Hand Turning crankshaft ?

[NickSpider]

Okay my 75 isnt running, its got the 1.8L engine. I was told to make sure the engine is not froze up. It seems I have stripped the 38mm crankshaft nut or the outer threads trying to get the engine to turn, what am I doing wrong. Is there a special tool to slide over the crankshaft that avoids this? I can't afford to replace too many $14 nuts.

thanks.

[pope]

You did remove the spark plugs before your tried to turn the crank? Right!

[So Cal Mark]

stripping the threads on the crankshaft is different than rounding the corners on the nut. I would assume you rounded the corners on the nut. Were you using the right size socket? The engine shouldn't be that hard to turn. If it's been sitting a long time, I'd pour ATF in the cylinders and let it sit a couple of days. Then try rocking the crankshaft nut back and forth to see if the motor will break loose

[NickSpider]

stripping the threads on the crankshaft is different than rounding the corners on the nut. I would assume you rounded the corners on the nut. Were you using the right size socket? The engine shouldn't be that hard to turn. If it's been sitting a long time, I'd pour ATF in the cylinders and let it sit a couple of days. Then try rocking the crankshaft nut back and forth to see if the motor will break loose

I actually stripped the threads not the corners of the nut, the guy from Vicks acted like this was a regular occurence. I have a 38 mm socket with huge ratchet and breaker bar and even a pipe to get leverage. What happened was, when I was trying to turn over the crank, it ended up tightening the nut to the point where it could not get any tighter and striped the threads.

I poured atf fluid in each cylinder and left the spark plugs out when trying to turn the crank, let the atf sit for a week or more. From looking at the engine I see no signs that the internal parts would be froze up or anything, just having trouble turning it over. All the components that are sealed look just like new parts, just the exterior has a little corrosion from the texas humidity sitting for 20 or so years in storage.

Do I need to put it in a certain gear? How much does it need to turn? Any tips greatly appreciated.

[So Cal Mark]

if the motor is that tight, I doubt you're going to get it turning without disassembly. Even if you do get it freed up, I'd have serious concern about the condition of the cyl walls and rings.

[NickSpider]

if the motor is that tight, I doubt you're going to get it turning without disassembly. Even if you do get it freed up, I'd have serious concern about the condition of the cyl walls and rings.

thats not good news at all, thats what I was kinda worried about. What skill level and time am I looking at disassembling the top end?

[So Cal Mark]

pretty easy to pull the head complete, with manifolds still attached.

[bradartigue]

Okay my 75 isnt running, its got the 1.8L engine. I was told to make sure the engine is not froze up. It seems I have stripped the 38mm crankshaft nut or the outer threads trying to get the engine to turn, what am I doing wrong. Is there a special tool to slide over the crankshaft that avoids this? I can't afford to replace too many $14 nuts.

thanks.

There is a special tool called the you-push-it-in-gear-with-the-plugs-out.

Remove the plugs.
Release the brake.
Put the car in 5th gear.
Roll the car. The motor will turn quite easily - some resistance from moving the pistons and camshafts around, but otherwise it should turn with a little force.