Can't get engine to crank

[BillGrissom]

Another thing you can try is to fill the oil passages with oil. If the bearings are dry, you don't want to turn it much without oil. What I do with an engine that has been sitting a long time is to use a small hand-pump garden spray to force oil into the port where the oil pressure switch sits. I even put a 1/8" "T" there so I can leave the switch on. I cobbled together rubber hose to make it fit. You don't need a lot of pressure on the sprayer. Fill it with 1 qt and if it is gone after a day, it should have passed thru all the galleys and bearings. I have done this on my SB & BB, but not yet on my slant where the switch is down low.

After this, if you can't turn it over reasonably easy by hand (say 20 ft-lbf torque on crank), the engine might be bad. However, I would try running it first. If rusty cylinder walls, they might clean up with running. After you get it running, see if when you turn it by hand you can feel each cylinder compression (spark plugs in). If you fight each cylinder and hear it hiss down over >5 sec, that is a sign of great compression. I have had engines where you feel no resistance, yet they run OK and the compression is acceptable, though not ideal (say 110 psi). Most engines should be 150 psi or higher, but that depends a lot on the camshaft used.

 

[UnicronHound]

Well turns out the starter did go bad, replaced it and it's not running still, then the cable pretty much broke in my hands. But I was FINALLY able to turn my flywheel, so there's still hope, I guess I wasn't using a big enough crowbar for prying. The damn thing is strong so though, it keeps chipping the crowbars, thankfully they chips aren't falling into the tranny. Unfortunately I can't afford another cable yet, so I'll update after my payment clears over the weekend!

 

[BillGrissom]

Well turns out the starter did go bad, replaced it and it's not running still, then the cable pretty much broke in my hands. But I was FINALLY able to turn my flywheel, so there's still hope, I guess I wasn't using a big enough crowbar for prying. The damn thing is strong so though, it keeps chipping the crowbars, thankfully they chips aren't falling into the tranny. Unfortunately I can't afford another cable yet, so I'll update after my payment clears over the weekend!

Chipping a crowbar sounds scary. You don't want to chip teeth on the torque converter or your starter won't be able to turn over the engine, and you would have to pull apart the engine and tranny to fix. I would fill each cylinder with some squirts of oil and use 2 hands on the fan belt to turn it back and forth until you can turn it all the way over fairly easily. That should scrape off any rust in the cylinders. If it never gets easy to turn, you might have broken piston rings.

You don't need a new starter cable. You can get one for a few bucks at any junkyard. I would get a mini-starter from an 80-90's Dodge Magnum engine (RAM trucks, etc) and the cable with it, for maybe $15.

 

[67Dart273]

If you are breaking a crowbar or chipping ring gear teeth trying to turn an engine over

THERE IS PROBABLY something wrong with the engine!!!!!

 

[Bulldozer]

it should spin with minimal effort

 

[UnicronHound]

well, turns out because of the chipping of the crow bar it was no longer slim enough for the teeth of the flywheel, so I bought a new one, and I've done at least 16 full rotations of the flywheel. I can hear how dry the cylinders are, so I'm guessing the best thing I can do is put oil in the cylinders, rotate the flywheel a couple times, then add more oil. I know that at least two cylinders are decent, I'm just not sure as to which ones. I can feel how smooth they are when I rotate the flywheel, compared to the others which sound like a squeegee.

 

[BillGrissom]

I can hear how dry the cylinders are, so I'm guessing the best thing I can do is put oil in the cylinders, rotate the flywheel a couple times, then add more oil.

Didn't many people tell you that step 1 was to remove the spark plugs and pour a few teaspoons of oil in each cylinder? I hope you didn't damage the cylinders by turning it dry.

 

[67Dart273]

Didn't many people tell you that step 1 was to remove the spark plugs and pour a few teaspoons of oil in each cylinder? I hope you didn't damage the cylinders by forcing it to turn dry.

You might pull the plugs and inspect with a small flashlight. Any sign of rust, water, etc?

Remove all the spark plugs so you don't fight compression or possibly water in a cylinder........................... I would leave them soaking............................ w/ oil,.

If the engine is seized as a last ditch effort you can pull all the spark plugs, fill the cylinders with diesel fuel and let it sit for a couple of days........................

