Sacramento HELP

[scubasteve321]

Hey All

I am traveling to Lake Havasu, Arizona for Buses by the Bridge and ran into a bit of a mechanical problem in Sacramento

Was wondering if anyone in the area could give me an opinion?

I have quite a bit of clearance on my 1 and 3 exhaust, even after putting the adjuster screws all the way down, brand new head on driver's side, worried I may have a cam-shaft issue but perhaps there is something I am over-looking

Perhaps I can put the performance adjuster screws on and that would close up the clearance?

Thanks so much for your time

727 265 7411

Steve

Bit more of a back-story to post;

Bus started to run bogged down

go through checks

3 and 4 plugs very fouled

clean them up

pull off valve cover

vw shop that did valves may have not tightened because as you can see nut came off lol

furthermore on the exhaust number 3 cylinder there is still quite a bit gap, about a 1/4 inch between valve and adjuster..... double checked I am on 3 and not 1

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1971 Campmobile Tin-Top
1971 Campmobile Pop-Top
1974 VW Bus

[airschooled]

Hey Steve, maybe PM SGKent, as he's sorta close and retired now

The camshaft issue you mentioned Certainly seems plausable, since the 1 & 3 exhaust vales are both acting up. They share a cam lobe after all…

I see cylinder #4 with a missing valve adjuster and a loose pushrod. Fix the pushrod by loosening all the valve adjusters on that side, removing the rocker shaft (18 ft•lbs on reassembly) and getting all four pushrods to find their homes as you slide the rocker shafts back on. Once rocker stud nuts are tight, insert the valve adjuster screws finger tight and then go through a full valve adjustment procedure.

I am not seeing the typical "extra threads sticking out" that usually follows with many many valve adjustments. Is that an old picture?

Robbie
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Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
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[scubasteve321]

thanks for heads up about SG hah

not sure what you mean by the extra threads sticking out, is that due to people not adjusting valves at TDC and needing to adjust when the valve is seated further down the cam?

It is a fresh picture, first time I popped off the valve cover 300 miles after I paid a pro VW Shop in town to do said procedure, among other tasks

First time I let anyone else work on my bus in over 3 years of ownership

What could have caused the adjuster screw to go flying, beside a fogotten-to-be-tightened adjuster nut?

Furthermore, could the cam on 1 and 3 have been excessively worn, quickly, due to number 4's issue?

questions questions hehe

less than 5k miles on the rebuilt engine as well

my oh my
_________________
1971 Campmobile Tin-Top
1971 Campmobile Pop-Top
1974 VW Bus

[airschooled]

The only reason a valve adjuster locknut would come loose is if it not tightened properly. I have encountered a few dozen buses this year whose adjusters are over-tightened to the point of damaging the nuts. This is NOT necessary, but they have to be tightened some what!

Typically if a valve-train wear issue is present, one would have to screw the adjuster screw in or out way more than the others. Do you see any adjusters that have more threads showing than others?

Good call pulling over when you felt low power. Many, many engines could be saved if every driver did as you did.

Robbie
_________________
Learn how your vintage VW works. And why it doesn't!
One-on-one tech help for your Volkswagen:
www.airschooled.com

[scubasteve321]

Thanks for your patience and well-written replies, Robbie

I hear ya on the over-tightening, I was scolded when tightening them under the watch of a VW Pro and haven't since!

Good tip on the valve-train wear, putting that in the noggin for future reference.

All the threads at the time seemed to be about the same

Would the performance adjuster screws be of any use to my current situation in that, if, what I suspect with the cam turns out to be true, give me the extra space needed to close up the distance to the valve?

Or, is that more wishful thinking, and masking a problem that may only get worse and cause more damage?
_________________
1971 Campmobile Tin-Top
1971 Campmobile Pop-Top
1974 VW Bus

[tommu]

If this is cam / lifter failure I'd be getting a tow home. You can't mask that with longer adjustment screws. Can you drain oil and check the strainer?

Are the rockers torqued properly and do you have the right pushrods?
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[airschooled]

[SGKent]

start by making sure we are talking the same language. The way cylinder numbers are being tossed around I don't know what the problem is other then a loose pushrod and missing adjuster. (#4 or #1 depending on which head we are looking at.) The pushrod may be bent at this time. Let's hope not. I know that the ball end of the pushrod is buggered up. Also it looks like #4 is the one with the loose pushrod because the exhaust on the left side of the photo looks like the transmission side so that would be the drivers side head I think.

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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin