Who knows? It's difficult to make a cock up inside the crank case that would jam the engine completely before it starts unless there's a cam bolts/oil pump mismatch perhaps but you'd have noticed that turning it over manually. Maybe a bit faster cranking on the starter was enough to dislocate a push rod though. This seams strangely familiar to me. Fingers crossed.
Same result, different cause.... Type-4 followers are tricky beggars, the pushrod doesn't automatically slip into the centre. If you don't realise this the rods sit on the edge until the engine turns fast enough that they ping into the centre ...leaving a big enough gap to fall out of the rocker cup and jam.
My money’s on pushrods. Take the rockers off, pushrods out, check they’re all present and correct and not...bent.
I'll share my 2 cents but as it been said loads, but when I put mine back together couple of days ago my pushrod fell out of the cup and I wasnt able to turn it by hand luckily I didnt put the covers back on so I saw straight away
News update - father in law has been and checked, the push rods are fine and were all seated. However, the fly wheel now has a little movement in it. Looking at it like a clock face, it’ll move from 11 to 1 but no further either way.
The only way all the valves can be closed is if the cam has broken – and that’s very unusual – a broken cam gear wouldn’t be enough, no matter where the cam stops at least one valve will be open. And If the valves are closed the rockers will be loose, but you said they were solid. What parts did you replace, that might be a clue as to what might be wrong?
What if the cam lobe for the valve that was meant to be open is the one that’s sheared off? Then all the valves would be shut wouldn’t they? I’m wondering if you’d then be able to crank the engine round by hand until you hit that broken part? can a piece of cam snap off? Seems unlikely you’d not hear a spectacular disintegration?
Because it wasnt running its less likely to be siezed, but cranking for a minute with no oil flow may be the problem here - again on the samba somebody else started an engine, did the break in then it siezed. They noted the oil cooler seemed suspiciously dry. You are sure the oil pressure warning light went out when you started cranking ?
Well that answers that question then!! If that happens whilst driving would there be anything left of the engine?
From the original report he never actually had the engine running it was spinning on the starter and attempting to fire but didn’t run. If all the bearings were pre lubed up with assembly lube it shouldn’t have nipped a bearing. It’s only like the initial spin up to get the oil pressure to build after a rebuild. I don’t get the valve/rocker position you are experiencing. Have you removed the rockers & pushrods & tried turning it over? If it’s still on the bench I would remove the flywheel and see if it turns then.
If you are stock I don't think the pistons and valves can hit but I wouldn't want to look in the case!
everything was coated in Graphogen when it was assembled. Haven’t tried turning it over with no pushrods and I can’t get back to the in laws until the weekend now but will have a crack when I’m there. it was on the bench so no warning lights connected. I’d cranked with the lead disconnected from the coil for maybe 10 minutes, had oil in the rocker case so it had run through before I reconnected leads. It was cranking for a while (10-15 mins) with the leads connected after that too. For bottom end, it was bearings and shells (and seals etc). New barrels and pistons, original pushrods and tubes, new followers, original rockers. Few other bits but the guts are original.
