Rebuilt engine won't budge.

[charlie challenger]

Here's one for all you wise & genious car guys

     I helped a co-worker rebuild my engine 3 years ago, and now I'm trying to start where we left off.  The engine was re-boared, resurfaced, we put new pistons in it, and had a shop rebuild the trans.  We then bolted the flex plate to the engine (hopefully the right way), put the torque converter in (hopefully the right way), and bolted the bell housing to the engine. 

     The last thing I remember doing before I let it sit is taking that access plate off below the bell housing (you know, where you can see the flex plate's teeth) and putting bolts in SOMETHING in there.  We put a socket on the crank bolt and cranked it by hand little by little until the holes in the flex plate lined up with the holes that we were putting the bolts into.  I just don't remember what we were putting bolts into.  Does that sound right?  Does anything in there require bolting down?  The torque converter, or the flex plate?  I kind of don't think so, but that's the last thing I remember doing to it before it sat.

     3 years later, I tried to start it, and the starter was unable to turn it.  It just hummed like it was trying, but couldn't.  I then tried to crank it by hand, and it wouldn't move.  The spark plugs were out, I put penetrating oil in the cylenders over night, and I used a cheater bar on the socket wrench. 

     I'll probably end up taking the transmission out, seing if the engine turns, and testing the starter.  I thought I'd ask you experts & enthusiasts first.  Is there anything I should try, look for, etc.

[dutch]

most times when an engine freezes up like that it`s one or more rodbearings.  did you grease them up when installing?

[GranCuda1970]

Could be compression locked , hydrolocked, rings may be rusted to the cylinders 3 yrs is a long time.

[charlie challenger]

We used a special grease for the rod bearings, I forget what kind.
As we put the pistons in it, it got harder and harder to turn, but it still turned. 

As for the rings, I will definitely put more penetrating oil in the cylinders before I try to turn it again. 

[GranCuda1970]

Definately not compression locked with the plugs out , Maybe some tri-flow around everything you can reach. Pull the oil pan loosen a few rod bolts move the pistons a bit individually if the penetrating oil don,t work. My father in Law had to do this on his lincoln after it locked up. Got her back together and she turned. I have a shortblock I assembled about that long ago and mine still cranks away smooth but I it turn it often and don,t give rust a place to start.

[72cudamaan]

First things first. Disconnect the torque convertor and eliminate the possibility of a incorrect bolt-up.
Then try the breaker bar and see if the engine turns. Unless the engine has been sitting with no
spark plugs in it, I would doubt that all that penetrating oil is going to help a whole lot. A small amount
of regular oil will probably be fine. My guess is the trans is hooked up wrong. Hopefully, cause at least that's an easy fix.

[torredcuda]

The last thing you did was bolt the flex plate to the converter-try unbolting it and see if that helps.

[GranCuda1970]

I hope that is the case and it is just a tranny bolt.

[Chryco Psycho]

I f the converter was not properly seated into the tranny it will put a ton of pressure on the crank & possibly break the pump in the trans , as suggested , unbolt the converter & loosen the trans to eliminate that problem

[charlie challenger]

     So you do bolt the flex plate to the torque converter.  That must have been what we were doing.  I'll start there.  It makes sense to work backwards from the point when it wouldn't turn.  Hopefully one of them was in there wrong and getting hung up.  I'll undo those bolts and see if it turns.

[BadJoey]

     So you do bolt the flex plate to the torque converter.  That must have been what we were doing.  I'll start there.  It makes sense to work backwards from the point when it wouldn't turn.  Hopefully one of them was in there wrong and getting hung up.  I'll undo those bolts and see if it turns.

My first thought was a bolt that is too long .