KA24DE motor gets stuck when turning by hand

[Pro ViZion]

Ok so I'm trying to get my twin cam swap started up (I have to reset the timing) and when I'm trying to crank it over by hand it stops at some point and get extremely hard.

Doesn anyone know why this would occur?

Also when I crank it with the starter I hear a knocking kind of sound. I would like to know what that could be as well.

Anyway thanks in advance.

[compactfean]

Stuck valve maybe? Pull the valve cover and check out everything when cranking by hand. If you already used the starter than something is already bent.

[Pro ViZion]

Ok I will do that. Do you know what I should be looking for?

Am I screwed here?
Sorry piston engines are fairly new to me.

[compactfean]

When the valves. Go to close you will notice. Wherever there bent the valve springs wont go up all the way like the rest. It could be something as simple as the starter getting jammed but I doubt it. If it is valves you will need new valves, valve job and shim adjustment. Because ka's do not have adjustable valves.

[biggie]

Maybe you are just getting to the compression stroke. That would be normal, it gets hard to turn for a second.

[Pro ViZion]

No this is happening with all the spark plugs out.

[OutToWinPAHC]

Well thats not good, but there is also cam tension, which spring in place. I would think that.

[Pro ViZion]

So am I pretty much screwed as compactfean was basically stating. I just bought this motor damn.

[youngun21a]

It sounds like u hitting the piston..remove the chain and the cam procket from the cam and align the cams like this with out the chain, so when u turn the cams the crank won't turn..then turn the crank to tdc and then add the chain



top view of the cams..cam lubs should be pointing away from each other..

[Pro ViZion]

Oh man wish i would had checked this last night.
So i got the cam timing all reset now and it turns over smoothly. Doesnt want to start though.

[compactfean]

Next step if engine is all aligned do a compression test. See witch cylinder is dead.

[Pro ViZion]

ok i did a compression test and the results cam back pretty bad.

Cyl. 1- 115psi
Cyl. 2- 50psi
Cyl. 3- 90psi
Cyl. 4- 105psi

I even put oil into cylinders 2 & 3 just to see if maybe the piston rings were bad too but no change in pressure so thats good i guess.

So it looks like my valves are totally bent up.

[compactfean]

Damne we are good ...we posted that s*** at the same time! Well now is the big decision. Build the head or keep it cheap. Since you already have to replace valves do a valve job and shim the. Head I would do some high flow valves 3 angle valve job with a hand lap, and solid lifters, bronze valve guides, good port and polish, and some decent cans/springs.... booya! 8000 rpm's!!!

[Pro ViZion]

Im gonna replace it with a head from a '95.

Im hella broke. otherwise that would by my decision as well haha.

[compactfean]

That works too! When you get the new head make sure to pull the cams out and put gas in each intake and exhaust ports and see if it leaks past the valves. Also im not sure but on some Nissan's the newer the car the worse the can profile gets for emissions purposes.

[Pro ViZion]

Yeah the cams for s14 are 232/232.
I'm gonna swap in the cams from this motor.

But how would I do the leak test? Do I need any special tools?

[moso]

all he is saying about the leak test is.... while you have the head off and the cams out pour gas into the valve port and make sure it wont leak past the valve into the cylinder.... i.e. the valves dont leak. btw, if you take the cams out dont flip the head over without securing the valve lifters, or marking them.

[Pro ViZion]

Oh ok thanks.

I hope this works out well.

[Pro ViZion]

OK so i pulled the head today and I looked at the valves and they seem fine to me. I dont understand.

I'm kind of concerned on whether i just wasted a bunch of money since i bought a new head and got it reserfaced already.

[scooz14]

did you flip the head so the combustion chamber is up, then pour rubbing alcohol in each CC? watch where the alcohol goes and you will find your bent valve. you really should have done a cylinder leakage test before you pulled it all apart though.

[Pro ViZion]

I know but I had no access to an air compressor.

[scooz14]

Did you do the alchohol test?

[Pro ViZion]

Well I did the test but I used gasoline. It lost somme but it was extremely slow. So I'm guessing that the head is fine then.

[compactfean]

On. The new head or old one? Any fuel that you can see coming from the valve seat is all bad. If this is the case for the new head I would hand lap the valves. Until you can see a perfect ring of lapping compound on the valve seat. If you put the head on as is if its not that bad ....I. give it a year before it starts to burn the tips of the valves.

[Pro ViZion]

No this was done on the old head. I'll make sure to try it on the new one as well.

[Pro ViZion]

Does my engine have low compression then?

[compactfean]

you should have a min of 151psi

[imash the loud pedal]

man let me tell u from experience, i did the 248/248 swap on my 93 s13 with 11:0 compression kade and had zero problems for a year...pulled head to inspect pistons and what not and everything looked fine...put everything back all careful and took my time...had a buddy come over as i was just about to put upper front cover back on and he wanted to hear it run so i kinda got in a rush and slapped the front and valve cover back on and forgot to take out the rag i had put in the top of the lower cover to catch any bolts before they went to the oil pan...man ole man..starter squeeled and i heard a pop and a few other horrible noises...long story short...exhaust cam jumped timing because of the rag binding the chain and broke both exhaust valves on #1 and bent the all 6 of the rest on the exhaust side...lesson learned and all is well but i felt like a a@# for being so careless.
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