Last spring the Yellow Peril started OK. After replacing the transmission and shifter boot,
since I had to undo the bottom of the heater to get the carpet out to change the boot,
I went ahead and attacked the heater, which had been NF for years.
Finally got it ALL together a few days back and went to start it, put a gauge on the fuel sys
and found the fuel pump was seized. I put another pump on it which ran OK but would not
put up any pressure. By that time I was also able to free up the seized one and got O-rings
to reassemble it. I installed it today and fuel pressure came up slowly. |
Then I found that when I opened the throttle I didn't get the injector clicks.
(I did last week!) Any suggestions on this fault would be gratefully considered.

I went ahead and shot a little starting fluid into the manifold and cranked it.
Sounded like it was turning VERY freely and after a muffled BANG I noticed the aircleaner
cover was off as was the hose from the manifold to the aircleaner.
After fixing that I pulled the valve cover and found 4 pushrods out of place.
I put them back in place and had the DW crank it again while I watched.
The valves open OK but close SLOOoooowly. While waiting for the valves to close,
the pushrods come loose from the rocker arms (4 of them).
I talked to a local mechanic and he said that if I could get it running they would
probably free up OK by themselves, with which I agree.
But I can't run it if the pushrods keep falling out of place!
I would rather avoid tearing the head down and cleaning it right if possible.
The engine only has about 15,000 miles on it, scattered over 6 or 7 years.
Trying several different tools I finally settled on some short pieces of streetcleanter
bristle, about 1/8" x 0.020", spring steel, one slightly bent on one end.
I retch through the valve spring and lifted the seals up off the valve guides
of the affected 4 cylinders and plan to squirt some ATF in on the valve stems.
Anybody got a better idea?

CLP Break Free
--
71-145-S

I'm not sure it is available here. B'laster worked OK and I am driving it regularly now.
It is good stuff. The Army adopted it in about 1978 and I used it in Panama.

Yuck. If chrome plated valve stems are sticking, I would hate to imagine how much rust is on the crankshaft! Strip it down & polish the crank, hone the bores + have a good look at the bearings.
--
Three 164's, Two 144's, One 142 & a partridge in a pear tree.

You are talking about an investment greater than the value of the car, especially
since this happened in about 4 months.
BTW it is running fine now.
This is a driver, NOT a racer.

Hey, George, sorry for your troubles but thanks for posting this.

I have had my engine out ow over two months while, among other numerous projects, I am replacing external seals, painting it, repairing the oil pump, etc.

All with the valve cover and oil pan off. Bone dry it is. So, I'll be lube-ing things in small detail soon as I put the oil pump and pan back together.

Hey Don, good to hear from you!
Before you go to a lot of trouble with the valves, go along them (rocker shaft OFF)
and smack each valve stem with a 2 or 3# hammer. The should snap shut with a clear "SNAP!".
If they do, no sweat. If not, it's time to get in there like I did.

Hi George. I noted you used staring fluid,reminds me of a friend who used copious amounts trying to start chev v8 but the firing order was wrong.When he tried again two days later the engine was locked solid. Seems the ether ate all the oil film off gudgeons rings valves etc and rust set in very quickly. A nightmare to disassemble when the gudgeons are locked, needed the help of oxy torch. I dont know the timeframe of your use but apparently the fluid is pretty volatile,it certainly pays to be aware of its use. Regards Jack Mc.

I don't think I used that much nor for that long.
Note in subsequent posts that I got them working OK by the next morning.

Got the car turned around Saturday morning. Tried a couple different voltage regulators
with no success in getting it to charge. (It DID start right up!)
So then I took the alternator out. The space between the fan shroud and the alternator
is smaller on the 145E than it is on the 164! I looked it over, examined the brushes (looked OK)
so I put it back in, after replacing terminals on 3 dubious wires, one of which broke upon removal.
Hooked it up and started the car but the best voltage I could get was 12.6.
I had a freshly refurbed SEV Marchal alternator in the garage/culch heap, so I put it on.
The alternator I took out was a Bosch and although pretty grungy, looked good.
I used the old regulator. Got fairly skinned and bruised in the process and actually got
to put it in twice. The mounting ear on the alternator was about 3/8" thinner than the one
on the Bosch alternator. The bolt had plenty of threads, but the ear on the block did NOT!
So I pulled the alternator again and ran a ½"-13 UNC tap through the hole. It cut a few
threads on the way out of the back side of the ear, so the alternator bolted up fine.
After hooking everything back up, made more difficult because the terminals were on the
inboard side of the alternator rear on this one, I cranked it up again.
Voilá! It was charging at about 13 volts and the amp light was finally OUT.
A little tweak of the spring on the voltage regulator brought the voltage up to a steady 13.8 volts.
With nerves steeled to see how it climbed my driveway when started in first gear,
I turned the key. It tried to start but did not keep running. There wasn't much of a jerk,
certainly not enough to call it a lurch. But it WAS enough to free the clutch!
So I drove it around the block and it was FINE!
Next step will be to put in antifreeze, change the oil and wash the grungy algae off the paint.

