The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Valve stem question

My 1958 235 keeps bending push rods, I have bent three on the same valve. The valve does open and close when running and I can move the valve when adjusting lash. When tyring to get it running I noticed this one valve stuck and tried everything you guys threw at me. What eventually unstuck was a pair of vice grips and some brute force twisting the stem back and forth. I had the grips on the spring at the top. What happaned was that in doing so it seems the the keeper and thus the spring did not come all the way up and it looks like the spring is still a bit compressed as the top of the spring does not come up as high on the stem as the others like it.

Question, could this be what is causing my bent push rods? If so do I try to compress the spring and get it up to spec with the others?

Also, two rockers don't seem to be weeping oil out the top, any tips of unclogging short of taking them off? There is oil flow and I did clean the line running up through the push rod cover.

Make or rent a fitting that fits into the sparkplug hole that an air line plugs onto. You can knock the porcelin from an old sparkplug and braze a fitting to it but I think tool supply people have them. Loosen BOTH rockers completely on that cylinder and plug on the air line. CAUTION: the piston will snap to bottom dead center so be clear of the fan. Now you can remove the retainer/keeper/spring with one of those compressors designed to do it on a complete engine. Put a clothes pin on the valve stem to keep it from falling and turn the engine 180 degrees to bring the piston up to where the valve can't fall far. Now look at the keeper groove on the stem, the lock ridge on the keeper, and the taper in the retainer. Work the valve up and down in the guide, it should be drag free. Wiggle from side to side, you shoudn't be able to feel any (or very little) slop. Work your rocker, it too should be drag free. Then to be on the safe side use another spring/retainer/keepers. Good luck

I guess I'll be the first one to say it. Get the toolbox out and a manual and tear the top end (cylinder head & valve train) apart and take it in for a valve job. Even if you get this to run it taint gonna run for long before you do some major damage, that is if you haven't done any by now. This engine sounds like it's in need of some serious overhaul.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

You're wasting your time, Denny! I advised doing a valve job the last time this subject came up, and got ignored! He's looking for an easy fix, and there ain't one!
Jerry

Good advice, Denny. Kindly and clearly stated.

Thanks Coil, compressed the spring fixed the keepers, cleaned up the valve stem. No more bent push rods and runs a ton better. Thanks for taking the time helping me.

Oil running to all the rockers now as well after cleaning them up a bit.

1951purney, Im glad you got it figured out.

I have to respectfully disagree with some of the advice given above. While rebuilding the top end is an option, I really dont think its necessary depending upon the circumstances, especially considering how easy the fix was once you did a little trouble shooting.

Its no different then saying you have a broken ground and the tail light doesnt work so youd better replace the whole vehicles wiring harness. And while yes that would fix the problem, there may be a far simpler solution.

Jeff

I am somtimes dense like that. Looking for easy fixes and all.