Why all the cranking? You might not be getting enough oil splash into the barrels at cranking speed. Just a hunch.
Late to the pary but didnt see it mentioned from a quick read..Is the disi seated properly.. if the drive gear lifts a bit it can lock up. Mine did while I was setting rocker alignent and didnt notice the disi was falling out while spinning back an to each side.. got me really worried. Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
See....just in case (click the arrow in the corner of the quote to go there.. its early forgot how to link.. ) Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
Does anyone else see a problem cranking this engine at starter speed for 20-25 minutes without starting it? Sounds like madness to me but that's just a hunch.
Didn’t Robert parry mention something about vw spinning them up on electric motors at the factory for initial brake in?
If it had new rings and honed barrels they need constant splash lubrication, the tops are right at the top of the case, the crank turns one direction...one part of running rings in is to give it full engine breaking from time to time to suck oil up around the pistons. So I was told.
Fast enough to run the cam in, though, not cranking speed. If it takes 2,000 rpm to adequately splash everything doing that, starter speed is well short!
Not ideal.. but sometimes starting conspires against you and it takes a while to sort everything out.. I usually wait 'till oil comes out of the pressure gauge hole before putting that in to see it moving... but I'd put at least a pressure light on to try and run it just to be safe, used a pressure gauge both time so far.. Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
maybe it wasn’t quite that long, wasn’t really timing it! Pre reconnecting the leads, it was just long enough for oil to be up in to the rockers, after reconnecting the leads, well, gotta crank it to start it!
Maybe 30 seconds to get oil pressure and 5 seconds to start. Next time, if there is a next time, with a dry engine remove the plugs and rocker gear, fit a pressure gauge or at least a low-pressure light and crank it until pressure builds up. Then, refit the plugs and rockers and set the gap (0.006” inlet and exhaust, unless you have sodium filled exhaust valves), static time it and start the engine. Adjust the carbs if you have to and get some load on the engine as soon as you can, don’t let it idle for any length of time. The reason for removing the rockers is to remove the load on the cam and followers - the load is highest with least lubrication when cranking. Remove the plugs, not just the leads, to reduce the load on the bearings (and starter motor).
But first you have to find out why the engine won’t turn and why all the valves are closed. The latter probably being the cause of the former – I’d start by removing the followers and having a look at the cam, it might be broken oil pump side of the centre bearing.
Let’s start easy Did you set the end float? I doubt very much you would shear a cam in half turning over in the starter hydraulic or mechanical cam followers ?
Starter speed is about 300 rpm according to my rev counter. Power input about 600-1200 watts. Which if focussed on a drying out metal to metal rubbing will cause heating, but I dont think it can really get that hot, a lot of the work is pushing valves open and compressing air. I did have a slight clenching moment when I started cranking the engine I built for oil pressure, and I could hear the starter motor working harder and harder until it picked up the oil pressure for the very first time.
I didn’t set end float. Ignorance on my behalf, reused the same crank and shims so didn’t think about it. Mechanical followers
Type 4 cams can break at the flange and that would certainly make it hard to turn the engine, however, I have never heard of one break in the middle but how else can all the valves be closed? Unless that’s a red herring. Pic from the Samba.
