Syncro has sat for 20+ years let’s resurrect it!

[ProvoCyclist]

So, did you list this recently on the local FB marketplace for $12k? I’m assuming you fixed the broken rocker and pushrod?

_________________
Clark
Current: 1986 Tintop GL 2wd, stock 2.1L, manual trans, Savanna Beige Metallic LH1V.
Past: 1985 Sunroof GL, 2wd, Subaru 3.3L, manual trans, resprayed to Diamond Silver L97A

[Sodo]

Take off the manifolds and Spray intake valve stems with carburetor cleaner.
Carb cleaner may cut the goo.
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'90 Westy EJ25, NEW oil rings (!) 2Peloquins, 3knobs, SyncroShop pressure-oiled pinion-bearing & GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox.
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered original gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[UtahGOgear]

Well, I got some time to work on it today! Got two pushrod tubes from Van cafe along with some other stuff. I put the new push rod in on the driver side head after fitting the spring loaded pushrod tube. Got rockers in and valve cover on and this thing just won’t start.

I go to see if the pushrod bent again or something and it turns out there’s oil spilling from the passenger side head now. Great. Another intake pushrod completely bent just like the other side! Not just that- put upon pulling the valve cover I see a rocker arm snapped off but somehow the pushrod doesn’t seem bent.

What the heck man? Is the goo gas crap causing all the intake valves to completely freeze up? Why did it run so good but now doesn’t and everything is going wack with intake valves sticking? How is this happening? Lifters seem fine, no tick or anything. What in the world? I noticed the valve came back out very slowly from the driver side head- the one I just fixed the bent pushrod and tube on. I clean the crap out of it and it then seemed to back out just fine no lagging. Is it possible something is very wrong here? It really seems like all the intake valves stuck at once and cause this. How can that even be? My only idea is the goo gas. Ive had mmo and sea foam soaking in the intake valve ports from injector holes. Hoping to clean them up. Time to try and source a rocker arm and another push rod.

_________________
RIP:
'82 Westy a/c
'82 Westy 1.6D
'78 Transporter Moon Roof Camper Conversion
'78 Westy Restoration
'85 Westy 1.8T AEB 50* w/adapter plate
'87 Syncro 2.1 WBX
'91 1.8T ATW 50* w/diesel components
Currently enjoying:
'97 Eurovan Winnebago

[Sodo]

[dobryan]

[UtahGOgear]

Well the valve isn’t sticking per se, at least not after a MMO and PB blaster bath. I’m going to wait a while and then see if it sticks and smacks the piston still after sitting for a bit and “drying out”. If it’s not sticking I’m going to do something pretty savage and cut a pushrod tube in half that I got for it and then install it much like the adjustable nut ones or the overpriced spring loaded ones that straight up go west says leak oil and that it’s normal. I’m going to cut it, find a hose that slips over it and slide it over one side with two hose clamps, then shove each end in with new seals and butt up the cut and then slide the hose over and clamp on each side. Is this ridiculous? Am I crazy? Or by some miracle is this going to work? I am unsure but going to take the risk and see what happens. Best case this works and we resurrect this Syncro for Easter by a miracle. Worse case I bend another push rod or that valve, knock a hole in the cylinder, my pushrod idea fails and pukes all oil out and I rune the motor… haha things could go horribly wrong.
_________________
RIP:
'82 Westy a/c
'82 Westy 1.6D
'78 Transporter Moon Roof Camper Conversion
'78 Westy Restoration
'85 Westy 1.8T AEB 50* w/adapter plate
'87 Syncro 2.1 WBX
'91 1.8T ATW 50* w/diesel components
Currently enjoying:
'97 Eurovan Winnebago

[UtahGOgear]

I straightened out the bent push rod and put it back in with the rockers. Oil is pouring out although I lifted the drivers side so not super crazy. I poured quite a bit of MMO in the injector hole of the valve that’s sticking that bent the push rod. It clicked pretty bad for a few rotations then it silenced and seemed to be fine. This happened previously though and I thought it just needed to get the oil turning when I first started this van. Now I’m just not sure if it’s going to stick again and bend my new push rod. Everything looks okay as far as I can tell but honestly I’m not sure. I’ll have someone else crank over so I can spray more MMO and pb blaster on this valve to try and clean it up if it just had stuck from build up. What do you guys think about this situation?
_________________
RIP:
'82 Westy a/c
'82 Westy 1.6D
'78 Transporter Moon Roof Camper Conversion
'78 Westy Restoration
'85 Westy 1.8T AEB 50* w/adapter plate
'87 Syncro 2.1 WBX
'91 1.8T ATW 50* w/diesel components
Currently enjoying:
'97 Eurovan Winnebago

