What's the valve lash look like? A 53 should have solid lifters, so if there's no lash on the exhaust rocker to the pushrod, the valve would stay closed and the lifter would push up the bore. That would allow air in through the intake and, with an adaptor at the spark plug, permit air to flow out into a tire.
You can't see the lifters unless you pull the side cover off the engine. What do you mean it appears stuck open? Lifters just move up and down. Can you post some pictures?
49 Chevy 3600 65 Chevy K10 48 International KB-1 Service Truck 55 Willys CJ5 - Chevy 331 powered 26 Model T Roadster Rat Rod 70 Tucker Sno-Cat 442-A 96 Dodge 3500 Cummins dually flatbed x-cab 4x4 06 Jeep Wrangler LJ rock crawler If you can't fix it with a hammer, it's an electrical problem
Turning one cylinder into an air compressor involves a lot more than just disabling one valve, unless the guy was pumping a very explosive gasoline/air mixture into his tires. I think Forrest Gump's Mama had something say about that! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Turning one cylinder into an air compressor involves a lot more than just disabling one valve, unless the guy was pumping a very explosive gasoline/air mixture into his tires. I think Forrest Gump's Mama had something say about that! Jerry
I found an old gizmo that we had used years ago to pump up a gas line with air for testing from the 48 GMC shop truck. Uses the cylinder compression to compress air and has an outside air intake so it doesn't pump gasoline vapors. Called an Enginair Tire Pump, made by G.H. Meiser & Co from Chicago. Here's a pic (needs some new hose.)
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Put some Marvell mystery oil by the lifter and valve stem for a few days oil it well and see if it comes loose and then can see we’re it goes from there.
By open I mean it was stuck up, on high cam lobe position, leaving the valve open. It will now tap back down but stays back up when acted upon by the cam lobe. Yes, I do believe he was pumping a dangerous mixture into the tires. (Just having a discussion about that very thing.) Valve and side covers are off and painted, lifter hosed down with P Oil, waiting game started. Is there a specific method to safely pull a stuck lifter without tearing down the engine?
Last edited by Crowbar65; 06/21/202111:08 PM. Reason: Clarification.
So it moves. Good. Keep working it up and down and it will get loose. When the valve spring can push it down as the engine is turned over it will probably pull out.
Kevin, I had that same gizmo when I ran my shop and road service in California back in the late 1970's. It was noisy, but it did a good job of inflating tires out on the road away from a ready source of compressed air. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
