Is engine rotation direction viewed from the flywheel end? If the 603 is a clockwise engine, then the flywheel turns clockwise as viewed from the driver's seat, correct?

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Brian
87 300Dturbo 180K #14 head still running R-12 SOLD 12/2017
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I'm not sure if there is a standard other than the convention we assume.

For most engines, yours included, when viewed from the crank _pulley_ the rotation is Clockwise. When viewing this same engine from the _flywheel_ it is Counter Clockwise.

There are few engines that have reverse rotation, motorcycles usually are, one engine of a twin engine boat / aircraft and, owing to their motorcycle origins, most Honda cars.

well then that means I rotated my engine the wrong way, I turned it CCW for several revolutions with the crank pulley nut.

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Brian
87 300Dturbo 180K #14 head still running R-12 SOLD 12/2017
02 F350 Powerstroke 180K
05 Chevy Express 1 ton w/Royal Utility box 120K
08 Infiniti FX-35 40K
15 Golf Sportwagen TDI 35K
10 Sprinter 3500 chassis with a Class A Winnebago on it. 56K

That is REALLY not good. Its clockwise from standing in front, so it should rotate towards the drivers side. There's the possibility you messed up the timing chain by going backwards. I would rotate it several times in the correct direction by hand to make sure it is all still turning correctly without anything clanking or hitting in the right direction before trying to start it again.

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I just went out there and rotated it around 3 times, everything seems fine, smooth and no noises. One thing I took advantage of is the fact that I have the vacuum pump off, I checked the timing marks after my CCW rotation, then I carefully and slowly began a controlled CW rotation until I saw the timing device begin to move. It was at about 2 degrees into the CW rotation. Sort of a red neck timing chain stretch check, like we used to do on the gassers by watching the distributor rotor. Whuddya think?

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Brian
87 300Dturbo 180K #14 head still running R-12 SOLD 12/2017
02 F350 Powerstroke 180K
05 Chevy Express 1 ton w/Royal Utility box 120K
08 Infiniti FX-35 40K
15 Golf Sportwagen TDI 35K
10 Sprinter 3500 chassis with a Class A Winnebago on it. 56K

That was probably just due to chain slack retightening, not an accurate way to check for chain stretch. Hopefully everything is still properly in sync....you'll find out when you start it.

__________________
-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Let us know what happens.

If it was a clockwise engine, that would be correct. But it's a CCW engine.

The SAE convention uses the flywheel to define direction.

Virtually all engines turn CCwise on the PTO end. The exceptions are chain saws and some vintage English cars. Wisconsin also made a reverse-rotation engine for use on tile saws.

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'83 300D, 126K miles.

That is what threw me off. I assumed everyone used the flywheel view to determine rotation, just like we use the driver's position for right and left.

__________________
Brian
87 300Dturbo 180K #14 head still running R-12 SOLD 12/2017
02 F350 Powerstroke 180K
05 Chevy Express 1 ton w/Royal Utility box 120K
08 Infiniti FX-35 40K
15 Golf Sportwagen TDI 35K
10 Sprinter 3500 chassis with a Class A Winnebago on it. 56K

For some strange reason, a large percentage of the population finds the need to proceed to the front of the vehicle, do an about face, and then procede to reverse the meanings of left and right in a manner which can reasonably be described as totally assinine. By their logic, the steering wheel is on the left side of the vehicle, except when moving in reverse.

For everything except engine rotation, it is oriented as sitting in the car. For engine rotation, that is as looking at the front of the engine.
Hondas and some Mitsubishis have reverse rotation.

Not according to the Society of Automotive Engineers.

Does it make the slightest bit of sense to ignore the output end and classify direction by the accesorry drive rotation?

Looks like I wisely ducked out of the rotation issue. . .

For all practical purposes, calling rotation for a installed engine from the crank pulley is enough for our purposes.

Every engine mounted lengthwise in the front of a car that I've ever seen turns clockwise from the front, i.e. CCW from flywheel. If ever in doubt, you can watch the cam lobes, (or the distributor rotor on a gasoline engine), turn and remove all doubt. Or better yet, ask someone knowledgable BEFORE working on your own car.