Okay to turn engine by hand without oil?

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whc03grady
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Location: Livingston Montana
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Okay to turn engine by hand without oil?

Post by whc03grady » Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:07 pm

My new oil drain plug crush washers won’t arrive until tomorrow. The oil is out. Is it safe to turn the engine by hand in the meantime, to adjust the valves? No risk of embolism or something weird?
Ludwig--1974 Westfalia, 2.0L (GD035193), Solex 34PDSIT-2/3 carburetors.
Gertie--1971 Squareback, 1600cc with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection from a '72 (E brain).
Read about their adventures:
http://www.ludwigandgertie.blogspot.com

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Bleyseng
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Re: Okay to turn engine by hand without oil?

Post by Bleyseng » Mon Jan 22, 2018 7:58 am

Sure but only by hand or a wrench on the alt nut.
Geoff
77 Sage Green Westy- CS 2.0L-160,000 miles
70 Ghia vert, black, stock 1600SP,- 139,000 miles,
76 914 2.1L-Nepal Orange- 160,000+ miles
http://bleysengaway.blogspot.com/

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Amskeptic
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Re: Okay to turn engine by hand without oil?

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Jan 22, 2018 9:03 am

whc03grady wrote:
Sun Jan 21, 2018 12:07 pm
My new oil drain plug crush washers won’t arrive until tomorrow. The oil is out. Is it safe to turn the engine by hand in the meantime, to adjust the valves? No risk of embolism or something weird?
Safe.

I should mention that I often start the engine with no oil in it and run until the oil light goes on to drain the filter and galleries.
I know, can you believe it?
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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whc03grady
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Location: Livingston Montana
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Re: Okay to turn engine by hand without oil?

Post by whc03grady » Mon Jan 22, 2018 6:53 pm

Okay, cool.
I figured there was enough residual oil hanging around the bearings that hand turning was okay. My mind got hung up on the oil pump, though: if it ran dry would it be able to compensate once there was oil in the pan again? Obviously, I guess; it's not really a closed system (cf. the mammalian circulatory system).
Ludwig--1974 Westfalia, 2.0L (GD035193), Solex 34PDSIT-2/3 carburetors.
Gertie--1971 Squareback, 1600cc with Bosch D-Jetronic fuel injection from a '72 (E brain).
Read about their adventures:
http://www.ludwigandgertie.blogspot.com

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