Hey,
As above I have a real issue turning my engine over by hand. I have carried out a full strip down and rebuild of a 998cc and was at the stage of trying to get the distributor drive spindle in at the right position. It was at 12/6 and Ive been trying to turn the engine over to ensure (or confirm that Im not...) Im at TDC firing piston 1. The engine wont budge. Ive tried the Crank bolt on the radiator side, both ways. If I reverse it, I get about 10 degrees of travel then clunk, nothing and if I go the other way the same. I have jacked the car up, lowered one wheel down onto chocks and ensured its not rotating, put the car into fourth and tried turning the other wheel. Its the same experience with the crank bolt - itll clunk a small rotation as if its about to go, then its like its locked. Im pulling with such force I nearly pulled the car off the jack. The rockers move very very slightly with the clunk, but then as its locked, nothing moves. When no gear is selected, the wheels turn no problems. When both wheels are in the air, they turn in opposite ways.
I turned the engine over when I did valve clearances, it moved nice and freely then. At that point the cam was in, timing gears on etc, head on obviously but gearbox and transfer gears were not on.
I have a reconditioned box from mini spares, its perfect really. The transfer gears are mine and original, not the straight cut type. The gear box all worked perfect as far as I could see and test. On fitting the idler gear, I required new shims and shimmed it up correctly. Once the case was on with the dry gasket, the gear rotated fine no issues. The primary gear required a new u-clip and a new rear bush to get it in to tolerance, which was on the tight side of the tolerance scale but in spec, but I cant rightly remember exactly what it was. I just know for positive I did this correctly for both the idler and the primary gear as both needed new bits.
Ive put this all together and fitted a pre-verto clutch with a lightened flywheel. The engine turned when I fitted the flywheel, as I remember it rotating as I was trying to torque down the bolt and realising I hadnt locked the flywheel. I had to rotate it back round again to get it back to TDC. I then realised I hadnt fitted the clutch oil seal. I know..... I took the whole lot off again and fitted it.... backwards. I know.... please....
I then took the whole lot off again, then took the clutch housing off too, as if anyones as stupid as I am, its easier to knock the seal back out from the back side. I didnt replace the gasket. I checked it, put some more gasket sealant on, cleaned off some of the loose stuff and refitted the housing, then the cluch, flywheel etc etc.
Im about to upload some pictures of the build in the hope someone can spot something. Im uploading them from a different device, hence the reply to my own post. My hunch originally was that either Ive made a mistake with the idler gear or the primary gear end float somehow. However, the longer Ive spent typing this, the more I think Ive made a mistake not fitting a new gasket on the clutch housing, not checking if the engine turned (I had the flywheel locking tool on and ready for the flywheel this time) and the transfer gear is now somehow too tight. If that is the case, would this very small change, if a change at all, cause the transfer gear to get so tight Im not able to turn the engine? Its literally the same gasket as it was when the gears did turn.
Thats the full history of it, I would very much appreciate if I can have help diagnosing this please. Im desperately hoping I dont have to take this engine out again too, its fought me every step of the way and Im not sure if Im ready for more exhaust manifold, tappet cover, carb jet, rod change selector or engine mount dramas.
Thanks all, pics just coming.
