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The "What Did You Work On Today" thread

3M views 36K replies 388 participants last post by  cerial 
#1 ·
4 hour work day for me at the shop. Used the time to do a valve body swap on a '01 Jetta 1.8t auto .... I successfully installed a transbrake on the car .... that however wasn't my intention.

Its in 2 gears at once in park, all other gears (R/N/D/2/1) are forward gears.... they all seam to be first gear.

I have it torn back down most of the way. Tuesday I'll actually get the VB back out and see whats up.... but part of me wants to take it out for a test drive the way it is just for the fun of it.
 
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#16,761 ·
Not sure.. I told a few people here that it is a easy way to make sure it's level once you cut the back of the kick downs off..(frame) Some people cut them off and don't know what to do then.. Your doing a nice job grafting it in.. I like them to flow into the frame like that.. I hate it when people just weld them under the old frame.. It is super strong that way.. But don't flow well.. Keep up the great job..


I got it tacked in today. As best as I can tell, I am within 1/32" of square. Hopefully there are no surprizes waiting for me down the road. :mwink::mwink:

John


 
#16,762 ·
Yesterday I got the new rice job mounted up. Went to turn it but realized I still need to trim my brackets where they hang out in front (see orange rags) and it was quitting time. Painter got all the Lizard Skin done inside the '68. The attention that guy pays in the seam sealer phase really restores my faith in humanity.:)
 

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#16,763 ·
I got out there for my "five minutes" working on my son's Falcon trying to find out the offset of the wheels needed. For some reason the front suspension isn't settling down where it should, I don't get it. But we will be putting some wheels on it and he can drive and hopefully it will settle down.

Brian
 
#16,764 ·
my son's Falcon trying to find out the offset of the wheels needed. For some reason the front suspension isn't settling down where it should, I don't get it. But we will be putting some wheels on it
Brian
The offset of the wheels also affects where the suspension settles down to because it affects the length of the 'leverage' vs the spring... Also, once the vehicle moves, the wheels will spread out a little, dropping it down...
 
#16,765 ·
I got out there for my "five minutes" working on my son's Falcon trying to find out the offset of the wheels needed. For some reason the front suspension isn't settling down where it should, I don't get it. But we will be putting some wheels on it and he can drive and hopefully it will settle down.

Brian
Maybe I missed where you assembled the new suspension, but did you have it under full weight (ride height) when you tightened the bushing bolts ?
 
#16,767 ·
Just finished grouting the tiles in the mud and powder rooms on the main floor. Started cutting the tiles for the main bathroom upstairs.

Got to stop though. A funny thing happened on the way to the cruise night last night. About 20 miles from home, one cylinder died. All kinds of popping and spitting as I feathered the throttle home.

Previous to this, I had a little "extra" valve train noise, pretty standard on SBC's. I'll bet I lost a rocker arm on these cheap *** studs that came with the heads. If I lost a lifter, I will cry... they are retro rollers from Comp. Going to open it up soon.
 
#16,768 ·
Maybe I missed where you assembled the new suspension, but did you have it under full weight (ride height) when you tightened the bushing bolts ?
No, I haven't tightened them yet. I have a big note taped to the inside of the windshield reminding me. :D

Good catch, that is often a reason for this. If I bounce up and down on it it moves a mile. But it's not settling, I am thinking the poly bushings on the front rods may be a cause.

Brian
 
#16,769 ·
Just finished grouting the tiles in the mud and powder rooms on the main floor. Started cutting the tiles for the main bathroom upstairs.

Got to stop though. A funny thing happened on the way to the cruise night last night. About 20 miles from home, one cylinder died. All kinds of popping and spitting as I feathered the throttle home.

Previous to this, I had a little "extra" valve train noise, pretty standard on SBC's. I'll bet I lost a rocker arm on these cheap *** studs that came with the heads. If I lost a lifter, I will cry... they are retro rollers from Comp. Going to open it up soon.
Bummer, wish you luck that it's easy for you.

