help me out...i got a rebuilt 1983/84 22R longblock, but it developed a knock after installation. it's not a chain rattle or valve tap, but a full knock that increases w/rpm. to salvage the situation i decided to keep the engine off & rotate the crank by hand. what i discovered was the crank will rotate almost 360 before something stops it cold & prevents it from rotating past, like a piston stop or bad valve. it stops it at the same spot rotating in the opposite direction. it makes a noise when making contact, but even with the spark plugs out, i can't determine where the problem is.

the thing that weighs on my mind is the oil. after my first attempt at the timing cover gasket, i noticed some milky deposits under the valve cover. so i had to redo the timing gasket w/sealant. could coolant leaking into the oil & onto the bearings have caused all this?

i've removed the engine & proceeded w/process of elimination. first i disconnected the rods one at a time & pushed the pistons backup into the cylinders in order to free the rotation of the crank from the pistons, but it still gets stopped. then i considered maybe the timing or clutch/flywheel is where the problem was, but disconnecting all these parts had no effect on whatever was preventing crank rotation. it wasn't until i removed the main bearing caps that it would rotate without being stopped. the bearings had long lines like some grit was in the oil, so i blew the crank shaft galleys w/air & reinstalled the main caps & reconnected the rods w/everything hand tight & it got caught up again. then i ordered a new bearing kit from engnbldr, installed the bearings & hand tightened it all down w/lots of fresh oil. it rotates now, but what the heck was that & why was it doing that. i want to get this engine installed & running w/out any second guessing. what is it???