Ok well I know it definately won't turn with the timing cover off and the cambelt & alternator pulley on so I'll have to get at the thrust washer to have a look. What's a good way to get the cambelt pulley off? Also should there be a washer between the cambelt pulley and the alternator pulley?

The cambelt pulley on the crank should just pull off once the alternator pulley is removed. As I recall there shouldn't be a washer between the two pulleys.

Ok well I've been doing a bit of digging and it looks like I may have put the cambelt pulley on back to front as it sounds/looks like there should be a flange on the front to stop the belt slipping off and I think this maybe at the back against the thrust washer at the moment..

yes, the flange with the timing notch should ne at the front.

TT

Its definetly on the wrong way round then and stuck tight. How do i get it off?

3 leg puller.

TT

Well I managed to get it off with a screwdriver. Scratched my paint job a bit on the block :( Anyhow I put it on the right way round and it hand cranked much easier now. Hardly any resistance. So I tried putting the alternator pulley back on and started to do the bolt up. It seems I can't do the bolt up really tight without it making hand cranking virtually impossible. So I took it back off and didn't tighten as much and then tried starting it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkPJCcuOID8

result! congrats

I'm still early doors in building mine but just read this whole thread and now can't wait to get mine running as well.... well done on persevering :cool:

Rapid

Brilliant
 

Absolutely brilliant to hear you laughing when it started---after all that aggro---
Well done I hope to follow soon:D

I love the laugh too...


I remember my first engine swap, a 1.8CVH back in ~1999 on my brotehr inlaws sierra. After doing all the work to replace the poorly engine with and expensive £400! replacement. It would not start. After lots of faffing, charging the battery, cleaning the plugs, putting a 12V feed to the coil and 24hrs.. We almost gave up hope. Then she fired and ran like a dream... I ran up and down the street shouting, cheering and waving the Victory sign at all the neighbours that had given encouragment during the work..


Well done, I think you have probably learnd a vast amount that quit a number of builders probably manage to avoid.

TT