[VB] Help! Locked Up Engine that Ran 2 Weeks Ago - Puzzler

[Avocado Tom Tarka]

The cylinder head for cylinders one and two (right side of the engine, RIR) as opposed to the one on the other side (cylinders number 3 and 4).

> On Jul 24, 2021, at 10:08 PM, cdreike <cdreike at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> What is a 1/2 head?
> 
> Chris
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
> 
> 
> -------- Original message --------
> From: Avocado Tom Tarka <avocadotom at gmail.com>
> Date: 7/24/21 5:43 PM (GMT-08:00)
> To: "<vintagebus at type2.com>" <vintagebus at type2.com>
> Subject: Re: [VB] Help! Locked Up Engine that Ran 2 Weeks Ago - Puzzler
> 
> Following up...
> 
> I looked at in a little more detail and it's binding between TDC and ~12
> ATDC, which would seem to point to something binding as the piston is
> coming back into the cylinder.  And the cylinder seems to be on there
> pretty well (no wiggle when I attempt to move it by hand).
> 
> ---
>   "We are MoTown.  We are professionals.  We're here to get the job done."
> 
> 
> On Sat, Jul 24, 2021 at 2:58 AM Avocado Tom Tarka <avocadotom at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> 
> > Greetings Volks!
> >
> > I just found myself in a bit of a bind, where my engine which ran when I
> > pulled it two weeks ago will no longer turn over.
> >
> > I'll run through the whole saga for completeness but the basics are that I
> > pulled the engine to replace the transmission and ended up pulling the 3/4
> > head as well because the #4 spark plug broke off in the head.  I just
> > torqued the 1/2 head (I usually torque the heads when the engine's out if I
> > can), and when I went to set the valves: no go.  The engine doesn't turn
> > over by hand (with or without the rocker arm on).  The 3/4 head is still
> > off, as my plan was to put it on tomorrow.  Help?
> >
> >     - Tom
> > (full disclosure: I'm cross-posting this to thesamba because I'm a little
> > freaked about needing to get this engine back up and running)
> >
> > Full Story is as Follows:
> >
> > Background:
> > Bus is 1967 with stock transmission.  Engine is 1600 SP I rebuilt ~35,000
> > miles ago.
> >
> > My plan was to pull and replace the transmission on my 1967 bus.  I
> > figured I'd do a compression check before I pulled the engine, just to see
> > if I should be tackling anything else while the engine was out.  I recalled
> > that the compression on #4 might be low, but my notebook is currently MIA.
> >
> > Compression was good on cylinders 1-3 (115, 112.5, 115).  When removing
> > spark plug #4 to check the compression: it broke off.  Doh!
> >
> > [u]The Saga[/u]
> > 1. Pull engine.  Pull 3/4 head.  Remove broken spark plug base with
> > extractor.  Take head to the machine shop to check threads and valve guides.
> >
> > 2. Clean outside of engine and check endplay.  It's at 0.009" (no surprise
> > there, I knew it was off).
> >
> > 3. Attempt to remove gland nut: no go without the engine being in a more
> > stable place (instead of on blocks).  Decide to wait until the engine is
> > back to a longblock, then deal with it.
> >
> > 4. Clean off built up carbon from the top of the #3 piston.  Can't recall
> > if I did the #4 piston or not.  Currently, the #3 piston is close to TDC
> > with #4 all of the way in. (This seems like it could be important or could
> > be a red herring...unclear, but I thought I'd call it out.)
> >
> > 5. Pull the rocker arm from the 1/2 head and torque the head nuts, first
> > to ~7 foot-pounds using the initial sequence, then to 22.5 ft-lbs using the
> > second sequence.  None of the upper nuts move in either tightening
> > sequence.  The lower nuts, particularly the middle two, do tighten during
> > the second sequence.
> >
> > 6. Reinstall push rods and rocker arm after cleaning. Remove flywheel
> > lock.  Attempt to turn the engine over by hand from the pulley: engine
> > doesn't move more than 1/2 inch.
> >
> > 7. Remove rocker arm and push rods (in case I screwed something up) and
> > attempt to turn over engine.  Still no dice.
> >
> > I'm at a loss.  If I had adjusted the end play, I could see the engine
> > being locked up (I've had that happen before).  I can't imagine that
> > torquing the heads would have any impact though.
> >
> > My best guess is that the base of the #4 jug moved a little forward or
> > that somehow one of the rings on the #4 piston got caught on the edge of
> > the jug somehow.  It seems really unlikely that that might be the case, but
> > I just can't think of anything else?
> >
> > Any ideas?  Engine has oil in it, and like I said: it ran fine when I
> > pulled it, has decent compression (for a 7:1 ratio), etc.
> >
> > Thanks!
> >   Tom
> > ---
> >   "We are MoTown.  We are professionals.  We're here to get the job done."
> >
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