Rotating Engine Using Wheels?

91 Civic, manual transmission, here. I am doing a timing belt replacement. The front of the car is on jackstands, and I put the transmission in 5th gear. I freed the pulley bolt just fine, but then I wanted to rotate the engine so #1 piston was at TDC blah blah. I thought turning either of the front wheels by hand would, via the manual transmission, also rotate the engine. But no luck. I put the pulley bolt back in and rotated the engine to get #1 to TDC. As I turned the crankshaft pulley (via a socket on the pulley bolt), the front wheels turned roughly in synch with the pulley's rotation just fine.

What might have prevented my turning the engine by manually turning the front wheels?

Reply to
Elle
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Of course, if both front wheels are off the ground the far wheel simply rotates the opposite way because of the differential.... Whenever I do that I say "D'oh!" or something similar in effect!

Mike

Reply to
Michael Pardee

compression and gear ratio. and you need one wheel locked if you want to do it by turning the other. should be easy enough in top gear.

Reply to
jim beam

"Michael Pardee" wrote Elle

Yes indeed, "Doh" on me. Both wheels are indeed off the ground. Thank you, Michael.

Reply to
Elle

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