HELP: Building an engine and it wont spin!
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,631
Likes: 1
From: Macomb, MI
HELP: Building an engine and it wont spin! I'm building an iron block 409 motor for my Camaro. I'm using a 4.0 Stroke and a 4.030 Bore. I just put in the #8 piston and I can not spin the motor over. I have a 2 foot breaker bar on the crank bolt and I can not get it to budge. I'm tightning the rod bolts to 55 ft/lbs. And the #8 piston is the only piston in the motor and it has been clearance for the reluctor wheel. If I loosen the bolts just a tad, the motor spins freely, but as soon as I torque the rod bolts I can not get it to budge.
Does anybody have any suggestions that I can try?
Im using a lunati 4" 4340 crank, manley 6.1 rods, Diamond 4.030 pistons and rings and a 6.0 block bored to 4.030.
Thanks
Does anybody have any suggestions that I can try?
Im using a lunati 4" 4340 crank, manley 6.1 rods, Diamond 4.030 pistons and rings and a 6.0 block bored to 4.030.
Thanks
*Bad Trader*
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: here and there
Re: HELP: Building an engine and it wont spin! double check and make sure they gave you the right rod bearing...did it spin frely after you tqed down the main caps if so the the rod is either in the wrong direction or its the wrong rod bearing. or maybe the reluctor wheel isnt clearanced enuff...
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 1,631
Likes: 1
From: Macomb, MI
Re: HELP: Building an engine and it wont spin! Well I dont know what I did, but I loosened and retorqued it two more times to 60 ft/lbs and it spins freely now. Maybe I wasn't tightning the bolts evenly enough or something like that but I got half the pistons/rods in now and I can freely spin it by hand so I have no idea why it wasn't spining before but thanks for the quick replies!
Re: HELP: Building an engine and it wont spin! If you were installing and torquing the rods one at a time, it may have been cocked on the journal when it was tightened. It is usually suggested that rods be installed in pairs and the caps hand tightened before either rod on that crank journal is torqued. This keeps the rods seated and helps keep them square which helps them seat the caps. I'm not sure if it was your problem, but it is a potential problem....
Just my thoughts....
Good luck!
Just my thoughts....
Good luck!
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*Bad Trader*
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: here and there
Re: HELP: Building an engine and it wont spin! i got a question that might pertain here, i just got done with my shortblock and its fairly tought to turn by hand but with a ratchet its pretty easy, this is normal right, i cant remember from my motor/....
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Verdad Gallardo Re: HELP: Building an engine and it wont spin! You should be able to turn the short block with a ratchet, but it is unlikeley that you will be able to spin it by hand. That is normal.