How do i turn the engine by hand?
 

basic stuff, i know, but i have no idea. i'm installing roller rockers and the instructions tell me to turn the engine by hand. i've tried to google the answer, but can't find one i understand. lots of warnings though about turning it the right way, not busting a nut, getting specialized tools, removing the plugs first, etc etc, so i don't wanna screw around and do something wrong.

Can someone tell me how to do this, in language an idiot like me can understand?

thanks guys.

steve

How i do it, is throw a socket and big ratchet on the nut on the front of the crank....

Spin it the way it would spin while engine is running.....which should be clockwise...

you rock - i just posted less than 5 minutes ago - thanks white snake.

couple questions:

(1) would that be clockwise if i'm facing the engine from the front of the car?
(2) do i need to remove the spark plugs first? a lot of sites (non-mustang though) say you have to do this before turning an engine by hand.

1-yes
2-no, but it makes it easier

Either way, you don't need to rotate the engine to install rockers, just pull one off, put the other on.

well, that's what i would have thought too Ponyryd. if they came off in that position, why not just put the new ones on in the same position?

but the instructions from Cranecams for some reason say i should take the old ones off and then install the new ones one at a time by rotating the engine by hand and watching the pushrods to find their lowest point on the compression stroke (they say that means i'm at TDC) and at that point to install the rr. are you saying i can just ignore that?

I'm assuming that these are pedestal-mount rockers, you haven't gone to screw-in studs and guide plates. You should be able to replace them one for one, but they probably want you to turn the engine over so that when you're torquing the new piece down, it's being done when the valve is closed, so you're not pushing against the cam lobe ramps.


cheers
Ed N.

ya it said that in mine as well, you don't need to rotate the engine just torque them down to the specified specs

kay, thanks everybody. i've done it right then, so that's one less thing that could be causing my current probs.

thanks every body for your responses.

cheers

steve