Thread: Trying to turn the crank - need help

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I had a 383 sbc built for me around 2 1/2 years ago and its been sitting since. Its a blower motor and should have around
8 1/2:1 compression with no blower. Im going to try and start this thing in the next month or so I am trying to get everything ready but I can barely turn the crank over with a screwdriver and the flywheel, I tried hooking a battery up to the starter and trying with my hands on the front pulley to turn it over and Ive had no luck turning it. Should it be this HARD? this is my kinda my first engine ive really messed with. The engine has been sealed for most of the time sitting.

Travis

Pull the valve covers and see if there are any rockers or pushrods. If they are in place, see if the rockers have been backed off to save the springs while the motor has been stored.

rockers and pushrods are in and tight

Are the rockers tightened down so far that the springs are coil binding or the retainers are bottoming on the guides??

no they all look perfect

I can move the rockers if i push down on them pretty hard.. Maybe cause the springs are so stiff might be why its so hard to spin?

Choose a valve that is fully closed and back off the rocker until it is loose on the valve stem. Then turn all the other rocker nuts the same number of turns and try turning the motor again, but don't force it. Just go easy with a screwdriver on the ring gear. Removing all the spark plugs will make it easier too.

I had this problem too. I had my 427 on the stand for over a year and a half, inside, assembled, oiled bagged , etc. I turned it every few weeks with no problems.

I went to put the engine in, put on the flywheel, oil pump, pan etc. I got the engine in and went to prime the oiling system, went to rotate the assembly it turned about 1/8 turn with a great deal of difficulty and refused to turn any farther. Bam it seemed locked up.

I didn't turn the engine directly prior to putting it in... WTF... Ok, so I started at the oil pan / pump, crank wasn't hitting anything... Ok... Hmmm... well was the ckutch hitting the bell housing / flywheel... Maybe... Ok out came the engine...

Nope. Bellhousing wasn't the problem... What else could it be... I decided to put it on the stand so I could turn it upside down, was something lodged in the crank??? I unbolted the clutch, then the flywheel. As I got the third flywheel bolt out the engine turned!

It seems the ARP flywheel bolts were longer than the Ford units. The cluprit was the 427's balance included a few hundredths being removed from the bolt face of the flywheel, thus allowing a number of the new bolts to hit the back of the block... I shaved a few hundredths off each of the bolts, weighing each to maintain a neutral balance on the bolts and all was well...

Hope this helps,

1cobra1, I've never experienced that, but it sure makes sense. Thanks.

Fresh rebuilds can be pretty tight, especially after sitting long enough to drain the oil off the rings and pistons. Squirt some light oil in the plug holes and hit the starter with the plugs out.

I second the tight rings. I built an engine a few years back and it was one of my first ones. I built it tight to tolerance. I was friends with a machine shop and asked it to be as exact as possible. I mean I plastiguaged everything, miked, measured, matched. I rustoleumed the water jacket, installed everything I had read about. The engine was a work of art!
I wrecked the donor car. My piece of art sat for about two years. I went to run it in a new vehicle I had worked on, and it was stiff!
I had to take it out and turn the crank with a breaker bar on the flywheel side of the engine. I oiled the cylinders and let it sit.
Once I got it a full turn, it went "easily" like it did fresh.
I believe in my case, the rings just got very used to being where they had been, and everything else had just gotten used to being where it had been.
Plugs out, WD 40, waiting, elbow grease, reinstall, and she fired with lots of smoke. I also cranked for a while with the plugs out before I started it.