Gti wont turn after new head gasket

[golfmk4owner]

Hi guys, ive changed the head gasket on my mk2 gti 16v k-jet. KR engine code.
Ive put everything back together and she wont start. I've eliminated battery - tried two fully charged batts and used jump leads with my mk5 gt. Still wont turn properly.
It's as if theres too much effort needed for the engine to turn so the battery literraly dies after a few seconds. It doesnt spin fast like it should, so where is the friction / strain coming from?
Not sure if its relevant, but when it does give up after a few seconds, the clock resets, but then i think this is just due to the excessive strain on the battery causing it to lose voltage.

[Sam]

Put a breaker bar on the crank pully and turn her over by hand, how does she feel?

[mk2bal]

As above, confirm cam to crank timing. Whip plugs out, use a long shaft in no.1, and turn the 19mm crank bolt. confirm tdc with screwdriver and the flywheel tdc mark (not the crank pulley to belt cover mark). Check cam pulley is also at tdc with it, or within 1 tooth..

[golfmk4owner]

Ok guys ill give this a try, im confused as to how it might have moved though because the cams went in the same as they came out, and the pistons surely didnt move.
Cheers so far though

[mk2bal]

Yeah but in order to remove the head you must remove cambelt, and when re-fitting you have to time it up again. You did check your marks yeah?

[golfmk4owner]

I know but on the 16v the only timing needed is the cam and crank. The crank wasnt going anywhere with the head off cos its quite stiff in place, and the cams went on the same way they came off, so how could it have moved? This is what pickles me - theyre too stiff to just turn on theyre own so they couldnt have moved. The only exception being the intermediate sprocket, which only drives the oil pump anyway

[Sam]

I know but on the 16v the only timing needed is the cam and crank. The crank wasnt going anywhere with the head off cos its quite stiff in place, and the cams went on the same way they came off, so how could it have moved? This is what pickles me - theyre too stiff to just turn on theyre own so they couldnt have moved. The only exception being the intermediate sprocket, which only drives the oil pump anyway

The cams will 'snap' into a more relaxed position as soon as you remove the cam belt. Hence why you are meant to put her in TDC before doing anything. You do realise that the KR lump is intrusive 

[Thom89]

I know but on the 16v the only timing needed is the cam and crank. The crank wasnt going anywhere with the head off cos its quite stiff in place, and the cams went on the same way they came off, so how could it have moved? This is what pickles me - theyre too stiff to just turn on theyre own so they couldnt have moved. The only exception being the intermediate sprocket, which only drives the oil pump anyway

The cams will 'snap' into a more relaxed position as soon as you remove the cam belt. Hence why you are meant to put her in TDC before doing anything. You do realise that the KR lump is intrusive 

Beat me to it Sam, as already stated, turn engine manually, with the plugs removed, if the engine still locks up, then the pistons ARE hitting the valves, hopefully if the engine hasn't tried to fire, you may be OK,
When refitting any head, you MUST assume that the the timing marks have moved, and not assume they haven't!
I would check timing marks are correct, then try and start engine, if it runs cack, you have probably damaged the valves, and will require stripping and repairing

Thom

[mk2bal]

When touching the belt or parts that involve messing with the belt you should double or triple check timing marks accurately, before trying to start. For the time it takes- and the £ and time it could save..

[Nino]

My cuz (mk4 owner) hasn't mentioned that while we were trying to crank her over it didnt even sound as if the starter motor was kicking in, you know when u got a dead batt and you turn the key and you get that sound "jerrrkk" and then it dies? And then when u try again it does the same thing, but when we put the car on jump leads it seemed but very very very slowly to turn about 3-4 times before we got the " omg im a robot with no power" sound.

Am i right in thinking that while we have tryed to turn her over the pistons have been moving? And if the timing was out wouldn't we of hered some crack or bang when the piston/pistons hit the values??