I put the rocker shaft back in and set the valve lash to 0.019", replaced the leaky fuel line
and tried to start the car today. I had already pulled the distributor and verified that
both trigger points were working, took them out and cleaned them, put them back in,
and tested them by turning the distributor again. So I reinstalled the distributor.
It was VERY hard to start and after about 100 tries I finally got it going, running very rough.
I kept it running for a while until I saw a column of smoke blowing up from the center of the engine.
Turned out I had failed to hook up a breather hose and it was on the exhaust manifold.
Burned a hole in it! I checked the trigger points with the distributor in place and
one pair was not closing. So I pulled the distributor again, checked them and then they WERE
closing. I took them out and cleaned them, put them back in and checked again and they seemed
OK. I put the distributor back in, hooked everything up and it started and ran on the third try.
I let it run until it was warm, and turned on the refurbed heater. It DOES blow hot air!
(Just like me!)
At higher speeds there was a slight miss and I suspect I need new sparking plugs.
The old ones are kinda black. I checked the timing and my stab of the distributor was RIGHT!
Also the amp light was on and the alternator was not charging. (12.3 volts)
Both the alternator and the regulator are fairly new so I suspect dirt or corrosion somewhere.
Also the clutch is stuck so I'll have to get the guys to help me turn it around
so I can drive it FORWARD out of the driveway in preparation for the lurch treatment.
((I think I broke a tooth off the reverse gear of the old tranny in such a scenario-
Didn't realize it was stuck.
The problems are getting more manageable now!

Also the clutch is stuck so I'll have to get the guys to help me turn it around
so I can drive it FORWARD out of the driveway in preparation for the lurch treatment.

...I thought I read this from the story of "Little Red" :)

It worked before, on several different Volvos.
It'll probably work again!

the post on top is by me...how did my username become n4ee.. i have no idea.

¡Success!
Using a piece of streetcleaner bristle I jacked up each of the 4 intake valve stem seals.
It was a bit of a trick working through the valve springs but I got 'er done.
I was interested to note that it was the INTAKE valves, all of them, that were stuck.
I first started spraying carb cleaner on them, just a little at the top of the valve guide.
That loosened up valve #7 but #2, 3 and 6 did not yield to that treatment.
I got out the can of B'laster and soaked them down pretty good.
Valve #2 got free enough to snap shut when tapped with the trusty 3# hammer shortly thereafter.
I altered my technique and started waiting a while after spraying on the B'laster,
and then hammered the valves several times. About the 5th time I hit valve #6 it snapped shut.
It took about 20 minutes and 3 more soakings and hammerings before #3 finally let go.
So they are all free now -- Free at last!!

The lack of ticking on throttle opening seems to have been connected to distributor
position. Everything checked out OK when I pulled the distributor but when I jumped the wires
from the trigger point connector on ONE side they ticked fine. The other side would not
make them tick.
Still do not have a full understanding of what makes injectors tick!
While doing that messing around I noted a rapidly growing puddle of gasoline under the
fuel pump. I was much relieved to find it was NOT the pump, but the outlet hose.
It seems to have split where I pinched it shut. After the puddle dries (tomorrow)
I'll put in a new section of hose, reseat the valve stem seals, set valve lash and timing
(btw I noticed the arm for the vac advance was not over the pin on the distributor plate)
and go for it once more. If it doesn't leak any water I'll put in a gallon of antifreeze
and consider the cooling system good.
I'll also see if the heater heats as well as blowing!

Nice goin' George.

I was going to suggest the same thing about the ATF (or some other lube) under the seal after reading the first post.

Damn, you beat me to it! Come on, you knew it would be something easy...

"Come on, you knew it would be something easy..."
I surely HOPED it would!
We'll see if they are still free tomorrow!
If so I will finish putting on the rocker shaft and get it running before it does it again!
It's been sitting WAY too long!
As a matter of fact I don't think it has run more than 10 hours since Ben got a speeding ticket
for driving it 87 mph on highway 75.

Hi George,

Thank God my mother is keeping the 144 running well (thus far) while I am in Singapore, but she doesn't go 87 mph.. :)

The 940 is with my fiancee, but it developed a tick in the valve train. we tried adjusting the shims, but its still there, and it really annoys me. Looks like a valve job is in the works.

All the best with the Yellow Peril. It is a great car, one I continue to love to drive after sitting in it for the first 17 years of my live, and driving it for the next 17 years... and counting.
--
...and the bricks keep on rolling

I guess the takeaway from this is to run them frequently to keep them limber!

God Bless B'Laster and a big Hammer properly applied *<;-)

Brett
currently residing in Split Lake, Manitoba
1 1/2 hours of Gravel Road North west of Thompson

--
Brett Sutherland & the 1.6 million mile 122 CANADIAN --- and has been Joined by a 1990 780 BERTONE TURBO Coupe -- WINDSOR, Nova Scotia the birthplace of HOCKEY

Absolutely. I'm lost without the 3# hammer!
My great grandfather was a blacksmith...

We call 'em "tractor wrenches" up here in the Dakotas!

Way to go George!!! Now, is the purple-people-eater next???
--
Kent - too much iron, too little time

Hammers DO have their place when working on a car.

Not nearly the proper tool for many applications that I have see it used but they do have their place.

I'd run some trani fluid or Marvel Mystery in the oil for the first few hundred miles after you get it all straightened out.

I guess you can be assured the Guides are tight if teh surface gack on the Valve stems caused then to hang up.
Good luck as you move forward
--
'75 Jeep CJ5 345Hp ChevyPwrd, two motorcycles, '85 Pickup: The '89 Volvo is the newest vehicle I own. it wasn't Volvos safety , it was Longevity that sold me http://home.lyse.net/brox/TonyPage4.html

Thanks, Tony!