Tonight I installed a new starter after having trouble with the old one. But still the engine just won't turn. So I removed all sparkplugs and tried to rotate it by turning the crank myself. I just managed to turn it a degree or so and then I heard a small klonk noice from inside the engine. I then turned a fraction bit more and everytime it moved, I heard that noice again. It takes a lot of force to turn the engine, almost like all the sparkplugs are still installed (but they're not).

The background is this. The engine has been sitting since november last year, a few weeks ago I removed the old syntetic oil and gave the engine a new oilfilter and new syntetic oil.

I've also installed a copper shim between the head and the block to lower the compression a bit (the heads had been miled a tad too much by the previous owner).

I started it up two times for about 3-5 seconds each. It got oilpressure almost immediately, and after that I've had what I thought was a starter problem. But probably it was the engine that was hard to turn around.

So what do you guys/gals think, that I've got a spun main bearing, a malfunctioning lifter or something?

/Anders

 

you could pull the pan and check for sure..its not fun but it only takes about an hour to get the pan out.

 

doubt you'd hear a spun bearing turning it just a bit by hand, also doubt a spun bearing would keep your from turning the engine by hand freely, but "freely" is very subjective.

 

I must get better to reply to my own posts when I find the sollution. You're right. It wasn't a spun bearing. It was the starters solenoid that didn't retract. the starters little wheel was still making physical contact with the flywheel - that'swhy it was so hard to turn.

I have swaped the old starter out and installed a CVR Protorque ministarter, problem solved.

/Anders

 

He you had a perfect excuse to tear the engine down, and you didn't take it...

Congratulations on actually determining what the problem was instead of just starting to take things apart or replace stuff.