Help Spinning Motor

[Larry Gawron]

The engine has not been started in three years. I would like to put some oil in the cylinders and turn the engine before I start it. How can I spin the motor by hand? It is a 4-speed.

I have already changed the oil & filter and pressurized the oil using a drill attachment through the distributor hole.

[Duke W.]

Re: Help Spinning Motor

Three years isn't that long. There is still plenty of oil on the rings. I say start it up.

Duke

[Gary Schisler]

Re: Help Spinning Motor

If you feel that you must rotate the engine, remove the wire from the coil and ground it to the block. Using a freshly charged battery and a fresh oil change, spin the engine for a few seconds. Wait 15 seconds and then repeat this cylce. Once you have oil pressure indicated, continue to rotate the engine for 15-30 seconds. The caveat here is that the starter is not designed for long sustained or continued cranking.
Gary

[Christopher R.]

Re: Help Spinning Motor

Put some oil down through the spark plug holes and let it sit for a few days. With the plugs out (and the tranny in neutral), you might be able to pull on the fan belt to get the engine to turn a bit. Failing that, the bolt on the end of your crankshaft that holds the harmonic balancer on can be used. Use a breaker bar. I think the usual hot rod stores (Summit, Jegs, etc.) sell a device that bolts to the harmonic balancer or the pulley for this purpose. You could also put the car in gear and rock it. Lastly, if don't mind some risk to your starter, hook it up and turn the key. But before you do this, loosen the clamps on the battery cables to the posts so that could can quickly disconnect one and break the circuit if the engine is frozen. Releasing the ignition key from the start position might not disengage the starter if the engine is frozen. That's because if the engine is stuck, the starter will lock into it when it engages and might not disengage. Nasty fire hazard. That circuit is not fused. Don't ask how I know this.

And if it's really stuck, and you've got nothing to lose, put a penetrant down the plug holes, and take off the clutch inspection plate at the bell housing so you can get to the flywheel. A tire iron can then be used to lever the flywheel around little by little. Back and forth with more penetrant all the time down the plug holes. This will beat the crap out of the bell housing where you fulcrum the tire iron lever, and you really risk breaking teeth on the flywheel. Again, don't ask how I know this. But that was 20+ years ago, and the engine runs fine now. After you get the engine to turn 360 degrees, you can spin it with the starter with the plugs out. It'll make a mess, so put rags on the inner fender wells to catch the gunk that comes out of the spark plug holes. I put lots of oil and WD-40 down there and spun the hell out of the engine. Before doing that, I had one of those tools that replaces the distributor and pumps up the oil pressure with an electric drill. Obviously change the oil after all this. I guess you risk breaking a piston ring. But if the engine is frozen, you've really got nothing to lose, do you?

[Larry Gawron]

Re: Help Spinning Motor

Thanks for all the help. I ended up using the starter to spin the motor with the plugs removed. I poured some oil in each cylinder, used a drill with an adapter to drive the oil pump for a while. The motor turned over easily. I'm hoping to start it within the next week or two. Can't wait. Thanks again.