johny Posted August 27, 2023 Report Share Posted August 27, 2023 It had to come off to do the head gasket and the problem could have arisen after doing all the work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelv Posted August 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 28, 2023 Oh yes. That's very possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelv Posted August 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2023 Day 1 of the car being with Bernard Littlewood... "Hi Kelvin, I removed the rocker cover to assess the damage, I need to know how it happened, was it because you had carried out work on the rocker shaft? With the battery disconnected I removed the air filter, carburettor and manifolds. Next the fan belt and water pump housing was removed. The rocker shaft was removed and then the next 5 hours were spent attempting to remove the head!! It would not come off the studs, I attempted to remove the studs by locking nuts together, but only 1 unseized. I welded nuts to the other studs and eventually after using a combination of heat and release oil, all but 1 stud was out. The remaining stud snapped off flush with the head. I welded a larger nut to it, but it just sheared off. I managed to twist the head around the stud, but after spending a long time doing this with the assistance of levers the head only lifted about half inch off the block and the stud was bending. I managed to thread strong nylon cord under the head and using an engine hoist I lifted the front of the car slightly and doused the stud and head with even more release oil to leave it over- night. I am confident that I will get the head off even if I have to use a hacksaw blade to cut the stud between the head and block. I need to know what you want to do then, do you want me to get one new guide fitted with a valve and re assemble the engine or do you want the head taken to SWP for unleaded head conversion with whatever new parts they deem necessary?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted August 29, 2023 Report Share Posted August 29, 2023 Still too early to decide on action as need to know condition of cylinder bore and piston - still a chance engine is a write off.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain T Posted August 29, 2023 Report Share Posted August 29, 2023 I think it all depends on if there is any damage to the bore and or piston. Cross fingers they are OK then I would just fit a new guide and possibly valve and reassemble with new studs and nuts. Subject to full inspection I can't see any reason to spend cash on anything else. Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted August 29, 2023 Report Share Posted August 29, 2023 Kelv, It's looking better than it could be - it looks like valve number 1 didn't fall all the way into the cylinder, and instead its head is sitting on the piston crown. This means that there could be minimal damage to the piston crown and no damage to the bore. Depending on what Bernard finds when he frees the final stud, you will know whether the engine can be repaired or not - to me its looking hopeful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted August 29, 2023 Report Share Posted August 29, 2023 Youre right, even in the earlier pictures it might be that the valve stem was still in the guide! Presumably the valve was hit and bent by the piston so that it jammed in the guide which was then forced back out of the head.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanMi Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 (edited) You still need to find and sort the original problem, before the valve fell in, ie 1 cylinder no compression and 3 low so you need to examine the head, bores etc before any decision can be made. so probably remove and check all valve seats and maybe a leak down test on the bores to check how well the rings are sealing Edited August 30, 2023 by DanMi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanMi Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 just send Bernard a link to this thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelv Posted August 30, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 (edited) I gave him the link when I first made contact with him. He's in the loop. This is what he said last night... let me know if you want me to order the very basic parts and see if the engine will run with just the valve seats cut and lapped, a new valve if required but definitely a valve guide, gaskets, studs, nuts etc TO DATE you need, new head studs, some rocker shaft fittings, new head nuts, head gasket set, rocker cover flat gasket, maybe at least one valve, at least one valve guide. Edited August 30, 2023 by Kelv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 a tip for bern, when you talk to him this suggestion will work on a real corroded stud resisted all the gorilla attempts we had a small gap at the gasket face so with a hacksaw blade part covered with cornflake card cut through the offending stud with the head now off it was easy to drift the stuck stud out the threaded end in the block unscrewed with fingers might sound a bit dramatic but it works Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelv Posted August 30, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 Thanks Pete. Bernard mentioned doing that if he needed to. Great minds think alike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 (edited) 1 hour ago, Kelv said: I gave him the link when I first made contact with him. He's in the loop. This is what he said last night... let me know if you want me to order the very basic parts and see if the engine will run with just the valve seats cut and lapped, a new valve if required but definitely a valve guide, gaskets, studs, nuts etc TO DATE you need, new head studs, some rocker shaft fittings, new head nuts, head gasket set, rocker cover flat gasket, maybe at least one valve, at least one valve guide. AND THE COLLLARS FOR THE ENDS OF THE ROCKER SHAFT! THAT THEY WERE MISSING WAS THE CAUSE OF YOUR NEAR DISASTER! But listed as "no longer available", unless you can find them in the sump. John Edited August 30, 2023 by JohnD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmh Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 22 minutes ago, JohnD said: AND THE COLLLARS FOR THE ENDS OF THE ROCKER SHAFT! THAT THEY WERE MISSING WAS THE CAUSE OF YOUR NEAR DISASTER! But listed as "no longer available", unless you can find them in the sump. John https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-137811 , or Canley should have? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 that is a core plug 137811 is to seal the oil bore but he has found the end cap so if its ok just needs a new locking pin which Dave at Canley list as a splitpin SPLIT PIN 3/32 X 7/8 Pno PC10 Pete 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelv Posted August 30, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 Latest from Bernard... I've just got the head off,valves and seats are in a terrible way, I will try to re cut the seats and lap the valves, but very likely South Wales Pistons job, if I have to take the head there do you want hardened valve seats although there may not be an option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 Important to have all the information on the engine condition before starting to spend money on it. Is the piston ok? And whats his opinion on the general wear of the engine especially the bores... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelv Posted August 30, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 Bernard says... "The engine is worn, but if you only want to tootle around in it it should run OK, in any case you will have a good head if you want to recon the bottom end in the future, I can always do a full rebuild for you, I can't comment on an engine that I never heard running." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 I just hope the original low compression is explained by the valves and not worn bores/rings (the addition of oil in the compression test would have identified this)🙁 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain T Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 (edited) If the valves and seat are in a bad way that could explain the low compression and a dropped valve obviously zero compression. Just do the head for now. Iain Edited August 30, 2023 by Iain T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 The zero compression was before the dropped valve. The decision now is whether best to spend money renovating this engine or buy another one... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 just thought, also check the head is flat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 Im afraid Ive had experience of workshops feeding you information so that you start down the road of repairs only to find at the end with the total cost you would have taken a different route - I think its an old trick.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelv Posted August 30, 2023 Author Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 Whatever decision I make, it will be the wrong one, haha. The story of my life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johny Posted August 30, 2023 Report Share Posted August 30, 2023 No problem making wrong decisions (well ok not as good as making right ones😁) as long as you made the correct one based on the information you had at the time... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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