TheSamba.com :: View topic - #4 intake valve held open by stuck lifter or...?

Sun Nov 09, 2025 12:55 pm

I'm trying to get a 1973 1600dp running for my current project, however it's been sitting in my workshop for many years and I've run into trouble. Thinking it was nearly ready to start, I was checking the valve clearences when I realized the exhaust valve for #4 cylinder was held open and not moving. I unbolted the rocker shaft and the valve closed, so it's unlikely to be the head. Unfortunately, sometime while the motor was sitting, it was rotated without the distributor in place and now the drive sits about 180 degrees out, but is now engaged and operational. Is it likely one of the washers from the distributor drive dropped out and is jamming the #4 exhaust lifter somehow or could the lifter simply be stuck in the bore due to sitting? I really didn't want to split the motor open to chase this issue but it's not going to run well like this. :(

Sun Nov 09, 2025 1:09 pm

Use an old pushrod and give it a few taps with a light hammer.

Sun Nov 09, 2025 7:25 pm

Motors get 'Lot Rot' same as brakes.

Mon Nov 10, 2025 4:48 am

I have a heavily rusted 1600 that I took apart and all the lifters were stuck in the bores. I soaked them with pb blaster and then tapped them and got them to move. You could try taking the pushrod tube out and spraying it down several times to help loosen it.

Wed Nov 12, 2025 12:41 pm

Problem solved! Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I removed the rocker assembly, used a piece of threaded rod and lightly tapped until the lifter moved but after putting the rocker shaft back on it simply froze again. I then put the long nozzle of WD40 down the bore and doused the area liberally. It froze again when I put the rocker assembly back on and so I lightly tapped the rocker with a dead blow hammer while turning the motor until (with more spraying) the lifter was free and working on it's own. One less thing in the way of getting this motor running again after 20 years.