Engine rattle and bad distributor gear

[demon1018]

I have this bug hear that has a rattle in the engine. Pulled the belt off and its still there so I know it ws in the engine. I pulled it apart and found a few things. One , the arrows on the pistons were pointed away from the flywheel. What would that do? Second, I can push the valves side to side a little on the spring end with the springs on them. The heads look all nice and new but they ay vw so im assuming there stock heads and needed valve guides but thy just threw it together anyway. What would that do? 3rd, the distributor gear on the flywheel is chewed up. the distributor drive looked fine. Why? haha thanks for the help if you can!

[slalombuggy]

Someone turned the engine over without the distributor in place and chewed up the gear, that's probably the noise as the distributor pinion will hammer up and down on the gear. Not sure if the pistons are offset but put them on the right way. Valves usually don't make that much noise, they just carbon up the pistons and combustion chambers or blow a bunch of smoke out the tailpipe.

brad

[FreeBug]

The pistons probably are offset (hence the arrow). They will slap less if put in the right way, though according to formula Vee lore, you will lose a few horses...

Loose valves/guides is a recipe for disaster. That rocking you could discern is probably too much. Measure the valve stems for wear limit, change the exhaust valves if you suspect anything, high mileage, anything. I skimped out and it cost me 2 months of my life rebuilding an engine in strained conditions.

If the valve doesn't sit squarely on its seat, because of play in the guides, the valve can't evacuate heat like it wants to, and overheats. Plus, by tring to set the valve on the seat while cocked in the guide will get the valve head to start bending, amd eventually break off.

Now that you have if apart, take your time and build something nice!

[demon1018]

Ok cool. It has Mahle pistons so I think the arrows there tlfor that reason. I will measure though

[Rome]

[theDrew]

[tripicana]

Isn't there supposed to be a spacer between the cam and distributor gears?
_________________
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[Pruneman99]

Someone just slapped that together to get it on the road. Putting the pistons in backwards it's probably causing the noise you're hearing. Valves all sloppy in the guides means old heads we're used, and not rebuilt, or the rocker geometry was way off side loading the valves.

At tist point, a complete teardown, measure, clean and rebuild is in order.

[FreeBug]

[57BLITZ]

[demon1018]

[57BLITZ]

[mark tucker]

you have it appart,so..you tell us what the issue is.it's a lot eazer for you to see than us. fix it, do it right, forget about it and go have fum.

[demon1018]

[demon1018]

[demon1018]