Easiest way to manually turn the A4?

[scratchee]

Hey folks, I have a salvaged A4 that I'm starting to pick through. A very basic question that has eluded me: what's the best way to manually turn the engine to assess its condition and to watch stuff moving? The thread title says "easiest," and by that I mean two things: the method that requires the fewest parts to be removed before I can do it, and the method that allows the greatest rotation so I'm not just budging a fraction of a degree for every grunt (like the "screwdriver in the starter gear" seems like it would be). I'd like to crank on something and see pistons going up and down if that is possible (the head is off).

Can I just put it in gear and turn the output shaft? Can I remove the flywheel cover and grab something there?

Thanks!

[Marian Claire]

One of these may work. https://moyermarine.com/product-cate...ytools/page/2/ Some folks have made their own tool. I just use the crowbar on the fly wheel teeth to keep my "project" A-4 loose. It is slow but with the head off it is easy to see if everything is moving as it should. Be advised that of you crank rapidly oil pressure will build and a open oil port can lead to a mess. DAMHIK.

Dan
S/V Marian Claire

[scratchee]

So it looks like that tool slides over the shaft in the center of the flywheel, and the slots engage the pin that goes through that shaft? I have a similar tool that I think I could modify to do that.

Should I be able to just grab the flywheel and turn it by hand, if there is no compression and it's in neutral? Because when I do that it doesn't budge at all. It's quite possible that it's seized.

[Dave Neptune]

If the head is off there should be no compression and turning the flywheel should be easy by hand.

Dave Neptune

[joe_db]

I have always found it easy to turn the engine with a socket wrench on one of the flywheel bolts. With the plugs out it should not be hard at all.

[scratchee]

Alright, I just made this little guy from an O2 sensor removal tool. It had a slot already (to accommodate the sensor cable), and I added the notch on top in this picture. Sharpie line was my aspirational depth; actual depth is what I settled for when I saw that my cutting wheel was made of butter.

The crank turned with very little effort, just had to overcome a little friction. I see now that I can probably just use one of the off-center bolts as joe_db said.

Thanks everyone!