Whats up guys, in the middle of rebuilding my bottom end and have a question.

Rebuilding an 84mm gsr got all of the mains in but got a problem. When you go to turn the crank by hand its really hard to turn. Its like as soon as you get it to spin 2 degrees it spins prefectly. Its almost like you have to break it loose, then it spins fine. If you let it sit for 15-20, you have to break it loose again, then it spins perfectly.

All bearings are honda bearings, all the clearances have been checked twice and plastigauged. Everything assembled with moly assembly lube.

The motor is being rebuilt in the car, so it still has the tranny on it, thinking that might have something to do with it?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by adictionbass &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

The motor is being rebuilt in the car, so it still has the tranny on it, thinking that might have something to do with it?</TD></TR></TABLE>
Id say so

 

Sounds normal to me.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by White Smoke &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Id say so </TD></TR></TABLE>

i second that - ever figured your having to turn the transmission components at the same time?

 

yea i know, but i have to put a ratchet and some muscle on the crank pulley bolt to get the crank to turn. After i break it loose it spins freely, even if i stop it, let it sit, go the other way, whatever. But if it sits for 10 or 15 min, ive got to break it loose again.
They guy thats helping me rebuild it was like "hmm weird, never had one do that before" so it got me a little concerned.

Just dont want anything else to go wrong

 

well, put it in neutral or wedge something against the clutch pedal

 

Well, not sure if it applies, because the motor is built in the car, but you are describing exactly what happened to me when I had my motor sleeved. Turned out I needed an align bore. I could turn it just a little with a ratchet and that was enough to get the oil spread around the bearings so it could spin freely by hand. Once it stopped, I had break it free with a ratchet again. All of my clearances were dead on, but I still needed an align bore.

Craig

 

That sounds exactly like what just happened with my engine. The main bearing journals were just a bit off and the clearances were only a few ten thousandths on the #1 and #5 main bearings. I told the builder to just go ahead and assemble it because I had a track weekend coming up and didn't have time to send it out for an align hone. I could turn it easily after I broke it free, but if I stopped it and let it sit, it would bind up again and I'd have to break it loose, which wasn't too hard, I could do it with just a ratchet on the crank pulley bolt. I thought it might be okay if we ran it for a bit and the bearings would seat them selves. My engine builder was not so sure, but I told him to go for it. We fired it up and it ran for five seconds before the #5 bearing siezed, trashing the crank. I went to VIR in a stock Neon with an automatic tranny and the block is at the machine shop now for an align hone. Luckily I already had an extra crank and it didn't spin the bearings in the journal or I could have ruined a sleeved block. If the bearing journals are just a bit out of round, then plastigauge may not show it. I think you really need to use a good micrometer on it or haul it out and take the block to a good machine shop to have them check it. If it is binding up, then the clearances are probably not right, and you may end up doing all the work on it over again and buying a new crank or even a new block.

 

 

other comments...?

 

I know what the problem is and it is NOT the align bore but related.

What you did was over torque the mains. How? You never use moly lube on main bearing bolts. That allows too much torque to be applied. 50lbs becomes 60lbs of force. Pull out the bolts and clean all the moly off the bolt AND out of the hole. Then LIGHTLY oil the clean dry threads and reinstall.
The problem you are experiencing is called "breakaway" (the extra force to start the crank in motion). With only the crank installed, you should be able to grab the snout and spin the crank (no wrench help used).

Let me know how it turns out.

 

great info it didn't sound normal to me...

 

just the info i was looking for!!!!

Im waiting for those springs and retainers to come in from you before i start messing with it again

 

also wondering if that could have been what caused the wear on the old bearings?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by adictionbass &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">also wondering if that could have been what caused the wear on the old bearings?</TD></TR></TABLE>maybe but remember the crank must be smooth or you will tear up the bearings.

 

crank looks really good