I had to turn a 350 by hand recently and it is damn hard! I could turn it fine on a stand but completely installed in the car I couldn't move it at all (even with the plugs out). Is there a fitting for the breaker bar that grabs the balancer or something? I ended up getting someone to sit in the car and tap the key to get TDC using the wet paper over the plug hole method. What I wanted was to fine tune the rotation so the #1 piston is accurately at the top of the stroke. It worked out in the end without doing that but I really was wanting something to turn the engine with no drama or removal of more than the plugs.

 

I moved your post to a new thread.

To rotate an engine by hand all you need is a breaker bar on the harmonic balancer bolt. If you couldn't turn the engine over you can remove the belts from the alternator, PS pump, AC compressor, etc. Removing the starter and spark plugs also makes it easier.

 

An 1 1/8" socket, short extension and swing bar should easily turn it over, big bolt in the middle of the crank pulley. I use an old Gray 1" swing bar, 3" extension and 1 1/8" socket, works great.

 

I agree with everything except removing the starter. I see no need for that.

 

Yeah, I suppose the starter is only engaged when the key is in the START position.

 

On some engines, I could grab one of the belts, and give a mighty tug. With enough compression, or enough displacement, that becomes frustrating, fast. Some folks, who shall be nameless, might weld-up a couple fingers on a long metal bar, spaced just far enough apart so that when the fingers were placed so the belt ran between them, and the bar leaned-over, it'd grab the belt and turn the engine. But you didn't hear that from me, 'cause you run the risk of damaging the belt.

Best is to use the torsional damper bolt, as said.