Motor dies after startup.

My mechanic friend came over to help me diagnose.

When we pulled plugs 4 and 5 and the plug cylinders I noticed there was a rod sticking out. My friend feeled on the inside, we pulled the valve cover, and realized the reason why 4 and 5 are not firing is because I have two bent pushrods.

So I'm going to pick up a feeler gauge and a couple of pushrods, read up on valve adjustment, and see if I can fix this myself. I'm looking thru the service manual right now but offhand if I can't find it does anyone know the feeler gauge size I need to put it at the correct rocker setting?

Good lord.


Incidentally we swapped 4 and 5 just to see what it would do with a good plug from 2. All 6 plugs appear to be firing. I think the bent pushrod was the culprit. What good is a spark if the valves won't move.

While it was sitting I only had a little in the tank. The tank was more recently filled and the fuel at the pump smells new.

The litttle left in the tank IS a problem, maybe THE problem. If it gets old and evaporates off a loT of the light components, you are left with what is called varnish. The new gas will carry this into the engine. Carb will be gunked, plus the problems you see with the valves stuck. (It is even wose on a fuel injection engine.) And it will detonate like crazy and be hard on things and even tear things up. So you gotta be ready to clean the fuel system IMO.

Check the thread on this forum about 'Bending rods'; they bent for a reason that has to be run down. And read up on how to work the valves loose in the guides with Mystery Oil or SeaFoam and a mallet; very good info there. Be careful with the mallet; I would use a bit of 2x4 and be careful to push or knock STRAIGHT on the end of the valves so that you do not bend the valve stems.

Well, at least you ran it down! Just where was this 'rod sticking out'?