Rotate ICE by hand - no tools, hypothetically

When doing a piston soak when you put this chemical in that you're using you rotated crank from tdc to like 3 o'clock half mast piston crowns at 12 hours I move crank till two middle pistons come L. Most to top let sit another six or so the back around till outters at almost TDC. Six more . Then it's time to dump or suck Out the chemical . And get prepped to fire . Yep hand turning the crank or use 19 mm wrench. 200k these engines purdy loose.

 

Yes, with the spark plugs out, no sweat turning the crank pulley by hand. Feels like a sewing machine.

The water pump doesn't pump much water at the speed you'd be turning by hand, so doesn't add much work.

 

Doing valve tappet clearance check/adjust on our Hondas over the years, I would turn the engine without plug removal. Using a ratchet on the crankshaft end bolt head. It’s a little stubborn as air compresses, but not bad. You can feel/hear when it gets “over the hump”.

appreciate plugs are coming out anyway, but just FYI.

 

Easy to turn by hand, most of the resistance will be from the valve springs.
If the timing chain has been removed, it really spins like a sewing machine, as stated below.
When turning it by hand, the effect of the water pump impeller against the coolant at that speed will be essentially zero.
At hand cranking speeds, I personally consider both directions safe. Yes, when going backwards, the "slack side" of the timing chain will be loaded but the forces will be very low.

 

If you have time, might as well wait until it all drains into the oil pan. After all, any fluid that sat above the piston didn't make it down to the rings.
(And then of course thoroughly drain the oil and solvent mixture from the pan.)

 

With the chain in place, it feels like a sewing machine when you're sewing something.

 

I personally wouldn't reverse rotate a high mileage engine - it's fragile enough. That instant torque on first fire-up could easily snap a slackened chain turning in the correct direction. May even chafe the high mileage nylon chain guides.

Just my personnel preferences; since your probably be OK 95% of the time. It's that last 5% that really bites you in the assets...... You'll go from something running/limping along to an engine replacement; not my idea of a good time.....

YMMV

 

Yeah, maybe leather.

 

If you go backwards before ya start ya gonna turn it clockwise to take up that slack and have engine in proper condition to start. All ya gotta do . Is rotate it clockwise and it's ready to start no breaking shiet

 

I would not call the chain in a high mileage motor "fragile" if it withstands engine operation.
Any slack left in the chain by hand turning would be eaten up/tightened by the electric motor turning the ICE long before the ICE ever had any chance to start.

 

Yep; details matter - yet most think it's close enough. They'll get away with it most of the time, but when it bites you; it'll really hurt. As I stated above......

Do whatever you like; It's your car and your problem - Just trying to help people avoid issues.

 

Starting from rest, any possible slack in the timing chain will be completely tightened within the first few degrees of engine/crank rotation and while the engine is still turning very slowly.
All of that occurs considerably before the first successful combustion event in any cylinder. Before that point, there is no way for the engine to start running under its own power.
Therefore, there is no reason to worry.

 

MG1 gives it a pretty powerful crank though.

 

Right, but all the slack is taken up within a first few degrees of crank rotation and by that time the engine rotating assembly (because it has inertia) is not turning very fast yet. And the valvetrain doesn't offer very much resistance (you can easily turn the engine by hand, including the valvetrain.)

 

Personally I just turn it the correct direction with my hands on the pulley or the wrench after turning anti clockwise it's just the way we've always done it at the shops. Everything together tensioned in the correct direction drop in car . Let it rip