Turning 327 by hand

[twoseater]

Hi Folks - I'm attempting to find TDC on #1 and need to crank the engine by hand. Took out all spark plugs, removed fan and....my 80 has a bold in the dampener that I can turn with a socket. No such bold on my 65. It does have smaller bolds holding on the belt pully but I don't feel good about reefing on them.

Any tricks/techniques to make it easier?

 

[twoseater]

Gonna answer my own question.

FIRST and FOREMOST make sure the car is in neutral - goes a lot easier that way

I ended up grabbing some long hardend bolts, screwed them into the pully bracket holes, and used a bar to turn the engine. Still not a piece of cake, but workable.

 

[jims427400]

Another way is to put in 4th gear and roll it by hand..

 

[Tom Bryant]

If your belt is tight enough somnetimes you can turn it with the fan blade, if it doesn't have a fan clutch. You can also put a socket and bar on the generator pulley nut. Then grab the fan belt with one hand squeezing it together to keep it from slipping and turn the generator with the other hand. With no plugs it should turn easily.

Tom

 

[twoseater]

Thanks Guys - good tips. I definately had a DUH moment when I was trying to turn it while in gear. Sometimes you have to stop and laugh at yourself.

 

[critchie]

There's tools you can buy for this purpose. One bolts onto the harmonic balancer in place of the pulley. It allows you to turn the engine with a 1/2" breaker bar. Another is a jobbie that grabs the teeth of the starter ring on the flywheel. Allows you to lever them to turn the engine. Summit and/Jegs has them.

BTW, your '65 should have a bolt. Chevy started using the bolts in late '62.

Even with the bolt, I've never been comfortable using it to turn the engine. You break that bolt, and you're going to hate yourself.

 

[68Roadster]

BTW, your '65 should have a bolt. Chevy started using the bolts in late '62.

Not quite sure about that...my '68/327 has no bolt and this was one of the first questions I asked when removing the balancer. All feedback I rec'd was NO bolt on the 327 that year....do agree it provides peace of mind but its been running around for 41 years without it.

 

[twoseater]

Not quite sure about that...my '68/327 has no bolt and this was one of the first questions I asked when removing the balancer. All feedback I rec'd was NO bolt on the 327 that year....do agree it provides peace of mind but its been running around for 41 years without it.

I had also heard that is how you could tell a 327 from a 350. However, someone contradicted that claim and indicated that some 327's did have a bolt. So, I'm inferring that if you don't have a bolt, its a 327. If you do have a bold, you'll have to figure it out another way. Not sure if its true but you can find anything on the internet! (Right or wrong is a completely different story)

 

[JohnZ]

Only SHP 327's had the bolt - base and 300hp 327's didn't.

 

[twoseater]

I should probably know but don't...What is SHP?

 

[Ron Miller]

SHP Special High Performance

 

[JohnZ]

I should probably know but don't...What is SHP?

On a '65 327, that would be the 350hp L-79, the 365hp L-76, or the 375hp L-84 fuelie.