So I got the remaining stuff for my 5 speed conversion together today -- driveshaft, exhaust, trans mount. I even r&r'd a snapped e-brake cable.

I lowered the car to the floor, connected the battery and ... the engine wanted to turn over but wouldn't. I thought I smelled something smoky so I did not force it.

I discovered that I could not turn the engine from the crank, although I could turn the driveshaft when I was under the car.

Any thoughts? Perhaps the starter isn't seated correctly?

Dang.

corvo gold

CG:

If the clutch has been bled, and releases, try cranking the engine with the clutch released.

Check the wiring especially around the starter and GPs. Something might be grounding and causing a short.

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This is a little embarrassing -- the engine wasn't stuck; rather, the battery was drained. Don't know why I couldn't turn the crank with a wrench, but I charged up the battery and the engine purrs.

What can I say? It was late and I was in the garage for six or seven hours straight getting everything back together. Chalk it up to the law of diminishing returns.

However, the car won't shift when the engine is running. I may need to re-bleed the slave or readjust the shifter rods. Insights are appreciated.

Corvo Gold

Probably bleed the clutch. Did the transmission come out of a 124 or 201?

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CG:

Re: Clutch bleeding
The clutch master cylinder piston must be positioned high enough in its stroke so that when the pedal is up, there is a small bit of clearance between the push rod and the piston. To that end, the push rod is attached to the pedal with an eccentric bushing. That bushing should initially be adjusted to provide maximum clearance (it can be readjusted after bleeding).
Then fluid can be introduced thru the bleeder screw in the slave cylinder, so that air in the system is swept upwards to the master cylinder and then to the reservoir. A trigger type oil can works well for this purpose. During the process of bleeding, it is helpful if the rear of the car is higher than the front (so that the rear of the slave cylinder is also higher!), to aid in expelling air bubbles from the slave.