Maybe you can help me solve a mystery?

[Old Green Buggy]

The wheels spin in neutral also when using the key to turn it over. Do you think the starter is hanging up? Thanks

[Pruneman99]

I'd guess something in the bell housing. It would be concerning enough for me to pull the engine if pulling the starter didn't reveal anything.

Or if you have an inspection camera you could pull the starter and push the camera in the starter hole to try to see if you can tell what's going on.

[vwoldbug]

What crankshaft pulley does it have . If its aluminum I've seen them digging in to the engine case and into the sheet metal .

[Cusser]

[Old Green Buggy]

I adjusted the #1 and #2 valves. #1 exhaust valve was perfect. The rest were a lil loose. Then it started raining.
The engine is still hard to turn over. I ended up using the starter to bump it over and got it to tdc and bdc by hand. It’s just choosing when it wants to be free and when it wants to stick. Everything in the valve train looks good. No binding. Free movement. I think it’s somewhere behind the engine. I don’t think it’s internal. I’m thinking something like clutch, pressure plate or starter. Thanks

[Bock]

[chrisflstf]

This makes no sense:

[jeffrey8164]

At face value there is no logical way to explain how one cannot turn the engine over with a wrench but the starter will turn it over just fine.
As I said before my little 1915 is doing the same sort of thing but I'm more inclined to think it is either cam thrust/cam gear loading and unloading or a wrist pin/rod bind.
I can turn past the bind with a 30mm socket on the crank pulley. It is a noticeable clunk and bind but with a little more force it turns past it until I back off the ratchet and it will clunk and bind again.
If a valve was hitting a piston the engine would be destroyed by now.
If the starter solenoid was sticking, the starter would be destroyed by now.
We may just be experiencing normal behavior.
I started a teardown today so I'll experiment some and report back. I'll make note of where in the degree wheel it happens as that may provide some clues.

[chrisflstf]

You are feeling the spring and valve interaction as they move, open and close. And compression. Nothing else

[[email protected]]

I've seen more than 1 engine where the #1 main bearing was so loose in the case, that the entire bearing and crank moved, and the crank cheek bound on the main bearing webs. It ran "OK", but it would bind when rotating by hand.
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[65calvw]

Like Pruneman99, I vote excessive end play.

[65calvw]

Like Pruneman99, I vote excessive end play.

[Old Green Buggy]

[Old Green Buggy]

[Old Green Buggy]

[calvinater]

Can you measure endplay at all ,should be .003” min ,zero endplay would not be good.
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"Albatross"!

[Old Green Buggy]

[Stripped66]

[Old Green Buggy]

[Stripped66]