1969 Buick Riviera Unable to turn crank on rebuild

1969 BUICK RIVIERA
175,000 MILES • V8 • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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DAN B
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I am rebuilding my engine (430/V8). I put the crank in and torqued the bearings to 110lbs. I have put all but one of the pistons in and torqued the rod caps to 45 lbs. Now, the crankshaft seems to be bound up. I put a assembly lube on everything. In addition, I loosened the main and rear bearing but it still won't budge. I am using a 4 ft pipe but I don't want to break the large bolt in the front of the crank trying to get it to turn. This seems like something that every mechanic might have run into from time to time. I, however, am doing this for the first time and am following directions from a manual. Thanks for your help.
Oct 31, 2008 at 6:12 PM
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JAMES W.
  • ✓ASE Certified Mechanic
  • 2,394 POSTS
  • ASE Certified Mechanic
First question; Did you put in standard size rod bearings? Second Q; Did you plasti-gauge your bearing clearances on all the bearings, not just the rods. Anytime you can't turn the crank with just a 12" cresent wrench, something is too tight.
Oct 31, 2008 at 10:02 PM
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