[RESOLVED] Crank won't turn after main girdle install (bearing inserts wrong)

[95blackGsTurbo]

Ok so I plasti-gauged all of my main bearings and everything came out great, reinstalled the ARP's set the crank back in, put on the girdle and torqued it down and now the crank won't turn. It is the only thing installed in the block and no matter what I do it won't move. It is even hard to spin when I put it on the bearings with no main girdle on. I was told the crank was checked out ok for being warped but could there be something wrong with the block itself? It's a 93 7 bolt.

 

[project_tsi]

What did you torque the mains to?

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

ARP specs of 60 ft/lbs. But even if i just push the girdle down before I install any nuts the crank won't spin. I think the machine shop lied and just never measured the main journals. They are probably warped.

 

[project_tsi]

Forgive me, but is the girdle a one piece main cap and girdle combo like on the later 7 bolts, or an aftermarket girdle like the Kiggly unit? I've never had a 1g 7 bolt open so I don't know.

Either way, it does sound like your problem lies in the journals.

When you had your block machined, was is line honed with the ARP mains? It is VERY important that the main cap/girdle assembly be torqued to spec with the ARP main studs and then line honed. On my 6 bolt w/out any girdle, I have ARP mains torqued to 65 ft. lbs and it spins freely.

 

[drewvr4]

this may sound dumb but you did put oil on the bearings before trying to turn the crank right?

 

[Zex4g63]

Forgive me, but is the girdle a one piece main cap and girdle combo like on the later 7 bolts, or an aftermarket girdle like the Kiggly unit? I've never had a 1g 7 bolt open so I don't know.

Either way, it does sound like your problem lies in the journals.

When you had your block machined, was is line honed with the ARP mains? It is VERY important that the main cap/girdle assembly be torqued to spec with the ARP main studs and then line honed. On my 6 bolt w/out any girdle, I have ARP mains torqued to 65 ft. lbs and it spins freely.

The mains in a 7 bolt are all one unit. The bolts do not center the girdle assembly and line boring it is not needed after ARP install. The girdle on a 7 bolt can be installed wrong and is difficult to centered in place. If not centered correctly the thrust bearing will be tight. Remove the the thrust bearing and reinstall the crank to see if it is dragging. It is also possible the crank is not straight. Was it turned? Are you using the correct main bearing set for the year of the block?

 

[project_tsi]

So the 1g 7 bolt (mid 92-94) has the same type main girdle as in the 2g 7 bolts?

 

[Zex4g63]

So the 1g 7 bolt (mid 92-94) has the same type main girdle as in the 2g 7 bolts?

Yes sir.

 

[project_tsi]

Awesome to know, thanks.

In lieu of this knew info, I would recommend checking to make sure the main girdle assembly is installed correctly.

 

[Zex4g63]

I noticed he said that even without the girdle it doesn't spin smoothly. That concerns me. I think he needs another machine shop to take a look at things. It is my experience that many machine shops don't give a rats ass about 4 cylinder performance and will blow smoke up your ass accordingly. Many don't understand that this little 4 banger will put out more hp per cylinder than most of the V8's they work on. Go get another opinion on machine work because I'd like to see you build the motor once......not twice.

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

This shop is very well known in AZ for 4 cylinder machine work. And the crank spins pretty free just laying on the main bearings with no girdle installed. I went and grabbed another girdle from another motor I had and it has the same problem. It almost looks like the I to

 

[Defiant]

You..... you can't swap girdles without align bore and honing them. Is the "tight" girdle from the block you're bolting it up to?

 

[95blackGsTurbo]

Yeah. I took it to a machine shop and even though the bearings plasti-gauged out perfect and were labeled STD on the back, 2 of them were .025" over and one was .010". Major misbox by ACL. Got new bearings in and turns awesome now.

 

[tqmx1]

Don't you wish all fixes were that simple.