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Tue Jun 24, 2025 5:29 pm

I am attempting to adjust my valves. I did #1 and tried to rotate the crank pulley to do the next one. I could only rotate the pulley 170 degrees. Then, there was a very firm stop.

This happens in either direction from TDC.

Any ideas why this might be happening?

Tue Jun 24, 2025 5:34 pm

How many turns did it take to "adjust" valve #1? (I assume it turned easily before?).

Tue Jun 24, 2025 5:38 pm

(double post)

Tue Jun 24, 2025 5:40 pm

What is the opposite ot TMI?

Was your engine running before you attempted to tune it?

I'm just throwin' spaghetti at this point but you may be adjusting your valves too late. A hard stop is sometimes a bent, broken or stuck valve.

And...

Murphy's Law of Flying Debris is you can toss 8mm nuts at your carburetor all day without scoring a "basket". Can't do it deliberately. Accidentally... one random nut or cut- off bolt will find its way in there every time. I can't explain it but I know it to be true.

Your problem will eventually reveal itself.

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Wed Jun 25, 2025 12:08 am

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=10397566&highlight=#10397566

double post

Wed Jun 25, 2025 12:23 am

perhaps.... new pressure plate?
with a tall balance weight

Wed Jun 25, 2025 4:34 am

Foreign object in a cylinder. Small piece of metal?

Wed Jun 25, 2025 8:57 am

I'm sorry about the double post.

I had forgotten that I posted before.

I am going to remove the crank pulley and see if there is something stuck behind it.

Fri Jun 27, 2025 4:46 pm

I got the crank pulley pulled out enough so I could confirm that there is nothing behind it limiting rotation.

Next I am going to remove the valve covers to take a look, Then, check crank end play.

Sat Jun 28, 2025 7:16 am

IF engine rotated ok before you worked on it and now it does not, only look at the work done.... You need to look at areas where work was done because that was only areas that were disturbed...

Sat Jun 28, 2025 10:39 am

Pull the rockers and pushrods and try to turn it again.

If is still does not work then you may have to remove the rear engine tin, and loosen the engine to trans mounting nuts and pull the engine rearward a bit (maybe only a 1/4 inch or so) then see if it will turn. If it does, then the interference is happening in the trans/flywheel/clutch area. You need to drop the engine and figure out what is happening and take care of the clearance problem. As I stated above, if you used new trans mounts or nuts, the studs on the trans mounts may be too long or the nuts too tall and it may be catching the flywheel and stopping the engine from turning. If you have a new trans case (your post wasn't clear if you do) then the flywheel may be hitting somewhere on the inside of the trans case that needs to be ground and clearanced.

Mon Jun 30, 2025 5:58 pm

The engine is out from the car.

I pulled the rockers to look at the valves and pushrods. The valves all look the same height and the push rods look straight.

I put the rockers back on and not the crank won't rotate at all.

I can take the rockers off and pull the push rods out and then try to rotate.

It seems like if the studs on the trans mounts were too long they wouldn't hit on just one place on the flywheel. Until today I could turn it 170 degrees either way from TDC.

Mon Jun 30, 2025 9:37 pm

Any chance you removed distributor and fuel pump? If you did the distributor drive can back out and lock up on the brass crank gear when rotating engine

Tue Jul 01, 2025 4:18 am

Yeah, try to rotate without the pushrods in to see if that is the problem or to eliminate it.

Did it rotate fine before you bolted it into the trans with or without the pushrods installed?

You are going to have to drop the engine out and locate the problem.

Tue Jul 01, 2025 8:16 am

Teeroy wrote: Any chance you removed distributor and fuel pump? If you did the distributor drive can back out and lock up on the brass crank gear when rotating engine

x2 on that one! This was my first thought reading through the posts.

Tue Jul 01, 2025 5:59 pm

The reason it wouldn't rotate at all is because I forgot that I installed the flywheel lock so I could loosen the crank pulley and pull it out.

I did not remove the distributor but I did loosen the nut holding the clamp to the block. It was holding something else I had to remove. I will make sure that nut is tight now.

Tue Jul 01, 2025 6:05 pm

Dooh! That will do it