How can I turn the crankshaft after the head is removed?
 

Referring to my recent post https://www.the75andztclub.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=58164 There was no further miracle. After much head scratching I removed the head by following advice from Haynes and positioning the crankshaft 90 degs BTDC. Examination of the pistons revealed a small piece missing from number 1 that had melted right on its edge causing complete loss of combustion. I have now ordered a replacement piston from Xpart and have clamped the liners, but, as you may have guessed I can't budge the crankshaft to a position where I can access the big end bolts on number 1 conrod. Anyone any ideas?

Crankshaft Turning
 

Why cant you put a socket on the crankshft pulley bolt and turn it .

Rov75, thats what I'm doing but the crankshaft won't budge. Haynes state this in the book but I'm hoping there is a workaround

How have you clamped the liners? Is it this device that's preventing the crank from turning?

TC

T-Cut, no the liner clamps are home-made and do not come into contact with any moving parts and do not obstruct anything other than lock the liners in place

is there plenty of oil in the bores? if you have wiped any out, it will be hard to turn, i would also suggest applying force in alternate directions ie forwards and back, to get them moving, aswell as putting a decent helping of oil into the cylinders. could you use a longer bar?

any pics of how you clamped the liners - just curious. I have some of the MGR clamps. Generally the different sections of the engine sort of relax?? due to not having the head bolts clamping everything together. This can make the crank difficult to turn, but shouldn't be solid!

RRobson, yes the bores are still quite oily and SWorks the clamps are two pieces of angle iron bolted through the block in the holes that take the engine bolts. They are placed in parallel across the left and right hand edges of the liners approximately directly under where the camshafts would be directly above them when fitted back onto the engine. They aren't obstructing anything.

Have you tried pushing down the pistons rather than turning the crankshaft?

TC

Turn Crankshaft
 

With the head off it should be very easy to turn the crankshaft,something is jamming the engine if not the liners then something else.have you disturbed anything else when you removed the head,timing chain.