manually spinning engine
 

without a starting crank can an engine be gentily rotated by moving the fan belt??? Not started by just to see if the motor is not seized??

Re: manually spinning engine
 

Not necessarily ALWAYS. I have been able to "rotate" SOME engines by the belt, while others would not rotate so easily, depending on how "un-stuck" the particular engine is, and on how tightly the belt grips the crank pulley. DD

Re: manually spinning engine
 

A lot of this may depend on how worn your engine is.

New engines with new compression tend to be harder to turn and start with a crank.

Older engines - like the original engine to my truck, could be turned with a crank held in two curled fingers (no thumb!) and would certainly start - but had no particular power and one of those "extended" crankcase breather thingies - and an accessory trail of blue vapor.

Joe K

Re: manually spinning engine
 

Pull the plugs and turn away.

Re: manually spinning engine
 

A number of the vendors offer a wrench that is like a socket ,to be used for this purpose.

Re: manually spinning engine
 

I heated and bent my own special box wrench for the front crankshaft bolt. This is handy to get the bolt loose.

It really is a special bolt, so why is it called a nut?:confused: :D