I know it's been awhile, but I went with the kerosene trick, instead of diesel, and got the crank pulley to move half a rotation,

Kerosine and diesel are basically the same. Since you moved it 1/2 rotation, you are almost there. Leave the spark plugs out and put a few ounces of motor oil in each hole. .

This engine in a flood???

How are your fabrication skills? BY NOW meaning a LOOOONGGG time ago I would have constructed myself a "tool" to turn that engine.

Can you weld? Have a drill?

Pull the front pulley off the engine crank. Get a flat scrap of say, 1/4" steel, and duplicate the bolt pattern of the bottom pulley onto the flat steel Drill/ plasma cut, or torch whatever clearance you need in the center. Then weld a large socket to the plate in the biggest drive size (minimum 1/2") you own so you can get some leverage on the engine.

At this point, though, I think I'd be pulling the head.

 

[UnicronHound]

Didn't many people tell you that step 1 was to remove the spark plugs and pour a few teaspoons of oil in each cylinder? I hope you didn't damage the cylinders by turning it dry.

I started out by putting 4 quarts into the engine through where you're supposed to, before I tried turned anything, then people said to remove the sparkplugs, and put oil in through there too. I did that as well. Where they said to put the oil in, you can't see the cylinders what-so-ever as some have suggested you should be able to. All I can see is thin rods going from where the cylinder heads should be, and reaching up to where the manifold is. I'm guessing they have something to do with the rocker arms. I had a friend turn the flywheel while I was watching the rods with a flashlight, none of them seemed to move.

This engine in a flood???

Pull the front pulley off the engine crank. Get a flat scrap of say, 1/4" steel, and duplicate the bolt pattern of the bottom pulley onto the flat steel Drill/ plasma cut, or torch whatever clearance you need in the center. Then weld a large socket to the plate in the biggest drive size (minimum 1/2") you own so you can get some leverage on the engine.

At this point, though, I think I'd be pulling the head.

First no, this engine was never in a flood, I had it running 2 or so years ago, and it ran like new. When I turn the crank pulley the flywheel doesn't move at all, if I turn the flywheel then the crank pulley also moves, so I don't really know why the crank shaft pulley doesn't move the flywheel.

 

[Bulldozer]

I started out by putting 4 quarts into the engine through where you're supposed to, before I tried turned anything, then people said to remove the sparkplugs, and put oil in through there too. I did that as well. Where they said to put the oil in, you can't see the cylinders what-so-ever as some have suggested you should be able to.you cant see the cylinders with the head on the engine. All I can see is thin rods going from where the cylinder heads should be, and reaching up to where the manifold is. I'm guessing they have something to do with the rocker arms.those are the pushrods. I had a friend turn the flywheel while I was watching the rods with a flashlight, none of them seemed to move.are you saying that the flywheel turns but nothing in the engine does??
I had it running 2 or so years ago, and it ran like new. When I turn the crank pulley the flywheel doesn't move at all again, the crank turns but the flywheel doesnt? if I turn the flywheel then the crank pulley also moves, so I don't really know why the crank shaft pulley doesn't move the flywheel.

very confusing post. pull the head off. seriously, this engine sounds damaged. i would have pulled it out already. if the flywheel and the crank pulley arent moving together and the valve gear and pushrods arent moving with them , at the same time , its broke. start pulling parts off of it until all you can see is 6 pistons staring at you in the face. take all the belts off and the whole front end of the engine off. then, and only then ,will you be able to physically see whats going on.

 

[BillGrissom]

UnicronHound, sorry for launching on you. I forgot that you earlier said that you put oil in the cylinders thru the spark plug holes (assume you used a small funnel so didn't just run down to oil pan. Keep doing that to keep the piston rings free.

None of us can figure how the pulley can turn without turning the flywheel. The fact that the flywheel turns the pulley suggests your crank is not broken and that the pulley is just slipping on the crankshaft. I think they have a Woodruff key to lock them to the crank, so maybe that is missing. If so, you should be able to see the slot in the crank turn as you turn the flywheel, maybe having an assistant with a mirror. I haven't removed the crank pulley on my slants as far as I recall, so can't tell you more. I would leave the heads on for now and keep trying things from the outside. Your engine could be OK and just need a few simple external fixes.