest. Most likely you put a shorter one in the camshaft itself and got it switched with the ones that go with the retainer plate. Its nothing big, you just didn't organize your bolts when you pulled the thing apart. Thank me later via paypal for all the other ignorant ***** in here ragging on you bro for a simple mistake I guarantee more people have made at one time or another they wont admit to. I've done this same thing 6 years ago, thats why I know. I spun the motor over by hand and felt the same thing you felt and that was my issue thats why I'm sharing.
Haha! If that's really it, I just might paypal you something! I'm at work now, but I'll definitely check first thing when I get home!
Old 05-23-2007, 12:04 PM
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Could very week be it. Ive mixed them up too.
Old 05-24-2007, 03:17 AM
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Since you have the timing chain off and your turning the crank the cam isn't turning. The cam has some of the valves open. As you turn the crank a piston is hitting a valve. That's probably your problem.
Old 05-24-2007, 03:56 AM
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Originally Posted by eallanboggs
Since you have the timing chain off and your turning the crank the cam isn't turning. The cam has some of the valves open. As you turn the crank a piston is hitting a valve. That's probably your problem.
he said heads/lifters are out!!!! and oil pump....

heres something to look at "oil tube" you did say oil pump is off so if it's hanging still could be bind the crank. turn it ccw and cw and you or some one else look in thru the oil pan to see if you find anything. gotta be smething simple your over looking. take your time and check everything. maybe buddy left something in there...... just take your time and keep looking realy good before you start to put it back to gother.
Old 05-24-2007, 08:20 AM
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The first thing I would do is check and make sure all your tools and any hardware or parts that came off the car are accounted for.
Old 05-24-2007, 09:25 AM
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Originally Posted by eallanboggs
Since you have the timing chain off and your turning the crank the cam isn't turning. The cam has some of the valves open. As you turn the crank a piston is hitting a valve. That's probably your problem.
LOL...You sir are the one that's in over his head. The heads are off, so guess what that means about the valves?

1936FordPU, thank you soo much!!! That was exactly it! I pulled the bolts out of the cam retainer plate, and it's back to normal!
Old 05-24-2007, 09:32 AM
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eallanboggs used to be one of the most knowledgeable LS1 gurus around. Its a damn shame his posts have become pretentious and belittling towards the original poster. Especially considering he has failed to read any of the MANY times it was mentioned that the heads were off the car. For gods sake, it was mentioned the VERY FIRST SENTENCE.

Elmer, what has happened to you?
Old 05-24-2007, 10:18 AM
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Originally Posted by eallanboggs
Since you have the timing chain off and your turning the crank the cam isn't turning. The cam has some of the valves open. As you turn the crank a piston is hitting a valve. That's probably your problem.
What part of the heads being off did you not understand? If there's no heads, theres no rockers, or pushrods or even springs for that matter to sit on the cam lobes for any valve to be open.

If it hadnt been for the bolt being the problem, it could have been a larger then normal cam base circle and one of the crank throws hitting the actual cam...I dont think this is a super stroker motor so that was definitely not the case and not my internet diagnosis. Thats why I mentioned the retainer plate bolt being the culprit.

Glad you got her fixed BTW. I bet you learned a valuable lesson about organizing your parts better the next time.
Old 05-24-2007, 10:21 AM
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Guits, glad to see it wasnt' serious.. and don't feel bad, i would have probably done the same thing.. but now i know better so you helped more than just your own problem with this tread now
Old 05-24-2007, 10:29 AM
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Originally Posted by Icetech
Guits, glad to see it wasnt' serious.. and don't feel bad, i would have probably done the same thing.. but now i know better so you helped more than just your own problem with this tread now
Im not sure what I had to do with any of this... lol

Xtnct00WS6 was the O/P
Old 05-24-2007, 11:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Icetech
Guits, glad to see it wasnt' serious.. and don't feel bad, i would have probably done the same thing.. but now i know better so you helped more than just your own problem with this tread now
I was the original poster. But yeah...I'm really glad it wasn't a big deal!! So to all those reading this...don't put the cam retainer plate bolts in without the retainer plate in place and then try and rotate the engine! And to think, I was actually going over the rod bolt install sticky so I could drop the k-member to get the oil pan off I kinda want to do the rod bolts now though haha!

Thanks again everyone!
Old 05-24-2007, 11:50 AM
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I did the same thing, luckily my engine was on the engine stand at the time. It's pretty disheartening. Glad you figured it out.



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