Brian
 
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#16,772 ·
And the bad news is that I've got a broken push rod, but why????????


sometimes they fail... sometimes the valve stems get too tight in the guides.. cause stuff to bend.. once in a while a rocker slot will wear into the side of the rocker arm studs and lay over slightly.. exerting excessive side force on the pushrod..

small block chevy application i am taking it..

how is the compression on the cylinder..

can you do a cylinder leak down test.. without cranking the engine only turning it with a breaker bar slowly on the crank snout. if both rocker arms are off.. you can do the cylinder leak down test with the piston down also. just to verify the valves are closed and sealing.. impact with a piston or debris on top of the piston can also cause this.. but it will usually bend the valve head and keep it from closing.. was that on the intake or the exhaust. if you don't have a cylinder leak down tester.. any device that can seal in a spark plug hole and allow compressed air to be directed in... compression tester hose.. modified dead sparkplug with a quick connect plug screwed in..

probably a safer location for the piston to be.. for this test today..

hint.. rock the crank back and forth and see how much timing chain play you have..
 
#16,774 ·
sometimes they fail... sometimes the valve stems get too tight in the guides.. cause stuff to bend.. once in a while a rocker slot will wear into the side of the rocker arm studs and lay over slightly.. exerting excessive side force on the pushrod..

small block chevy application i am taking it..

how is the compression on the cylinder..

can you do a cylinder leak down test.. without cranking the engine only turning it with a breaker bar slowly on the crank snout. if both rocker arms are off.. you can do the cylinder leak down test with the piston down also. just to verify the valves are closed and sealing.. impact with a piston or debris on top of the piston can also cause this.. but it will usually bend the valve head and keep it from closing.. was that on the intake or the exhaust. if you don't have a cylinder leak down tester.. any device that can seal in a spark plug hole and allow compressed air to be directed in... compression tester hose.. modified dead sparkplug with a quick connect plug screwed in..

probably a safer location for the piston to be.. for this test today..

hint.. rock the crank back and forth and see how much timing chain play you have..
Exhaust side.

I have an adapter for air. I used it to change the stem seals a couple years ago.
Also, valve is free when tapped with a brass drift.


Did you just make some adjustments to the valve train? Overrev the engine and pump up the lifters? This is why we go one piece pushrods now instead of the welded 3 piece ones...
No adjustments recently. I did notice some excess ticking in the last couple weeks though.

Overrev....hell yeah, all the time, ha.....I beat the snot out of my poor truck.

Looks like the ball just fell off.
I'm trying to locate a used rod to put it back together. Of course, me being opposite of a hoarder, purge master is what my buddy calls me, I don't have any spare rods laying around, DOH! :drunk:
 
#16,776 ·
I agree with Mitch on both counts. Tile does look great. The way the push rod is mushroomed looks like it was running with the ball falling off.

I suspect I would put a new rocker and push rod in it and see what happened.

The bad thing is I would probably be listening for a lifter tick for weeks and months to come.

John
 
#16,777 ·
Looks like the ball fell off some time ago and the rod end pounding in the rocker was the excess tick.

I got a couple push rods at NAPA last year, but with roller lifters, you probably need a special length anyway.

Tile looks GREAT !!!
Thanks.

I believe they are stock length. 7-1/4" by tape measure.
I'll give the counter a call tomorrow.
 
#16,778 ·
I agree with Mitch on both counts. Tile does look great. The way the push rod is mushroomed looks like it was running with the ball falling off.

I suspect I would put a new rocker and push rod in it and see what happened.

The bad thing is I would probably be listening for a lifter tick for weeks and months to come.

John
Thanks.

Actually, I do believe the engine sound changed while I was driving a couple miles before it gave up. It coincided with the lock up engaging so it didn't really give me the full effect. I think at this time, the ball has fallen off and it kept running as you describe.

If I have any more issues with this motor, it'll be LS time I think.
Although, I have no time to do a swap.....:(
 
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