URGENT! '91 4.0 swap

[Rockhound]

anyone that has any thoughts please send them.
recently i aquired a 91 XJ that needed an engine. i decided to swap my 4.0 out of my built 91 into the new one. have spent the entire weekend pulling the engine and getting it ready for it's new body. heres the list:

pulled the oil pan, cleaned, replaced seal, reinstalled
pulled the valve cover, cleaned, replaced gasket, reinstalled
while i had the valve cover off i took the liberty of cleaning the top of the head as well. i had the shop vac in one hand and a flathead in the other sucking up what i scraped, as it was scraped
pulled the intake and header. same thing as head, brushed and sucked.
we were very careful the whole entire time making sure NOTHING fell in the engine.
rplaced freeze plugs, replaced flywheel and cover, engine turning very freely
got engine back in, bolted back up to torque converter, have not attempted to turn crank since that time. got everything reconnected. all new fluids, put in some 93 to get it going. it honestly sounds like there is a masonry nail between a ring and a cylinder wall. put my torque wrench on the crank and gave it a go, not nearly what it should have been. it does not make a bit of sense and i am out of ideas. the tranny is unproven, could there be some possible link?
PLEASE HELP!
i will be on all night and i may have left something out.....pretty pissed and need to smoke a cig but i had to wait to get this posted. you guys are awesome. :cheers: TIA
Jon :smoker:

 

[Jess]

did you spin the oil pump before starting? maybe some oil ports blocked.

did the starter disengage out of the flywheel?

 

[sjkimmel99]

If the engine spun freely did you have the plugs out? Mine takes a bit of muscle to move it through the compression stroke. Could anything have fallen in a plug hole?
Did you remove or loosen and move the distributor? If so, did you set it as described in this Dr. Dino tech page: http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/dist_index.html

 

[Rockhound]

no i did not spin the oil pump first. i just got off the phone with my friend who has been helping me out and i told him we are draining the oil back out, straining it and pulling the pan and the oil pump. i KNOW he used an air lead from a compressor to blow out the screen. i'm willing to bet he accidentally forced a clog in the tube leading to the screen preventing any oil from re-lubing the cylinders. ANY THOUGHTS?

 

[surfmon]

did you spin the oil pump before starting? maybe some oil ports blocked.

did the starter disengage out of the flywheel?

where exactly are the oil ports. can they be inspected without removing the head??

btw, this is rockhounds buddy

thanks
T

 

[Rockhound]

awe thanks buddy:looser:

ok heres the update:
pulled starter, still won't turn over by hand
pulled oil pan and oil pump, oil clean, very clean
oil pump, clean and in working order with freeflowing tube and screen
oil ports....where are they and how do i inspect them?
pulled dustcover from tranny just to get a look and nothing, but it still won't turn over by hand. WTF!? i inspected the underside of the block when i pulled the pan and it looks grrrreat. i refuse to believe it is siezed all of the sudden. not possible! was thinking maybe the distributor stopped working for some random reason and that is why it's not moving oil? still doesn't solve why i can't turn it over though.
PLEASE HELP!
:smoker:

 

[surfmon]

I'm with him in this sinking boat..........
This is completely mind boggling to me

We did everything by the book and both of us are intelligent grease monkeys.
No blantant fuckups.........
The reason for a motor to stop turning over in a matter of minutes............???




Anyone?, before he drops $500 on a new block

 

[ComancheColt]

take it out, stick it on a motor stand or something secure, fill the cylinders with oil and the pan too. old oil please.

stick a nice breaker bar on the crank and just pull till it moves.

so fill the cyls with oil and with the head on and no sparkplugs in, crank it over. We've done it with many a seized 4.0L.