Pull the Engine or Not for Valve Repair on 308

I found a better routing for the impact wrench using a very long, old as the hills, 1/2" Craftsman that just cleared the brake rotors. This didn't help. I dragged out my Mapp-Gas O2 light duty torch and that did the trick except that he flame is fairly narrow and a number of the nuts showed heating cracks on removal. So, at the risk of levity, use a torch but check your nuts. All 12 came off when they turned cherry red. I can't stop! I removed the clutch cable cotter pin. I'll get the transmission link off tomorrow and line up some hoist straps to support the engine/transmission for the lift. I'll check with Rutlands for replacement lock nuts. After watching the British GP practice, I can't wait to get my Redhead back on the road. I confess that I open the doors from time to time and breathe the sweet Italian aroma of the interior, then get back to the engine removal. I'll watch the British GP live. We were in CA and the damn DVR lost its memory on a brief power glitch and failed to record France. Forza Ferrari!!!!

 

The Load Leveler and Slings cam in yesterday from Northern tool. I ordered the 6 ft. slings and they look that they will fit. I will run one sling under each head then up to that side of the leveler. I may get to pull the engine this weekend if it rains. One question: I have not got the transmission shift linkage loose. There is a U coupling with a cross bolt that seems the obvious way to disconnect it, but the U is not parallel to the ground and the bolt will not extract, it hits the frame cross-member right where the wiring harness clip is welded. It looks like the only recourse is to disconnect it at the link adjustment (which looks like a clothesline tensioner). Any thoughts?

Also, the Tom's crinkle finish paint is available at Phantasm Motorsports http://www.phantasmusa.com/ for $10 USD. I got 2 cans for $30 including shipping and handling.

Many thanks to Pizzaman for his link to the engine extraction thread, especially the 10 helpful hints writeup.

Regards,
George

 

After several weekends of struggle and self doubt, I concluded that there was no way that I could get the engine out by lifting either straight up or rear first. I re-read the END of Pizzaman Chris' thread were several people wrote that the proper technique is to lift from the front. I tried this and the engine came right out. No muss, no fuss. the relative front-rear bias was not extreme. I have lots of pictures. I will get them out of the camera and post some. I did a first pass degrease and pulled the plenum. The intake manifold will come off today, after tennis. The most worrying thing that I have come across was the thick black gunk in the fuel injector manifold downstream of where the exhaust gas recirculator plugs in. I have black oily soot all the way into the plenum and a smaller amount in the intake manifold. Carb cleaner takes it right off, but something must be wrong in the emissions control system for that amount of oily soot to accumulate.

 

The head is off. The 4 exhaust valves were slightly bent as indicated by some indication of orange-peel on the top of the pistons. Also the tappet to cam clearance was about 3 times what it should have been. The exhaust valves must have just kissed the pistons. There was no indication of piston to intake valve strike on the piston and the clearances were fine. The intake valves looked good and spun freely in the seats when I removed them. I bought all new valves and seals. I ground the valves in yesterday and removed the old seals. How do the seals go in? it looks like you need a pair right-angle snap ring pliers to loosen the binder ring to get them on the guides and again to loosen the spring to get the valve through. I was afraid to just push them on. I have taken lots of pictures which I will post when life calms down a bit.

 

Sorry all. Life got very busy here, but the work continued. The valve stem seals were tearing as the new valves didn't have a chamfer on the keeper slot. Half of a CVS Glucosamine capsule fit perfectly and the seals slid on easily with lots of 10W oil over them. Before reassembly I painted the cam covers and the plenum crinkle finish red and they look great. After a not so trivial compression test on the workbench, the engine went back in easily with lots of new seals and such. I replaced the cooling line rubber couplings with cut up sections of a truck radiator hose purchased locally. No problems. I was very concerned about the valve seals at first because she really smoked. However 20 0r so miles later she does not smoke at all. I assume that it was the reassembly oil. Of course, compression tests aside, the real test is the right foot test and she passed. She once again screams down the road. there was a Vintage Car Show at work this week. Baby was quite a hit, sitting there amongst the American Muscle and Street Rods. Oh, aside from the usual MGs TRs and AHs there was a 55 MG Arnolt.
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