The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 216 stuck valve

I've got two 216 engines that both have developed stuck valves, first motor was in the vehicle, which had sat for around 30 years, got the motor running sounded fine then went to start it and it was hammering, had some valves sticking. Had a spare motor loked like a recent overhaul, swamped the motor ran about an hour same thing fired it up and valve was stuck. only thing in common is the gas in the vehicle, I didn't clean the tank but have two filters in inline fuel stinks but seemed to run the motor okay, am I having bad luck or could the gas cause this.

I have heeard of old gas causing it. Try running some Marvel Mystery Oil through it, put it in the engine oil and in the gas. It'll smoke for while, but I have seen that stuff loosen sticky valves.

This valve is stuck hard , I've sprayed some liquid wrench on the stem trying to loosen it up, all the other valves are working just fine, bent the push rod replaced it but promtly bent the new one. I think this vehicle just wants to stay in retirement. thanks for the come back

Gee all of that sounds familiar. If I were a betting man I'd wager you ran the engine both times on really old gas and that the stuck valves are intake valves. There are some who've had luck freeing stuck valves without pulling the head but IMHO it's time well spent to just pull the head so you can do it right. #1 most important tip is DON'T use old gas! That is unless you like messing with stuck valves and the accompanying bent pushrods and/or broken rocker arms.

Well the tank was empty when I got the car but proably gunk on the bottom, think you are right just pull the head as the valve that is stuck is really stuck, if i remember the guy I bought the motor from mentioned the previous/ previous owner was fiddling with the timing gears couldn't get them right, so guess better pull the head make sure I don't have a bent valve or something in that cylinder, I wanted a vehicle to tinker with guess I got one.

I had the same problem last spring. Bad gas will cause your valves to stick. I bent two push rods on mine. Pulled the head off and the intake smelled just like varnish. Best thing to do is to take the head off and to a machine shop if you can't get the vavles unstuck yourself. But before you put it back on drain out all of the old gas. If you can get your tank out, I recomend cleaning it real good. Heads up, you will proably have to rebuild your carb also. After I had everything cleaned and the head put back on and new gas in the tank, the carb stuck because the previous gas had varnished it up also. This year, before I put my truck in storage for the winter, I am going to put some stabul in the gas and hope it keeps it from going bad.