Camry 1998 4 cyle. 160,000 miles. Crankshaft won’t turn completely around. The Camry had been running great but this one morning I started it but it only ran for about 3 seconds and stopped. There was a slight tapping noise kind of like when oil isn’t getting to the lifters (there was enough showing on the dipstick). I tried starting the engine again but it didn’t start right away. It just wasn’t acting normal. I thought I’m not going to play around. Maybe the timing belt has slipped a notch. So I proceded to change the timing belt but I did find it was in time and as I turned the engine over several times with a socket wrench. So I put a new belt on anyway and got the timimg right where it’s supposed to be, the camshaft on the punch mark and the crankshaft on 0 at top dead center. I began to turn the crankshaft clockwise 1 7/8 revolutions but when I got about half way around the crankshaft wouldn’t turn, a definate stop. So I took the timing belt off so I could turn the crankshaft freely. Since this is suppose to be a non-interferance engine, I didn’t see where this should be a problem. I can turn the crankshaft almost all the way around but it always stops when number 2 and 3 piston are at the top. Turn back the other direction and the same things happens. I thought well maybe I accidently dropped something down one of the spark plug holes. So I used a small magnet first, a small vacuum hose, and then blowing some air and none of them revealed anything. I put a strightened out coat hanger down in each cylinder and each piston is moving up and down. I can also turn the camshaft with no porblem. I would like to go a little further in solving the problem. Do you have any suggestions?
Feb 8, 2007 at 10:36 PM