HELP! I'm frustrated
 

I have a problem with my 930. I rebuilt the top end of the engine and reinstalled it in the car.

Although it turned over freely before I put it in it seemed to be frozen solid when I went to start it.

I figured that the clutch pressure plate bolts that I replaced were too long and were preventing the flywheel from turning. So I dropped the engine again and replaced the bolts. (they were 5mm too long)

It now turned over easily by hand when mated to the transmission so I reinstalled it. The starter turned the engine over easily in the vehicle. But I had missed the clutch fork in the throw out bearing so I dropped the engine again and reinstalled the transmission, this time with the fork under the TOB.

While it was out I rechecked the cam timing and the distributer alignment and the re-installed the engine and transmission in the vehicle.

Now the engine once again seems to be frozen solid and will not turn over on the starter WTF?

Before I drop the engine for a third time I would like to get some input on what could be going on here.... so HELP!!!!

Steve, does the engine turn by hand while fitted to the car? If so you could have the ignition over advanced, try this before removing the engine again, it might save some time!
Regards Mike

No it won't turn over fitted to the car, the starter cannot turn the engine at all and I cannot turn it by hand either. I cannot understand why it turned over fitted to the car when the TOB was not in the clutch fork and won't turn over when the TOB is in the clutch fork.

I put a new clutch disc in when it was out the first time.

OK I feel really foolish but I found the problem. I pulled all the plugs (What a job that is in a turbo) and I could easily turn the engine over by hand. So it turned out that I hadn't tightened the battery terminals and it simply was not drawing enough current to turn it over on the starter.

Steve,
What a relief! I've made my share of stupid mistakes and they cost me money. Consider yourself fortunate that you realized yours before it started costing you a lot of time and money.
Congrats!

Reminds me of when I was rebuilding my engine and it would turn easily until I bolted the flywheel on. Then it frozesolid. It turns out I had used way too much JB Weld on the plugs behind the flywheel. The price of this overkill was just a new set of flywheel bolts.

LOL, I am glad to hear you licked this problem and are back on the road again.

You certainly have a lot of experience when it comes to dropping the motor and mating the tranny after all you have been through.

First drop took 3 days
Second took 1 day
Third took 2 hours (out and in in 5 hours)

Sign me up as pit crew