how to turn crank shaft pulley

[jgallegos1]

I recently just installed  a push rod in my 67 bought a new battery and when I went to go start it wouldn't turn over... a buddy of mine said to try and turn the crank shaft to see if it turned before I bought a new starter  but when I tried I ran in to this ...  am I missing the bolt in the center or am I supposed to find one to turn the engine ? If so what's the size I would hate to strip the thread

I have a 1967 Cadillac sedan Deville with the 429
Would  greatly appreciate the help/advise

J Gallegos

[35-709]

That threaded hole is there to remove and install the crankshaft pulley with the proper tools, it usually came from the factory with a cork in it to protect the threads from the elements.  It is not for turning the engine over by hand.  Sometimes the engine can be turned over (with the spark plugs removed) by turning the P.S. pulley and holding the belt tight.

Here is a proper engine turning tool on eBay, most parts stores should carry them or can get them.  This tool is used on the flywheel after dropping the sheet metal transmission torque converter cover.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lever-Arm-Flywheel-Turning-Tool-For-Rotating-Engine-by-Hand-Vehicle-Repairs-/111707293821?hash=item1a0246087d&item=111707293821&vxp=mtr

[Scot Minesinger]

It is so unlikely that a push rod install would keep engine from turning over.  Judging from your question about the crank threads that are only used for harmonic balancer removal, you are not experienced but willing to be and that is great.  Are you positive the push rod went into the lifter?  Then why is it that one push rod had to be replaced?  That is unusual.

I can always turn the engine even with spark plugs in by removing the flywheel cover and grapping the flywheel by hand (takes some effort), but it is easier with spark plugs out, probably should do that.  This exact same thing happened to me on a 67, new starter would not turn engine over, and the cause was a bad starter/engine block to frame ground.  First I did turn engine by hand, as the car was brought to me because the radiator failed and it needed a starter.  Accordingly, could not be sure that the engine ran too long after radiator failed. To test this, battery cable from alternator bracket or other great place to grab a good electrical contact on engine block and negative terminal on battery - mine fired right up after that. The frame had been powder coated so had to file away some of the coating at the ground point on frame to get good contact.

[savemy67]

Hello J Gallegos,

Your post said the car would not turn over.  Is there any indication that the solenoid and starter are being energized?  Do you hear any clicks, or humming, or buzzing from the solenoid and starter?  Does the starter get warm?  The reason I ask is to determine if you have an electrical problem or a mechanical problem.

I have the same model Cadillac as you, and I recently rebuilt my distributor, which involved rotating the engine by hand.  In my case, I removed all 8 sparkplugs and used a socket and ratchet on the crankshaft pulley to harmonic balancer bolts.  CAUTION - the torque specification for these bolts is 15 ft. lbs.  It is possible to snap these bolts when trying to turn your engine.  Do so at your own risk!!

My engine turned relatively easily.  You do not need to rotate the engine a complete revolution - just enough to determine that the crankshaft moves.  If the crankshaft moves, it is more likely that you have an electrical problem with the starting circuit.  The turning tool suggested by poster 35-709 is especially useful if you are lying on your back under the car.  You can get good leverage with the tool.  If you do not have the tool, you can, as Scot said, grab the flex-plate and turn the engine, but eat your Wheaties first.  Good luck.

Christopher Winter

p.s. I am curious as to why you had to replace one pushrod.

[jgallegos1]

all,

so when i bought the car the owner said he used to drive it in the 80's and ha been sitting in a dirt lot since then. I'm really not experienced but i know the basics. the car was running when i bought it, but the engine was making a ticking sound on the driver side so i removed the valve cover and that's when i discovered one of the push rods off the lifter and it was bent.

when i replaced the pushrod i did in fact make sure i put it back into the lifter. i installed a new battery just cause i new the one it had was old and i tried turning on the car and it wouldn't start. It did sound like the starter it was clicking and clicking but the motor wouldn't turn. the clicking sound came from the lower passenger side where the starter would be.

a Friend of mine who is a mechanic suggested i turned the motor by hand he thinks that now that i replaced the pushrod something is wrong internally and that's why the motor won't turn and that's what caused the pushrod to bend.

thanks for the tips I'm definitely going to try and flywheel today and hope that it turns then ill start to diagnose the electrical and hope its the starter.

[76eldo]

I don't know if the bell housing is way different than a 59-60 but you cannot use the flywheel tool on those because of the way the ring gear sits way back in the bell housing.

Brian

[savemy67]

Hello J Gallegos,

I think the '67 TH400 transmission bell housing is different enough from the '59/'60 Hydramatic transmission bell housing that the tool might work.  However, I don't own this tool, and I don't know exactly how big or long it is, so Brian could be right that it might not fit the '67, especially if you are under the car and do not have much clearance.

Before you buy a tool, the '67 shop manual states on page 6-129 that you can remove the four bolts that hold the lower front transmission cover to the transmission case, remove the cover, and use a heavy screwdriver wedged in the space under the nuts welded to the torque converter (there are 3 of these nuts evenly spaced around the converter) to rotate the engine.  The manual cautions not to pry on the flex plate ring gear.  Hope this helps.

Christopher Winter

[Scot Minesinger]

I don't see how you could have made the engine lock up with a push rod change.  Did you find out why it bent?  That should be tops on your list.  On my 1970 there was a tic sound and it turned out to be a bad rocker, wrote it off to a faulty valve job performed shortly before.

Let us know if you can turn the engine by hand.  Unfortunately to get to the flywheel, the starter, brace, and Y pipe have to be dropped to remove cover.  This is a good way to go and when it does spin, you will feel so much better.

Keep us all posted.

["Cadillac Kid" Greg Surfas 15364]

J,
If your belts are good and adjusted properly you should be able to move the engine enough to see if it is locked up by turning the nut on the power steering clockwise with the spark plugs removed.  My 66 had a direct drive fan and I could easily turn the motor (plugs removed) by turning the fan.
Greg Surfas

[TJ Hopland]

I too was thinking that especially with the plugs out it should not be that difficult to turn the engine by the belts or worst case maybe with a strap wrench on a pulley.     A new engine could be a little tight but something with some miles on it should not be that difficult.

Did you try to operate the valve(s) for the pushrod(s) that were bent?   Usually what bends em is after sitting the valve gets stuck so when the lifter tries to open the valve it can't so something has to give which is often times the pushrod but sometimes could also be the rocker arm.   Some engines will then also pop the lifter out of the bore so you loose about 95% of your oil pressure.    The starter is usually strong enough to do it so I would not expect this issue to be directly related to your current issue.