Guest bastaad525 Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 Well I am still carless and waiting for the head to be pulled, after it mysteriously bent a valve last week. Looks like it will be at least another week and 1/2 or so before I will be driving again... fuffin sucks. Anyways, I know it's just sort of self torture to ask this, and the point may really be a moot one, but, does anyone have any ideas as to WHY a valve could have suddenly stuck open? IF that's what happened? All I know is I was cruising down the street, nice relaxed cruise, not going crazy or anything, when suddenly all kinds of racket comes from the engine, one lash pad had popped off (the #11 valve) and one was damn close to it (#12 valve, both #6 cylinder). When I put them back on and readjusted the valve lash, the motor still taps very loudly and I got no compression on cyl #6. This has happened to me once before from some very old gunked up fuel residue (long story) that caused the valves to periodically stick open, but the fuel tank has been cleaned and recoated, and I changed the fuel filter as soon as I got the car back with the turbo in it. So... what else can cause valves to stick, if indeed that's what happened at all? What else could cause the lash pads to pop off? I'm tryin to figure it out so that whatever it is hopefully I can prevent it from happening again! A side note, I dont know if this is pure coincidence, but if anyone remembers, it was the #6 fuel injector that wasnt working right when I got the car back, the #6 was running super rich (I'm guessing it was just stuck wide open), and causing my low rpm bogging. We replaced that injector like 2-3 weeks ago, but I can only imagine the amount of crap that could be built up in that cylinder now... but then again, considering I drove it for like 2 weeks with a properly working injector, wouldnt' that cylinder have cleaned back out? I know some people suggested that the valve may not be bent nor have gotten stuck, but may just have carbon stuck holding it open... I tried tapping on them with a hammer to loosen anything but nothing happened. I still wouldn't be surprised if that is the case... I guess we'll find out soon enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobythevan Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 I remember you saying that this engine ran to some extent before your swap. But I also remember you saying that the mechanic thought the valve timing was off and changed the timing by one tooth. I just get really scared when people change the valve timing, my friend put his together wrong and bent a valve and didn't realize it for a while until he kept wondering why it was underpowered. Anyway, we assume your mechanic timed the engine right, but if it ran ok before why would it have been off? This may have nothing to do with your bent valve, but it just makes me nervous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bastaad525 Posted August 27, 2003 Share Posted August 27, 2003 actually, it was way underpowered before he adjusted the cam timing. It seemed to have no grunt at all even at WOT on boost, it just felt sick. When I left the car with him for a day, the first time I left it with him after he finished the swap, all he did really was to change the cam timing, and it made a huge difference, the car pulled much better, so I assume he put it right, or at least closer to right! But, considering I drove the car for like... a month I guess, after he fixed that, and have really gotten on it quite a few times, taking it up to 6k, would it have waited this long after he changed the cam timing to bend a valve? I agree that it is a possibility... as to why the cam timing would have been off in the first place, I have no clue... nor do I understand how being off one tooth on the gear could make so much difference one way or the other. Orrrrrr do I understand how the guy who sold us the donor car could have claimed that it was running so good, if the whole time, the cam was off like that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bastaad525 Posted August 31, 2003 Share Posted August 31, 2003 no one else with any ideas here? about the cam timing, I'm going to double check it myself when he installs the head, before putting everything back together, just to be sure. otherwise though, what else could cause a valve to get bent outta the blue like that when not even being driven hard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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