I was replacing the water pump housing on my 300D and turned the crank pulley counter clock wise. Now my engine will not turn over. Some say it is seized, some say the timing chain is bunched up. Need advice? Here is a video to my problem
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvHupp3TuPo&list=UU7ti52TKOduxGE8yjWSifSg

I live in Michigan by Ann Arbor if anyone wants to mentor me or suggest a shop.

The timing chain is only meant to turn clockwise, turning the engine over backwards means slack probably built up in the chain (the chain tensioners only work one way) and you may have pistons hitting valves...

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1978 300D, 373,000km 617.912, 711.113 5 speed, 7.5mm superpump, HX30W turbo...many, many years in the making....
1977 280> 300D - 500,000km+ (to be sold...)
1984 240TD>300TD 121,000 miles, *gone*
1977 250 parts car
1988 Toyota Corona 2.0D *gone*
1975 FJ45>HJ45
1981 200>240D (to be sold...)
1999 Hyundai Lantra 1.6 *gone*
1980s Lansing Bagnall FOER 5.2 Forklift (the Mk2 engine hoist)
2001 Holden Rodeo 4JB1T 2WD

STOP RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

Do not use the starter you WILL break something.... IT is possible that the timing chain has skipped a tooth. This can happen if the engine is rotated the wrong way.

First thing I would do though is remove the waterpump belt and see if you can bar the engine over by hand. It is possible that the new pump is the wrong size or something and is binding is a way that would prevent it from turning, thus keeping the engine from turning.

Next would be to pull the valve cover and check the timing..... and we'll go from there

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2004 F150 4.6L -My Daily
2007 Volvo XC70 -Wife's Daily
1998 Ford F150 -Rear ended
1989 J-spec 420SEL -passed onto its new keeper
1982 BMW 733i -fixed and traded for the 420SEL
2003 Volvo V70 5 Speed -scrapped
1997 E290 Turbo Diesel Wagon -traded for above
1992 BMW 525i -traded in
1990 Silver 300TE -hated the M103
1985 Grey 380SE Diesel Conversion, 2.47 rear end, ABS -Sold, really should have kept this one
1979 Silver 300D "The Silver Slug" -Sold

I don't think it is likely at all that the chain has skipped a tooth but turning the crank pulley anti-clockwise is big no no. The chain is probably snagged. This most likely means at least one chain guide is toast.

If you can't turn the crank CLOCKWISE by hand =>

Remove the valve cover and see if you can see an obvious problem - you probably won't...

...remove the chain tensioner on the right hand side of the engine (so that's left hand side standing in front of the car looking at the engine scratching your nuts thinking why oh why?) and see if that gives you enough slack in the system to turn the crank CLOCKWISE. Use a deep 27mm socket and a long bar to get it to go.

Lots of other videos started to play after I saw the one where you see an engine and hear a click (the cat star wars one is probably the best - tree felling and bird feeding not my thing) and I got distracted - have you got a turbo or non turbo OM617?

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I did not look at the Video.
Is this a Turbo Diesel? If it is not a Turbo Diesel the Large Timing Cain Rail and Timing Chain Tensioner are more easily depressed compared to the Turbo Diesel. Making turning the Engine backwards more problematic.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Hmmn, do turbo and NA engines have different timing chain tensioner setups??

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked

Yes. the non-turbos have a Spring and Piston Tensioner and at higher Engine Speeds the Oil Pressure behind the Piston does a lot of the Work pushing the Piston out to tension the Chain Rail.

The Turbo 617 Engines have a ratcheting device that when the Piston moves out a circular Spring snaps into a Groove and prevents the Piston from being pushed Back. Oil Pressure also pushes it forward.

So while both Engines should not be turned Backwards the Turbo Engine is less likely to have a problem from that because the ratcheting device makes it difficult to push the Piston backwards.

In the pic is blow up of the part of the Tensioner Piston that has the retcheting device on the Turbo 617 Engines.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

Had a friend come over and took the valve cover off. The top end appears OK, he thinks the crank is seized. Think I am going to sell the car because rebuilding or repairing the engine is a costly adventure.

Have you try turning the engine "clockwise" and "slowly" manually?
If its a piston hitting the valves you will fill it.

I just tried to change a chain on a different car last weekend, it was bad, really really bad... It kept jumping and I lost the timing... Thne the pistons were hitting the valves.
I was lucky with trial and error I put the old chain back where it was ...

Just to say you will feel it if its a valve.
Good advice to take the pump out too, might not be the right one? just to clear all possibility.

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E300TD year 2000. RUSTY SOLD
cost a fortune to maintain on the road
but run well on WVO
Second Merc died due to corrosion ( NOT rust) How can mercedes get away with that for so long?
Third lasted a month then went away...
Fourth now... Corroded too...

Unless you are not owning up to something else that has happened I can't see how changing the water pump has seized the crank. You haven't touched the timing chain at all have you? The engine didn't seriously boil did it? (and even if it did I'd expect damage to be elsewhere first) You've just turned the crankshaft anti-clockwise...

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

The crank will not move at all, but some play in the chain. The piston is not hitting the valve because it was up

All I did was turn the crank, everything else was the waterpump and housing.

Well you're convincing me that the chain is just stuck.

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
1965 Land Rover Series 2a Station Wagon CIS recovery therapy!
1961 Volvo PV544 Bare metal rat rod-ish thing

I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

I can't see any possible way that turning an engine manually could seize the crank. It has to be the chain.

I'm thinking the course of action would be to start pulling things apart. Take the water pump off and the chain tensioner. Then start taking out the chain guides starting with the long one on the top. At each phase, gently move the crank fore and aft to see if you can get it to release itself.

Assuming it frees up, then you'll need to ensure it hasn't jumped a tooth.

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Current Stable

• 380SL (diesel)
• Corvette C5
• Manx
• Baja Bug
• F350 Powerstroke
• Auburn Boattail Speedster replica

How many turns did you turn the crank pulley CCW and why did you have to do that in replacing a water pump? Are you currently able to turn the crank in either direction with a 27 mm deep socket on the crank pulley nut?

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85 300D turbo pristine w 157k when purchased 161K now
83 300 D turbo 297K runs great. SOLD!
83 240D 4 spd manual- parted out then junked