cant turn engine over by hand

Thanks for the reply wammers,have seen a sealy diesel timing kit on the net ,i already have the dail indecator ,and the pump puller from when i changed fuel imjection pump.pat.

Bought sealey timing.kit,hopefully be here in next few days,will.keep you updated on how i get on,no doubt ill be needing help and tips.pat

wammers said:

Pat with due respect to you and your efforts. From the questions you are asking it appears you lack a certain amount of expertise. Maybe it would be a good idea if you know anybody with more knowledge, to get them to look at your car for you.

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To be honest that was my thought when somebody wondered why they couldn't turn their diesel over by hand...

PS not trying to put you off - good luck!

paddocks1967 said:

Hi guys,got another problem hope somebody can help yesterdaycar just conked out,tried starting it car was dead thought maybe starter was goosed,took starter out trid to crank engine by hand could on get a little turn, ie,from say twelve o clock to ten past ,then cant get anymore movement,checked starter that was fine engine oil was fine,so that rules out a seized engine, just before engine stopped the engine felt like it jumped lke say when it jumps out of gear, friend sayed maybe timing chain maybe snapped,has anybidy got any other ideas.thank pat.

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paddocks1967 said:

Bought sealey timing.kit,hopefully be here in next few days,will.keep you updated on how i get on,no doubt ill be needing help and tips.pat

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You're going to need a hell of a lot more than a Sealey timing kit.

Has the cause of the original problem been determined yet?

Not yet but ill let you know,just takin my time,to dark,and wet from when i get back from work,just doing wee bit at time,there seems to be a lot of doubters,on this site now.

paddocks1967 said:

Not yet but ill let you know,just takin my time,to dark,and wet from when i get back from work,just doing wee bit at time,there seems to be a lot of doubters,on this site now.

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Not Doubters as I think we all wish you luck, just concern really, as the Diesels are more complicated than people realise...

I applaud all who do their own maintenace and repairs.....just keep in mind that BMW didn't make engines easy for others to work on, their ethos is, make it complicated that way they have to come to BMW to get it repaired....

Glad you are taking your time, Take photos of each stage to refer back to, write lists and draw diagrams of how things go back together, research, research and more research...

Thanks

pat as above we all behind you mate, the best of luck to you..

Cheers j.

Well lads,got hesd off this afternoon,it was a dropped valve in no three cylinder only probpem it has ****ed the head,the area where the valve seats is all damaged,so it looks like a second hand head is needed what. kind of price are they.pat.

Soloby Rob said:

You're going to need a hell of a lot more than a Sealey timing kit.

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paddocks1967 said:

Well lads,got hesd off this afternoon,it was a dropped valve in no three cylinder only probpem it has ****ed the head,the area where the valve seats is all damaged,so it looks like a second hand head is needed what. kind of price are they.pat.

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And you thought I was taking the **** pat :hysterically_laughi:hysterically_laughi

You might also (most likely) have other damage so consider a used engine.

Now when you bring the n 3 piston to tdc does it come right up to the top of the cylinder or is there a small gap if so your conrod is bent
also a good idea to check to see if piston is cracked and big end bearings are ok.

Soloby Rob said:

And you thought I was taking the **** pat :hysterically_laughi:hysterically_laughi

You might also (most likely) have other damage so consider a used engine.

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ovalandrover said:

Now when you bring the n 3 piston to tdc does it come right up to the top of the cylinder or is there a small gap if so your conrod is bent
also a good idea to check to see if piston is cracked and big end bearings are ok.

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Like I've been saying, full engine re build or a used replacement engine. pat :bounce:

Whats the best route,iam thinking cylinder head.pat

paddocks1967 said:

Whats the best route,iam thinking cylinder head.pat

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Best route is a second hand engine from a BMW325/525, Opel Omega or a P38.
The piston will almost certainly be knackered, maybe the conrod too.

paddocks1967 said:

Well lads,got hesd off this afternoon,it was a dropped valve in no three cylinder only probpem it has ****ed the head,the area where the valve seats is all damaged,so it looks like a second hand head is needed what. kind of price are they.pat.

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See post 3 on this thread.

Hi pat sorry to hear it was a valve not too bad tho if all else checks out ok. what was the engine doing at the time of halting to a stop is a good indication as to how much other bits will be damaged check out turner engineering for a replacement head if your bottom end and all other parts were working then stick with the devil you know igot a replacement engine and after rectifying the timing chains and pump I might of well carried on with the one I had

Like someone else mentioned, you need to check your stroke is correctly positioned. Get a hold of a presicion vernier depth gauge. Use your dial indicator to position the suspected piston at BDC and record the depth from the cylinder top face to the crown of the piston. Do the same thing with a helthy cylinder and compare the results. If they are the same, to within maybe 0.1mm, your rod should be ok. I have no experience with this particular engine, but you can normally replace a rod and piston from underneath the car but I guess that would involve dropping the front axle and frame crossmember.
Clean the top of the suspected piston and look for damage / cracks. With piston at BDC, check the cylinder bore for damage. The piston will have some damage, but not necessarily bad enough to warrant replacement. I have seen plenty of cases of bent valves which have been rectified with only a head-job. I must again stress that I know nothing about this particular engine, but I would say that in general you can still hope that your piston and bottom end are OK.
How bad is the damage to the head? If your valve actually fell into the cylinder and got crushed between the piston and the head, I would be a bit more pesimistic about the piston....

Good luck to you, and hats off to you not being intimidated. With the right attitude, tools and literature, engine work is not rocket science.

Henrik