Humboldtgrin

Did you drop a bolt in the bellhousing? Verify the Pistons are going down.

Dougs951S

No, we are positive of that.

CVR_Rally

You didn't have an S cam gear around that you accidentally put on?

I know I'm thinking way outside the box but I know someone that had and S and used the 8v gear by mistake with the same problem.

bonus12

When you say you cranked it over 5+ times, you mean FULL rotations? That is key information...because why it would it crank and crank then hit a blockage? Something revealing is in this moment.

Humboldtgrin

I was just going to ask that too. Or drop a bolt down the intake, did you make enemies with anyone lately that would sabotage your engine?

odonnell

Exactly why we are stumped. It definitely spun over 5+ complete revolutions, we were doing that originally to distribute the tension on the timing belt to make sure it was correct. Then it locked up, instantaneously.

Here's another reason we believe it's purely valve interference (versus something like debris or a bolt somewhere). When it locks up, we stop trying to turn the crank. Then, we'd move the camshaft with a big wrench, usually 10-50 degrees. This allowed the crank to bind at a different point in it's rotation. Therefore it couldn't be something in bellhousing or in the cylinders themselves.

Cam gear was not touched during any of the work mentioned in the OP, all parts are correct.

The timing was on the money when we originally set the car to TDC. We verified it by initially using the notch on the bottom of the bellhousing, and then fine-tuning it with the port by the reference sensors. Then we made the camshaft was at it's TDC mark and slipped on the belt. That eliminates the possibility of anything being out of phase. Plus, it rotated many times freely before binding up like I said.... so, stuck valve?

Humboldtgrin

What if there was a inside cam tower bolt left behind, forgot about, and finally found its way into your life. Was the cam tower ever off before? If you take the belt back off will the crankshaft turn?

odonnell

But why would the car drive fine for 200k miles, and then a bolt popped out while we were checking tension? It doesn't make sense to me. Plus we could spin the cam no problem, it's the crank that was binding up against the valves as per my post above.

Humboldtgrin

Push in the clutch, try to turn the crank for last verification that's is all in the engine, then take off the cam tower to check valve height. Bummer.

Noahs944

I've had funny things happen with Wilson when doing the timing. When I got it in a bind (because I screwed up with the belt & gone off the mark by a quarter turn). I've been able to get out of the jam by (like you did) turning the cam. I turn the cam and turn the crank at the same time. Easy does it... just wiggling and gently open up the gap on the inside. (maybe not even in the direction of rotation AT FIRST) Main thing: stay cool.

Tiger03447

If you strip out the inside of the cam tower bolts, like I had in mine, I had my machinist buddy turn down the OD of an Irwin Gripper socket. Small enough to get through the hole and grip on the OD of the allen head bolt..came out like butter. Upon re-assembly, we put in harder.. DIN 12 cam tower bolts. Hope that helps some.

V2Rocket

I wonder if something is snagging the belt itself?

Dougs951S

No one has any ideas besides something jammed in the bellhousing? I KNOW that isnt the case, I'm definitely up against valves. Doesnt make sense that it could spin for 5 full turns (easily 3600* or more of rotation) before suddenly locking up. I'm at my whits end with this car!

Nothing is catching the belt.

thomasmryan

I have five bucks on a busted exhaust valve spring.

Arominus

The belt tensioner didn't work loose on you did it? that would mess with the timing a bit.

Also, walk away for a few, wits end is the dangerzone.