Rotating Engine By Hand

[misphit]

Hey guys,

I've been reading up on the Timing Belt replacement procedure... I have a question. I've read a couple of times where someone says that you should be able to rotate the engine by hand (or I'm assuming with the proper tool) after the belt is installed. I just installed one on my 4g63 yesterday and that got me thinking.
I was wondering if there's supposed to be any tension while rotating? Like, is it normal to feel interference? (I am aware of the fact that there's no clearance between valves and pistons). Because while I was rotating the engine by hand, it would feel smooth as butter for a bit, then hard as hell, then smooth again, and I just assumed it was the tension created by my cams rotating over the lifters? Yes or no?

Thank you in advance for your advice.

 

[fourreGsixty3]

You might want to try removing your spark plug's, so that way on compression strokes it will be easy to crank the engine because the air can escape easily. Also you will get slight resistance when cranking by hand from the ring's as well.

 

[Indyxc]

The hard parts are the compression strokes in the 4 cycle. You are inputing the power to compress the air in the cylinders.

Like 4g said, remove the plugs, and it's a lot easier.

 

[misphit]

Thanks guys, I don't know why I didn't think of that...