Need Advice on Engine

[350runner]

If he never heard it being a solution then he needs to be forgotten if you tell him you have zero compression. he should know this to be a probable solution.

Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[MadOgre]

Hey guys, It's been a while. I've been super busy with other projects around the house to get to my truck. I'm thinking of just taking the truck back to the shop where I got the compression test and getting the valves adjusted there to get it done. Today I did finally call the mechanic and he guessed that a valve adjustment would run about $300.

He also said that he's NEVER heard of a valve adjustment solving this problem.

What do you guys think?

Do you have white froth in your coolant? Brown froth in your oil? Is your oil really black and smells like fuel a bit?

I think we need to just start eliminating possibilities. The only possibilities are : Improperly conducted compression test, Worn/unseated rings, unseated/broken/misadjusted valves, blown head gasket, cracked head or block.

Honestly thinking about this the only way to arrive at 0 is to have done the test incorrectly or to have a leak on the tester itself, or a broken/unseated valve or hole in a piston. Im thinking more towards an improper compression test.

If you have a broken valve you will have blue/black smoke in the exhaust accompanied by back fires. If you have a hole in the piston you will have black oil with fuel in it and or blue/black smoke from the exhaust. If you have a cracked head or block you will have pressurized coolant with oil in it and or white smoke from the exhaust.

If you attached a compressor hose to your "dead cylinders" with a special fitting, while each one is at T.D.C. and leave the air on you will be able to determine if it is leaking into your coolant which would suggest a head or block crack or head gasket failure, into your crankcase which would be rings or piston, into your exhaust which would indicate broken or unseated exhaust valve, into your intake which would indicate broken or unseated intake valve.

It is possible that you will not experience any of the above with the applied air test

 

[350runner]

On a rebuilt engine with low miles over tightened valves will not seat and seal...

Sent from the dust in front of you!
That's on any engine.

 

[MadOgre]

probably is lol I just don't want buddy who wants 6K to fix his engine to get his grubby little hands on it though, cause then it will turn into 10K to fix and then hell offer to just take the whole truck as payment for doing 10K in unauthorized work !

 

[MadOgre]

Freak I could completely restore my whole truck for 6K

 

[350runner]

**** one can go LS for that kinda money

Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[MadOgre]

Twice over lol

 

[creativesteveo]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I'm still driving the truck on a weekly basis.
I'm hoping to at least have the valve adjustment done by the new year.
My uncle, who is a mechanic has agreed to help me.

My plan is to try and follow all your steps here and he can make sure I
don't destroy anything.

Thanks again.


Oh also, my exhaust as far as i can tell looks normal. It's winter here in Minnesota and it's whitish like it's always been.

 

[MadOgre]

well if you have a cracked head or block you will consistently loose coolant.

 

[creativesteveo]

Hey guys,

I FINALLY got around to doing a valve adjustment with my uncle.
We also replaced the oil sending unit and the valve cover gaskets,
as well as adjusting the distributor position.

I went for a test drive and everything seemed to improve! Better acceleration
and it started right up on the first try.

Then the next day, it fires right up and then dies after I back it out of the driveway.

I had to pump the gas pedal like crazy and then floor it to get is started.


I'm not sure what to do next! I'm wondering if the distributor turned a bit when I
drove the truck home? I thought we tightened it down pretty good.

Any ideas?

My uncle seems the think I should start saving for a new motor...


Thanks

-Steve

 

[Skweegle89]

Hey guys,

I FINALLY got around to doing a valve adjustment with my uncle.
We also replaced the oil sending unit and the valve cover gaskets,
as well as adjusting the distributor position.

I went for a test drive and everything seemed to improve! Better acceleration
and it started right up on the first try.

Then the next day, it fires right up and then dies after I back it out of the driveway.

I had to pump the gas pedal like crazy and then floor it to get is started.


I'm not sure what to do next! I'm wondering if the distributor turned a bit when I
drove the truck home? I thought we tightened it down pretty good.

Any ideas?

My uncle seems the think I should start saving for a new motor...


Thanks

-Steve

I'm going to tell you something that I just learned the hard way. There are a couple tests you can do that are free that will tell you a lot.

Get a vacuum gauge.
Get a compression gauge

Those are the 2 best pieces of advice I can give you. The vacuum gauge will let you properly set your timing and your air/fuel ratio. Without those 2 things done first, your just spinning your wheels.

I didn't read your whole thread to see if you have done a compression test yet, but it too will tell you a lot. Not everything, but it's the best way to start.

Both my tests came back OK and turns out I had a bent push Rod, a flat cam, and all 4 main bearings were shot. And I can't prove it, but I bet I had a valve problem or two as well.



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[Skweegle89]

I see now that you had a compression test done, but also see that the mechanic that did it was a clown trying to sell you **** you don't need. Do your own compression test and get a vac gauge. I just bought one for like $12.


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[350runner]

Hey guys,

(1.)#I FINALLY got around to doing a valve adjustment with my uncle.# this is an awesome thing! Glad to see your tackling the most feared mitigating task of our engines.
(2.)#We also replaced the oil sending unit and the valve cover gaskets,# good job bud!
(3.)#as well as adjusting the distributor position.# stop did you use a automotive timing gun? Even using a vacuum gauge will not tell you what the base timing is set at. Please answer this question....

(4.)I went for a test drive and everything seemed to improve! Better acceleration
and it started right up on the first try. Awesomeness at its best right here! Told ya it could be fixed..

(5.)Then the next day, it fires right up and then dies after I back it out of the driveway. Refer to question #3

(6.) I had to pump the gas pedal like crazy and then floor it to get is started. what carb do you have on your engine.


I'm not sure what to do next! I'm wondering if the distributor turned a bit when I
drove the truck home? I thought we tightened it down pretty good.

Any ideas?

(7.)My uncle seems the think I should start saving for a new motor... uh no... If that's the case send me your current engine


Thanks

-Steve

How exactly did you guys adjust the valves?
Please check the numbers and questions in the quote...
Sent from the dust in front of you!

 

[creativesteveo]

Man, the compression test was crazy. I didn't know how to do it so I let my uncle do it. We took the Valve covers off and I started the engine and my uncle used a wrench to adjust the valves a quarter turn at a time. We only adjusted the bad valves. I know you said to not do it with the engine running but I didn't know what to do. All the valves seemed to tight though, so we fixed that,

#3 no we did not use a timing gun. We set the engine to TDC and marked where the distributor sat and adjusted it a click forward or a click back. And eventually got to a spot where the engine ran better.

#6 I have an Eldebrach carb, I think it's a four barrel carb

#7 people keep telling to just by a new engine and that fuel injected engines are way better. I know fuel injected can be more efficient and less complicated but there's gotta bea. Way to fix mine.

It's just a timing thing, I am doing a ton if construction on my house and need my truck to work so I can haul scrap and big tools, like a table saw around.

Hmmmmmmmm


Thanks again

 

[creativesteveo]

#3 one if the belt drives has 2 yellow markings on it,to we would "tap" the engine until those two lines would line up so we could tell when the engine was lined up.