[UtahGOgear]

Okay I need your opinions on what to do. I came out here to try and get the head swapped out but when I went down to start taking things more apart I saw that the intake valve actually went back I put by it’s self. A primitive leak down test through the injector hole confirms the valve is seating. What do I do? I know head gaskets were done not many miles ago on this from receipts I found. My gut tells me to pour a good amount of marvel mystery oil into the injector hole and bend the push rod back and reinstall rockers and turn it over and see if the valve comes loose. If it works I’ll put in my new push rod and get a telescopic tube to install without pulling the head off. What do you guys think? Worse case I actually do bend the valve which I thought had already happened?
_________________
RIP:
'82 Westy a/c
'82 Westy 1.6D
'78 Transporter Moon Roof Camper Conversion
'78 Westy Restoration
'85 Westy 1.8T AEB 50* w/adapter plate
'87 Syncro 2.1 WBX
'91 1.8T ATW 50* w/diesel components
Currently enjoying:
'97 Eurovan Winnebago

[4Gears4Tires]

I didn't see one inside my Syncro's gas tank when I redid all the tank lines 7ish years ago. It went missing at some point in the past.
_________________
'87 Syncro Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition
'85 Westy Sciuridae Domus Edition

[ALIKA T3]

You don't really need the filter in the tank, diesels don't have it, just replace the outside filter at correct intervals.
New 2WD tanks don't even have the inside filter either.

Sleep easy.
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[4Gears4Tires]

It's quite possible it was already bent, might be why it was parked. It just wasn't catastophic until you ran it and it caught and bent more.
_________________
'87 Syncro Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition
'85 Westy Sciuridae Domus Edition

[UtahGOgear]

[MayorMcCheese]

Do you think the push rod bent when you ran it or do you think it bent 20+ years ago?

[Sodo]

[tjet]

Did you happen to see a VW part number on this?

Nice van - looks like mine. I wonder if it was sold at the same PA dealership.

[khughes]

[dobryan]

Bummer. Trials and tribulations of not running for 20 years.

Keep at it. Enjoy the journey.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2010 Subaru EJ25 (Vanaru) and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

[UtahGOgear]

So… since I first tried to start this thing there’s been a weird clinking noise. I figured it was just everything getting lubed up. Unfortunately I have discovered from my massive oil leak that an intake valve was (and still is) stuck open. It likely smacked the piston and is bent now. I took the rocker arms off and this valve did not spring shut. This is not ideal. The push rod is very bent which also sucks. Most likely that valve is bent inside the cylinder and when the piston smacked it real good while it was stuck out it froze and the push rod met an immovable force and bent, bending the tube with it and causing the tube seal to unseat.

I honestly thought I’d be driving this around after the fuel tank clean out. It’s taken the better part of spring break, and I’m afraid I don’t have parts to put it back together nor time to take it apart. I’m guessing at very least I need to pull that head and replace the valve, probably valve guide is messed up too. Then get new push rod and tube and seals and if I’m lucky the damage wasn’t worse than that? feeling a little bummed out!

Plugs were wet and it never did start back up. Not sure why, couldn’t be related to stuck valve? I don’t think it flooded and hydro locked, but maybe something like that? Although it made the sound before.

Bent push rod. Tube was very kinked. Valve stuck.

_________________
RIP:
'82 Westy a/c
'82 Westy 1.6D
'78 Transporter Moon Roof Camper Conversion
'78 Westy Restoration
'85 Westy 1.8T AEB 50* w/adapter plate
'87 Syncro 2.1 WBX
'91 1.8T ATW 50* w/diesel components
Currently enjoying:
'97 Eurovan Winnebago

[UtahGOgear]

[4Gears4Tires]

I don't know if I would recommend the filter before the pump. If you prime it and then open the fuel bleed valve (that metal junction with a small bolt) does fuel pressure shoot fuel out?
_________________
'87 Syncro Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition
'85 Westy Sciuridae Domus Edition