A Bent Crank or Something Cheaper:
A.S. : I had a run-in with a large rock that almost ripped off my oil pan, split my starter in three, and bent my flex plate. I pulled it out and fixed every thing- I thought. The starter will only turn the engine a quarter of the way with the spark plugs in and slowly with them out. I tested the starter and removed all the tension from the lifters and still no luck. Does anybody have anymore suggestions before I pull the engine again and check the torque on the main bearings?
D.C. : You have probably already done this but how about checking the starter gear to flex plate-ring gear clearance. Also, check for bent crankshaft/flex plate by checking run out of the flex plate as the engine is being turned over. If you do have to pull the engine again, I would put the starter on and make sure it cranks over while it is on the engine stand.
G.M. : Take out the spark plugs again and try turning the engine over by hand using a large socket wrench (1/2 inch drive) or breaker bar on the balancer bolt. You should not have any trouble turning it with either of those two tools. A 3/8 drive setup may make it feel harder than it really is. If it does not turn a complete revolution somewhat freely, then you probably bent the crank. If it does spin okay, then I would suspect a bad starter or a weak/bad battery. I bought a starter that had this kind of problem once and tried to start the car while the starter was dragging. The battery blew up in my face so be very careful and do not try to force it to start.
G._. : If your balancer does not have the center bolt, then use one of the bolts that hold the pulleys on and use a 3/8" socket wrench. They are far enough from the center of the crank to where you should have enough leverage. Using a 1/2" setup on these bolts would probably make it real easy to shear one off if your engine is too tight.
Archivist: Tom Wilson
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