Looking for an answer of wtf is going on. I was doing a project that included the following....
Swap out intake
swapped out runners to slp
removed egr
removed smog pump and all the tubes

In the process of removing the smog pump I also removed the bracket for the a/c and smog pump so I could clean it up. A/C is long gone now a delete pulley there.
When I got everything put back together I cranked the engine and it cranked for a second then locked up. Sounded like maybe the battery was dead(took 2 weeks to get around to everything) so I checked it and found 13 volts. I next tried to manually turn the crank and it stops at the same spot everytime. I pulled the distributor thinking maybe I screwed up the reinstall and jammed it in wrong but trying to manually turn the crank still stops at the same spot. I turned it backwards a little and it stops at the same spot again. What could have been done doing what I did to end up with this problem? WTF is causing it? What should I try next?
89 Formula 350 tpi.
Thanks

 

Dropped something inside a cylinder when doing intake swap?

Piston jams bolt or whatever into the head preventing engine turning any further

 

Oh geez. That makes sense but means I have to take off at least one frigging head and possibly both. ARGH!!

 

Almost everything pulled again but once I pull the manifold I think I will try using a magnet into the openings to see if I can pull it out that way. I'd rather not have to pull a head or heads.
Thanks for pointing out what the problem was. Stupid runner bolts. Looking back I know exactly when one got away. I thought it fell to the ground under the car. Nope, it went elsewhere and now I know where.

 

did you get it without tearing -it apart

 

I haven't pulled the manifold yet. I hope to get it back off tonight or tomorrow. Maybe I'll get lucky and the bolt is actually visable. I think it is one of the longer bottom runner bolts.

 

make sure it dosnt leave metal inside you said that it turn once and also make dam sure it didnt damage anything or chew up your crank k

 

I think the bolt fell out of a runner when I lost my cool for a minute and the bolt fell into the air cross passage. After finishing with the intake runners and everything I checked the lash on some rockers that required me to turn the engine quite a few times with a socket and it turned fine. It cranked for a second at most and I think that sucked the bolt over into the chamber. It hasn't turned since but will go counter clockwise until it reaches the same point. Too busy last night to pull the manifold but will get to it today.
Main thing learned is to keep calm and be patient when working on this stuff.

 

engines are inanimate and don't know if you are mad or happy.

 

Pulled the manifold last night and found no bolt visible in the inlet areas. Could the bolt have shot past the intake valve? Geeze. Passenger head next.

 

Most likely;that is why it is jamming the crank up because it is on top of the piston.

If it was jammed under a valve more than likely you would be able to turn engine over and would have damaged the valve itself

 

Pulled the passenger head last night........no bolt. Looks like the driver side goes next....then my sanity.

 

OK, I am now baffled. Before I went after the driver side head I tried turning the crank......it turned freely for as many times as I tried. WTF is going on?
Anyone have any ideas with what might be going on before I put the pass head back on?

 

Really getting crazy now. I finally got the time to finish up everything and cranked it up tonight. It ran great. I turned it off knowing there wasn't much water/antifreeze in the radiator. When I finished filling up the rad I went to crank it up and it made an awful clank. Could the starter be bad and lock up? When it was running it sounded great. I turned it off and cranked it again with it sounding good. Then stop for 5 minutes to put water in then the clank comes back? Locked up starter?

 

Hey there mt2.
A starter will not lock up a motor. that being said if your not sure drop the starter and turn over the engine by hand.
you never did say if you had the driverside head off??? sometimes a shortcut just creates more work.
a bolt could work it's way past the intake valve and cause a lock up. but more likely it would ride on the top of the valve and hold the valve open which will also cause lock up.
I have known a couple of motors run pretty good with a streched timing chain, broken rod, and even a broke crank.

 

You never found whatever was obstructing it in the first place. It's probably still in there. Pull the intake off again and see if you can find it. If not remove both heads this time. Drain the oil and look for metal pieces.

Good luck!

 

What has me confused and pretty much getting tired of the whole ordeal is how it ran fine after I got it all back together. Turn it off then cranked it again. No problems. Then try to crank it after filling radiator and after a couple of turns comes the clank. I'm not going into the driver head since it was undisturbed and the problem went away and then came back. If the problem was there it wouldn't have gone away in the first place. I also know the pass head is clear so now I am lost. May be looking at a new engine soon. Argh!

 

Okay, so I got home today and started checking it. Turned the engine backwards and forwards. Seems to be fine. Tried to crank it and got an awful sound. I am starting to think bad starter. I took a long wood handle and put it against the starter and whacked it a couple of times. Second whack I heard some sound coming from the starter like it was unraveling or something. When I went to turn the engine after trying to crank it and hearing the awful noise I heard a noise from the backside under the engine. Driving me crazy now.

 

Good job !! sounds like you making some progress, the starter is mounted on the backside under the engine. drop the starter and test it