Trying to find TDC. Uh Ohh... I hit a clunk.

[SmartPatrol]

Well... I have some crap news with my Coronet. After getting it painted and the engine dropped back under the hood, I tried finding Top Dead Center to get her fired up! It was in the paint and body shop for over 5 months, so you can imagine how anxious I was to put the car back together and drive around on it's maiden voyage. Just need to get TDC and throw the spark plugs on and away I go!
Hold on a sec... I can turn one way and I hear and feel a clunk. Hmm. weird. Lemme reverse back the other way.. .It goes nearly a full 360º rotation and the clunk stops me from finding TDC again. Somethings locking the motor up. But what?! ughhh.

I am willing to take any of your guys' advice on this problem. Here's what I've done so far:

- Removed all spark plugs and inspected with a boroscope.
- Unbolted the flexplate from the torque converter.
- Taken both valve covers off
- Taken the intake and carb off along with the valley pan
- dropped a small magnet on a string in and around the small spots I couldn't see with the naked eye

I have come to Zero conclusion. I'm near giving up. and towing it to a shop where I'm sure I'll end up with fresh scratches on my paint job that cost me more than a down payment on a house. Ugh.

HELP! Summer's coming to a close end, and my ride sits in a garage rotting away.:mad:

[theman440]

Turn it over by hand and watch to make sure ALL the valves are moving - maybe one is stuck open?

[SmartPatrol]

Oh yeah. I should also mention that the motor was 100% and running perfect before pulling it to have the car painted. To pull the motor, I had to take the intake off to get the chain properly secured. I am near certain that nothing fell into the motor in doing this. I have no missing nuts or bolts.

[67440Dodge]

It's related to the crankshaft rotating assembly because you can get a full rotation out of the crank before it stops.

Since it was running before, I'd check the following:

1) If you pulled the flex plate, the bolts that went back on may be too long and are hitting the block.

2) The bolts that hold the pulley on may be too long (they'd have to be some long bolts!)

3) Other than that, it's time to pull the pan..

[Hibbing_Coronet_500]

All cylinders are clear? If so? I'd say one "long" bolt is interfering with something.
I assume you can get 358 degrees of rotation? Flex plate? Or the front balancer? Or the Worst!! A spun rod bearing stacked up in the rod causing piston to impact Cylinder head! Ouch!

[SmartPatrol]

From what I can see with the scope, all are clear. The flex plate was never taken off the motor, neither was the front balancer. Once dropping the motor in and bolting it all up to the transmission, was when I first tried to find TDC. It locked up. So first logical step and easiest was to unbolt the torque converter's inspection cover and unbolt the flexplate from the converter. Tried again... Still locked up. I'm not sure how many degrees of rotation I can get, but between going back and forth with it, it's enough to get all 4 bolts from the flexplate to the torque converter all on there. So it's close to 360º for sure.
ugh...

[Hibbing_Coronet_500]

I'd pull the pan if you can in the car. Might find your problem looking there.