and I am a bit rusty. I am looking at an old wagon that has been sitting in a garage for a few years. What is the easiest way to check if the engine is stuck? I am working on the assumption the battery and starter are dead. AMC 6 cyl, no p/s or a/c. I want to see if the engine turns before I make an offer.
Pull the plugs, put a breaker bar and socket on the balancer bolt, and see if it turns. It would probably be good to squirt some oil in the cylinders before trying this, just to protect the cylinder walls.
There should be enough room to put a breaker bar in front with a socket on the end of the crankshaft. Rotate clockwise as you face the engine. Or take a fresh battery or jumpstart it. A starter might seize but I've never had to deal with one. I've heard a whack with a hammer fixes that problem.
If it doesn't have a fan clutch, and you have some cojones, you can just push down on the belts with one hand and turn the fan with the other. If the engine is free, it will turn. You don't need no stinking breaker bar.
Like said before, always good to pull the plugs and put a bit of oil down the holes to help lube it, it's surely dry if it's been sitting to long! Should turn without to much trouble with a socket and a breaker bar! Good luck, Nick
