Thread: Another 3.9 RRC tale of frustration.

I couldn't get enough down force to push on my lifters with the push rod to pump them with oil. Ended up soaking them in oil instead.

Still , that 170 on No:6 is still abit odd .Just thinking out aloud ,Must have a ****load of Carbon either in the Comb chamber or the Piston Crown .(enough to cause a detonation as well)What I find strange that if it were a inlet cam lobe then because you dont get lift, you shouldnt get more compression !!!But if it was an exhaust lobe ,then you would get reversion up the inlet tract at overlap . which does cause a ****load of carboning up, and as Volumetric effiency increases will degenerate into a "miss". So, pull the rocker gear,put a extension piece on the Dial indicator and check the lobes for lift . Possibly heatgun the exhaust while your at it .Still, could easily be something in the injector firing or ignition firing ! Do these 14CUX things go from sequential to batch firing at any time ?

Do these 14CUX things go from sequential to batch firing at any time ?

Always batch by bank no sequential. They are Bosch LE jetronic copy. Motronic was first sequential .
I had a think about the staggers at medium throttle. If 6 is dribbling unburnt fuel the O2 sensor for that bank will lean the rest of the cylinders to compensate.
Regards Philip A

See the piccies and join me in a weep.

Number 6 inlet lobe is almost entirely gone and the lifter looks like it has been riding on the cam shaft area next to the lobe!
Also number 2 has what looks like a casting imperfection on the lobe , and my guess is that is what probably started the rot on number 6.
IIt couldn't be seen on arrival as the cam was covered in lubricant.

I think I will replace the cam with a Wade 295 .
I can only have an opinion that the cam was crap as I did all possible to prepare it and run it in. Geez an engine designed in 1961 or whatever shouldn't be rocket science..

Attachment 39083

Attachment 39084

Attachment 39085

Attachment 39086

If you think that is bad look at this!

Attachment 39087

Attachment 39088

Attachment 39089
Regards Philip A

Wow. I don't think I have ever seen a cam and lifters so badly worn, let alone in such a short time.

OK, ideas needed.
The last follower on the LH bank will not come out.
I have been pushing and pulling for hours now but it seems to be mushroomed .
Any brilliant ideas? I have tried for a long time to lever it out using multigrips on the top and a screwdriver to lever, and a bent bit of heavy wire pushing from below. It comes up to just past flush with the bottom of the gallery.
It looks like I will have to remove the sump and get it out the bottom after I remove the cam as I am now thinking that I will damage the gallery if I do any more..
Geez this is giving me the irrits.
My guess is that the lifters have poor case hardening seeing one mushroomed and there are a few more bad ones. I bought a lifter locally to replace one that I suspected as it went down too easily and it is by far the best with hardly a witness mark or blemish on it.
I guess this may serve as a valuable lesson that some of the UK parts places are unscrupulous and though cheap are very nasty.

Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by PhilipA

OK, ideas needed.
The last follower on the LH bank will not come out.
I have been pushing and pulling for hours now but it seems to be mushroomed .
Any brilliant ideas? I have tried for a long time to lever it out using multigrips on the top and a screwdriver to lever, and a bent bit of heavy wire pushing from below. It comes up to just past flush with the bottom of the gallery.
It looks like I will have to remove the sump and get it out the bottom after I remove the cam as I am now thinking that I will damage the gallery if I do any more..
Geez this is giving me the irrits.
My guess is that the lifters have poor case hardening seeing one mushroomed and there are a few more bad ones. I bought a lifter locally to replace one that I suspected as it went down too easily and it is by far the best with hardly a witness mark or blemish on it.
I guess this may serve as a valuable lesson that some of the UK parts places are unscrupulous and though cheap are very nasty.

Regards Philip A

Pull the circlip out of the lifter and remove the guts of .

Make up a dowel that will fit firmly inside the lifter case and fit your drill chuck .

Rotate the lubricated ( moly if any left ) lifter and use emery tape or similar , you may need something to apply pressure on the tape and reg move to new , so`s it cuts .

If you try a file it should take the edge of the file staight away and do little for the lifter .

If they are soft as you suggest it will be easily done but just do it abit and try to remove , it will happen .

Use rag on the cam to catch .