Hello All From Kentucky!
I just purchased 1974 914 in Ohio. Overall it looks to be in good condition. I tried to start the old girl and all I get is a loud "CLICK" from the starter. I pulled the plugs and filled the cylinders with Marvin's Mystery Oil. Still just a click.
My Question:
Is there an easy way to hand-crank the engine so I can check that it NOT seized? Can I just put it in gear and push it to spin the engine? Any and all advice is welcome. FingersClick to view attachment crossed the engine is NOT sized.

You can try the alternator hub nut which should turn the motor if it’s not seized. I wouldn’t recommend breaking it loose because something will break. If you can’t turn it with the alternator I would keep trying penetrating oil in the cylinders. This assumes you checked the condition of the battery, cables and starter first.

I'd put it in 5th gear and watch the rotor while someone gives it a push by hand.

Congratulations! Also have a '74; is yours 1.8 or 2.0 (looks like a 1.8?). If a 1.8, there are a few quirks if it's an early VIN as they were twiddling with the FI, vacuum and emission controls - little changes every few weeks it seems.

It should be fairly easy to push and test that way with the plugs out if it is not seized.

I had the same issue and clutch popped it in 5th. Stock motor. Ran after that.. yrmv

Hello

I am in Mt Washington, just south of Louisville.

Lots of good people/advice on this site.

Willing to help if I can but mine has an LS2 in it...

David

So maybe a dumb question, but is the battery new?
An old battery may have the juice to turn on interior/dash lights, but will just click when you try and power up the starter.

Otherwise, pull the spark plugs, jack the car up in the air with one rear wheel on the ground. Put the car in 5th gear and turn the wheel up in the air. It may be stiff if the car has not been run in a long time. But will turn fairly easily. If you are really leaning into the wheel to try and get it to turn, then its locked up and I'd try the rust buster solutions folks above have mentioned.

I would not try rolling the car and popping the clutch. At least not until you have tried freeing the cylinders with marvel oil or something. Thats a LOT of force and could break something in the engine or transmission that wasn't already broken.

Zach

I filled the cylinders with penetrating oil, put the 914 into 5th gear, tide a rode to my golf cart and started pulling. Unfortunately, I could not get the engine to brake loose. Any other ideas? It might be time to drop the engine and start the rebuild process. Was hope to get lucky.

even if you did get it to break at this point
it sounds like there is a problem internally and turning over once won't address the rust/problem/dropped valve seat?/what ever is actually going on

it seems like only the potential for damage exists


open it

And your car will roll, right? I mean, the calipers aren't frozen, are they? Both teeners I purchased had frozen calipers from just sitting. It's pretty common.

You can let it sit for a few days with the MMO and try again. Otherwise, yeah, it may be seized or have something else blocking rotation.

Make sure the cylinders aren't totally full before you try to move it.

Rolls fine. Can anyone recommend a good rebuild kit? Looks like the engine has had some work done to it. What is the main cause of engine failure on the 914. IE: Why did it seize in the first place?

Mine seized with rusted piston due to 20 yrs of rain falling into an open carburator throat. Straight past the open intake valve right into the cylinder chamber. Had to cut the connecting rod with sawsall.

Yeah most common issue with a car that has sat is water somehow getting into the cylinder. First the rings rust to cylinder and if its really bad that rings and piston and cylinder will rust into one piece. Penetrating oil, if allowed to work for a bit, will help break this free.

But I'd also get under the car, drain the oil and see if any badness comes out with it. Badness being metal. Though water contamination will also hint that you have cylinders rusted in place and probably your heads look like milkshakes.

Can you rotate the engine backwards? Or is it just tuck where it is - period. If its just stuck where it is its probably rust. if you can rotate the engine backwards for a bit, its probably head/valve damage. Bottom end damage isn't impossible, but also is the least likely option. As is transmission damage. Not likely, but certainly possible.

Zach

Marvel Mystery Lil in the cylinders, let sit for a few days then try to rotate. Mine was rings rusted to the cylinders, doing this little by little over a period of time got it free. I’d also recommend getting a. Cheap bore scope for your phone or laptop and taking a look in the cylinders before you start to see what you are dealing with.

With all the extra time I now have at home I decided to drop the engine today. Once I removed the engine I rolled it into the driveway and fill it up with an MMO/Deisel fuel mix. Going to let it sit for 48 hours and try to break it free. I am not optimistic but want to give it a try.

My questions: What is the best way to spin the engine now that it is our of the car? My guess is the bolt that is in the fan. Do you think I am m I just wasting my time trying to break the engine free? IE is it just better to pull the heads off at this point.

I did get the carbs freed up and I am excited about the overall condition of the car. Plus having f 914 to work on is helping me stay sane. Thank you all for your helpClick to view attachment

I used the alternator pulley bolt to turn the engine.

Did you drain the oil? What does it look like? On my new-to-me engine I got a gallon of water with a gallon of oil when I drained it.

In my amateur experience the fan bolt is not all that beefy. If the engine is separated from the transmission, perhaps just grab the flywheel with leather gloves and turn.

You could probably use a breaker bar against the flywheel bolts if you need more leverage; unless someone here thinks that's a bad idea.

Oil looked great. I had to blast the carbs with penetrating oil because of the rust. I was told the car ran before it was parked. My best guess is the last owner was working on new fuel lines.

Check out the rust on the carbs. If the carbs where this rusty I am worried about what the cylinders are going to look like

You can get a pretty cheap USB endoscope these days

You are correct....there is at least one cylinder that looks just as bad as the carb...it has been sitting and taking on water for a while...also a fair amount of leaves and trash on the eng tin top so it's easy to say plenty of it and mouse stuffing in the cylinder cooling...
don't try to band-aid it....just go ahead and drop the whole eng/trans package and check things out....you will eventually do it anyway...
Remember all cars were running before they were parked!

Good luck!

Nice car. Personally, I would just pull the engine apart and do a light rebuild to stock or 2056. I would also source a factory FI and reinstall that at the same time. I am afraid if you keep trying to break it loose you might end up breaking something that could cost some dollars to replace/fix.

a little late to this one but just popping in to say it's good to see another 914 in Louisville

If you decide to replace the carbs, I have a set of brand new EMPI 40's that I won't be using and would be willing to sell you at a good price. Just let me know.
Mike