Skip to main content

Anybody have some special tricks for getting a valve loose that is stuck open on a 351 C?

My car has been sitting in a garage for a while. I got the engine to turn, but one of the valves is stuck open (spring compressed, rocker and pushrod free to wiggle).

Of course it is the most difficult valve to reach - the #1 intake port (I think) - the closest valve to the back of the passenger's head.

I might be able to get better access by disconnecting some hoses and a coolant tube and coming at it from inside the car.
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

I would not assume that the valve is stuck open, but that the valve spring is being held in a compressed position. I would assume there is damage at the other end of the valve; one of two possible problems:

the valve head is partially broken off the stem, hanging to the stem at an angle that holds the valve spring compressed.

the valve head is broken completely off the stem, and while in the process of breaking off the valve stem was bent, which is holding the spring in a compressed position.

The next step is to pull the intake manifold, drain the coolant, and pull that cylinder head to determine the extent of the damage to the engine.
glad I was wrong.

Thumbs Up!

Still, it is unusual for a valve to stick open. You have to ask why or how did that happen. Might it be a sign of something; a warning. According to many people the factory valves in the Cleveland engine have a history of cracking and dropping their heads.
Perry H;
Now that the valve has popped up, have you been able to determine if the valve stem was possibly rusted or seized in the guide from the length of time the vehicle was sitting?
Wouldn't want the valve to hang up again in the spot where it may have been seized and cause any further damage.
Is the valve stem smooth and free?
If not, it may be worth your time to pull the push rod just to make sure it isn't bent.
The pushrods are straight. I took all of the rockers off and checked.

I can’t inspect the valve stems without either pulling the head or doing the rope trick and taking the springs off.

I did a compression test and got a lot of fun wacky numbers. High of 170 and a low of 40 - with everything in between. The low ones could be sticky valve stems/rusty valve seats.

I was hoping to get it running with this motor so I could putt around in it while restoring other things - saving the engine rebuild for last.
I have not checked vacuum.

I think I am just going to bite the bullet and pull the heads off to look at the valves and directly into the cylinders.

My dad (long time Mustang/Windsor guy) seems to think that's crossing some point of no return - we might as well pull the motor and rebuild, but it looks like a few easy to get to bolts to me (and buying some new gaskets).

Someone has been in this motor before - at least the top end. One of the push rods has been replaced and some of the rockers have a different stamping (some are smoother around the edges that others) and two of them have been ground on the outside of the pushrod end for some reason. The only reason I can think of doing that is for valve cover clearance - and the valve cover is not even close. Mass reduction also came to mind, but it's not enough material for that and why only two? (unless these just came out of someone's box of spare stock rockers and they did not notice or care about the grinding marks).
quote:
Originally posted by Perry H:
I have not checked vacuum.

I think I am just going to bite the bullet and pull the heads off to look at the valves and directly into the cylinders.



good idea, if it's crusty enough to stick valves, that crust will be fouling the cylinders getting into the rings and scoring the walls doing more damage than necessary

as far as the rockers, there are several variations, some have a bulge that causes interference between the rocker body and the pushrod. then there are the 'lugged' rockers that look quite different around the top edge

Attachments

Images (1)
  • luggedrockers
No - not crusty (at least not the part I can see with the head still on), but one was stuck open.

There was one other that would stick open and then pop loose.

I found 2-3 plugs that had some rust one them, but it wasn't terrible.

The engine was initially stuck too. It would not turn with a breaking bar on the crank. I got it moving after a good 3-4 days of marvel mystery oil soaking.

Add Reply

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×