LIM Push Rod Verfiy

[micosan]

2001 Malibu 3100, 80K miles
I wanted to verify if you misplaced the push rods you would not be able to turn the engine two revolutions using a ratchet on the crankcase pulley bolt. I just replaced my lower intake manifold gasket and I turn the engine over two revolutions by hand thinking this verifies all the push rods are in the proper positions.

Thanks for your reponses.

[IsaacHayes]

Hmm. It should turn over very easy without the spark plugs in, so I'm sure you'd feel or hear it... As the pushrods and valves get bent when they are in the wrong spot, but I don't know for sure.

Did you mark them and put them back in the right order and are just being paranoid or are you not sure at all?

[merlot566jka]

you should have not been able to tighten the rocker arms on there if you used the wrong rod in the wrong spot. ive done it before a few times when i was re-assembling a customers car.

jiggle the rod up and down. if it moves its too short.

use your palm and push down on the rocker arm above the spring, if it wont compress, the rod is too long

[IsaacHayes]

Well several people have tightened the rocker arms and ruined stuff without noticing before so... :P

[micosan]

Hmm. It should turn over very easy without the spark plugs in, ...

Did you mark them and put them back in the right order and are just being paranoid or are you not sure at all?

I did mark them but I was in a rush, so I was a little paranoid.

jiggle the rod up and down. if it moves its too short.

use your palm and push down on the rocker arm above the spring, if it wont compress, the rod is too long

Wow, I'm a weakling because there is no way I could compress those valve springs.

I evidently installed all the rods correctly because the engine is running fine. Thanks for letting me pick your brains. I learn so much from people like yourself.

[IsaacHayes]

Glad it's ok!

[tractorman]

Glad it worked out. But to answer your initial question, yes- turning the crankshaft gently by hand is a good way to verify that the pushrods are in place. A guy I worked with swapped a couple one time, and caught the problem this way. He figured out what had happened, put the pushrods in the right place, and the engine ran fine.

[micosan]

I guess the key phrase here is turning the crankshaft gently but for me it was difficult turning the crankshaft. I don’t know if the awkwardness of the reach to the crankshaft from the top of the engine or the short 10 inch ratchet I was using made turning the crank difficult. The plugs were removed of course. If you did misplace the rods how would this resistance feel and would it make any metallic noise you could use as an indicator? I’m a do-it-yourself home mechanic will very little experience other then brake liner replacement and other routine car maintenance before this replacement of the lower intake manifold gasket.

[IsaacHayes]

I turned mine over by taking off the splash guard in the wheel well and used an extension and a 3/8" ratchet. No way I could reach it from the top of the engine!! I could spin it pretty easy.