Rotating Engine - Siezed?

kafingerlos · **Posted:** Tue Jul 25, 2017 2:06 am

Ok, here's the background - I'm working on a mail seal replacement. Now starting to put things back together. At this point I have the trans out, and just re-attached the flex plate to the engine.

I am having a problem where suddenly the engine seems to be seized. We rotated it clockwise to remove each of the TC bolts, however we are now unable to rotate the engine at all (after removing the flexplate - those bolts were a bugger, removing the flexplate hub/adapter, replacing the main seal, re-installing the flexplate hub, re-installing the flexplate).

The engine did rotate a small bit while removing the flexplate bolts. I ended up "locking" it by attaching a bar to the nut on the front side of the shaft and clamping the end of the bar to the engine lift point at the front. It has not moved since.

Attempting to rotate the engine clockwise from the front has resulted in the nut at the end of the crankshaft coming loose. It seems to tighten counter-clockwise. Had to tighten it, the engine will not turn that direction either.

I'm at a loss as to what I could have done to seize the engine; or if I do need to rotate it what my options to do so might be (can't apply sufficient torque via that front bolt).

Looking for suggestions for things to try or what I might have done. Feeling like my next step is to pull glow plugs on the off chance that this is just a compression cycle and that with the pressure removed the motor will rotate. My other thought has been to re-install the starter and let it give it a go, but a miss there seems like it'd be a thrashed/stripped flexplate which I'd rather avoid.

GordnadoCRD · **Posted:** Tue Jul 25, 2017 2:21 am

Even if it were a compression cycle, a few seconds is all it takes for the air to equalize past the rings, so your problem will be elsewhere.
Are you saying that even after removing the flex plate, it is still locked up?
How much time has passed since it was running?
At this juncture, I have no experience with RMS replacement on this vehicle, so no help with that.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:38 am

Have you installed the new seal yet? or just removed the flexplate?

I have heard of issues with locking in engine after installing a new rear main seal, but never before.

kafingerlos · **Posted:** Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:48 am

Thanks Sam!, as well as Gordnado.

My current state is that the new seal is installed, flexplate adapter hub (with the new TTY bolts) is installed, and the flexplate is reinstalled. I need to rotate the engine a bit to align the first of the flexplate bolt holes with the access window so that I can start with things where I can get the first torque converter bolt in place.

So basically once I'd buttoned up the back side of the engine I went to rotate it and found that will not budge.

Sam, tell me more about what you've heard on locking up after the new seal is installed. Sounds like the place where I'm at. Are the seals just that tight? If so, can the starter "push through it"?

I'm debating if my best course of action is to take it all apart again (and get new TTY bolts) to see if with the bearing cap and seal removed if the engine can be rotated. That's the only way I can think of to definitively say it's the seal that is my problem.

Thanks!

Jsamps1345 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:00 pm

sounds like the same issue i had when i put mine back together. I did not realize that there were spacers(stuck to the old RMS), and i put it back together without the spacers. It would not turn over at all. I took it back apart put the spacers in and reassembled and it was just fine. I did buy new bolts for the second assembly.

kafingerlos · **Posted:** Thu Jul 27, 2017 12:12 pm

Looks like the bearing retainer plate (looks like a donut/washer with two little wings) shifted and was clamped down in the wrong place. It's a loose press-fit kinda animal in the bearing support. Lives between the thrust washer and the bearing itself. Does not show on the parts diagrams in the fiche or FSM.

Anway, it sits there, and it's all soft aluminum. Getting clamped down in the wrong place deformed the metal that it's supposed to seat into and warped the retainer.

Anybody have a part number for this retainer? or know if it's included in the support or bearing PN?

I've ordered bearings, and a new support, and a new rear main seal. Guess in a week or so when they come in I'll try again.

Jsamps1345 · **Posted:** Thu Jul 27, 2017 1:01 pm

I don't know the P/N but to be aware mine had 2 of these retainers, one on each side of the support.

kafingerlos · **Posted:** Thu Jul 27, 2017 1:21 pm

[quote="Jsamps1345"]I don't know the P/N but to be aware mine had 2 of these retainers, one on each side of the support.

Yup, mine too. Both bear the same 124A503VM marking. Not sure how to convert that to something I can order though.

Rotating Engine - Siezed?

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