Valve train Maladies

It was good to see that all of us pitched in. I just replaced my rollers that I got from George A only needle rollers available. Needed to make a bushing than fit the pin this done welded the bushing and pin in place. All sixteen one side than the other side all sixteen. Just to keep the heat from doing damage. I sent my adjusting screws to Dan Ditullio (see his post) a great job. I added the extra spring to help soften the back lash. A JK Howell fix.

Hi Charles. (And everyone else.)

I urge you to buy the ACD Club Newsletter Archive. It's $99 + $3 S&H for club members and will let you search by keyword thru 58 years of info. As the Prego commercial used to say, "It's in dere".

For a car owner it will be the best hundred bucks you'll ever spend.

Josh

Where do I find more information on these three modifications? I don't think I am ready for them right now but I would like to look at them. If they are in the newsletter can you give me an approximate date?

A pin coming loose is a rare malady. Many have replaced the original roller and pin with a Torrington needle bearing. There are even a few Cords running around with Lee Richardson's hydraulic valve lifters!

The Porsche conversion was Lee's too. Not sure how much it helps, but it doesn't seem to hurt. I have one on my engine. My engine "ticks" and that could possibly be a source. (Valves all correctly adjusted.)

Had to drop the pan to find the roller's pin. Everything seemed to escape injury, or getting caught up in moving things! We re-assembled the roller and pin, then hit the end with a MIG welder. Pried on all the other pins to see if they were loose, or ready to give. Everything checks out, but I'm still so afraid of this spot weld method.
I'm also running the Porche style "elephant feet" for the contacts at the valve stem. Any one else out there using these? Remarks?
I hope to be back up running soon.
Thanks, RF.

I yanked the intake off today (no easy task), and there was my roller laying in the valley from the 3R exhaust cam follower/rocker. I can't find the pin it pivoted on, but perhaps it will drop out when I drain the oil. I can't believe they just tack welded these pins to the cam follower/rocker. Seems like two dissimilar metals, and too much of a load to rely on such crude tactics. We are going to try and spot weld a new shaft in place I guess.
Loosing faith, RF.

Did you double check to make sure that you still have spark on that cylinder? Spark plug, plug wire, etc.?

I wondering if you have a manifold gasket leak. Have you tried torquing the manifold down? With the engine running try spraying some oil around where the gas is coming out. If it runs better then you have found the problem, maybe the gasket or ?

I'm still fighting a starter issue, but I did manage to get her re-fired up today. The 3rd hole back on the Passenger side (3L ?) is not firing, and raw fuel is seeping out of the outside header junction. I need to get her back running so as to jockey it in the back of my garage so I can work on her. For now, she's clogging up the whole garage.
Looks like I'll have to pry the intake off. Hopefully the ex-valve just came way out of adjustment, and I don't have a broken cam follower!
Fingers crossed, RF.

Ah, well this may sound easier than prying everything off the top of the engine to get to the rockers & valves. Can anyone refresh me on how to check the timing? Guess I'll have to hope that access hatch I sealed up in the firewall is re-movable, or is it easier to just pull everything out to re-time?
It does start and idle OK, but pops under load. It only sounds like one cylinder popping however.
Many thanks for all the help, Fred.

I would put my money on Jim's answer as a first guess or at least a timing change, since the compression is still good. The distributor drive could be the problem. Henry

If it jumped the timing chain that would mean that it is a tight engine and was run at to fast a break in. It these engine are built back to factory specs they need to broke in very slowly. The book says about a thousand miles at a very slow speed.
My 2 Cents
K Clark

It's hard to diagnose without more information, but you might want to check your timing chain, it might have jumped a tooth.

Let us know what you find.

To access the valvetrain you just have to remove the intakemanifold and there you go..... did you replace the springs with new ones ? How about adjustingscrews ? and Valves ?

So I finally was able to take my car for a good drive today, for the first time. Sure, I've been around the block a few times with her, but this was the first time I got her in 4th. Things were fine, and she never seemed to get too hot (outside pipes, but not supercharged). I heard a sudden disgruntle from under the hood, and she started popping loudly, and lost over half her power.
It's a fresh engine, and still has great compression on each cylinder. I suspect that one of the exhaust valves are not getting actuated, and the pent up compression is getting relieved through the carb when the intake valve opens. I'm hoping that it's only a matter of an adjustment, but it sure was sudden.
Looks like quite a pain to get into the valve train, but was wondering if anyone else has experienced any breaks, or fragile parts in the valve train?
TIA, RF.