Well here's a long story to give some background to my newest dilemma. When My daughter bought the truck the motor was sitting on the floor seized up due to ignorance so we were lucky enough to find another running 235 online for $100. I herd this motor run and there was no smoke and no knocks (it sounded good for its age).After getting it in the truck and progressing with the project we are to the point where I'd like to hear her run again, but i herd a tin sounding knock under the valve cover and took it off to investigate.

This s what I found

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x362/vilage-idiot/parts/IMG_1008.jpg

As you can see the front cylinder exhaust valve push rod adjustment screw is run completely out and the push rod is flat on the rocker arm and not in contact with the screw at all. So the tin knocking I herd was the screw hitting the inside of the valve cover. So my first question is why would this screw be adjusted so far out? Did they need to do that because there was a mechanical problem with the lifter or the valve?

As I looked closer i noticed this on the valve side of the rocker arm
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x362/vilage-idiot/parts/IMG_1009.jpg

Someone also used a grinder to remove some metal from the rocker arm so some unknown reason and they did a really poor job. As you can see the arm is now angled and does not contact the valve completely. What could this have solved?

So what could be the reason for a person to adjust the first exhaust valve this way?

Bad lifter?
Bad cam?
Ignorance?

How do I make this right again?
I have a spare head that I can rob parts from (like the rocker arm and push rod), but I need to know why this might have been done in the first place. I am not very engine smart. I understand the principle's but I dont have the courage to just dive in.

I appreciate any info someone may be able to provide. You have all been so help-full throughout this build and we are so close to getting her on the road Jessica is devastated there might be catastrophic engine damage.

Thanks, Jay

Jessica's Truck

The true definition of insanity:
To do the same thing the same way repeatedly and expect a different result each time.