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Bummer update

To: Bricklin@autox.team.net, morgans@autox.team.net
Subject: Bummer update
From: "John T. Blair" <jblair1948@cox.net>
Date: Tue, 03 Jan 2006 19:40:55 -0500
Hey gang,  here's the lastest report on How I spent my Christmas Vacation

My "bummer" email describes how it started on last Tues.  Went over to dad's 
on Wed. and tried some PB Blast and Marvels Mystery Oil.  Nothing.  So after 
playing some, I went home.  When I got there, I was informed that smoke was
coming from under the hood of the 89 Voyager.  So I headed to the autoparts
store to get the  1/2 shaft for my 84 accord and the radiator.

Fri. - I spent the day working on the daily drivers, I had to put a new 
radiator in the 89 Voyager.  The 1/2 shaft came in so I went and picked that
up.

Sat. -  back over to dads for a couple of hours.  More Marvels, more rocking. 
Still nothing.  We pull the rocker box cover, and see that one of the valves 
is open.  So we pull the rocker pedistal.  The valve stays open.  So at least
one stuck valve.  I'll bring a valve spring compressor over next time, and 
we'll look into this.  

In the mean time, my wife took the 89 to the store.  She got on the 
interstate, got up to 55 mph, and she said it felt like it was going to 
shake apart!  So she aborted the trip to the store.  I got home from working 
on the Morgan and took the 89 for a drive. Yup! Lots of vibration.  So I guess
I also need a new pass. side 1/2 shaft in that. So I go get one. 

Sun. -  Replace the 1/2 shaft on the 89 Voyager.  While it's in on jackstands
I decide to check the drivers side front wheel.  I wiggle it and it feels
like 
it's about to fall off.  Grap the impact wrench and snatch the wheel off.
I try to wiggle the steering knuckle, and find that the 2 nuts & bolts that
hold the steering knuckle to the strut are loose.  That's were the vibration
was coming from.  Finish the 1/2 shaft, tighten the drivers side and drop it 
off for an alignment.

Mon. - Back to dad's and more work on the Morgan.  It's been 6 days now and
we still can't budge the engine.  The 1st thing we notice is that the stuck
valve has now been pulled back closed.  That's a good thing. We spend about 
an hour trying to rock the can and turn the crank.  We finally decide to pull
the head.  Take the carb off and open it up.  A good bit of crud in the 
float bowl, but not really too bad.  Pull the head bolts and try to lift the
head.  It came right off!  Now #1 and #2 cylinders are dry, but #3 & #4 still
have all the Marvels in it.  We suck all the Marvels out of these 2 cyls. We 
make a wooden puck to fit on top of the pistons, set it in the cyl. and tape
it with a happen.  Nothing!  After some more fiddling we try some lacquer
thinner, hoping that the pistons are stuck to the cyl walls by varnish from
the gas.  After some time, we finally give up for the day.

So next time I go over, I guess we drop the pan, break the con and main caps
loose and try to turn just the crank.  If that moves, the we try an work on
just the 2 stuck pistons.

Moral of the story,  Pull the plugs and fill the cyls with oil on any eng.
you aren't going to run for 6 mo. or so.

John


John T. Blair  WA4OHZ     email:  jblair1948@cox.net
Va. Beach, Va             (eBay id: zebra48-1)
Phone:  (757) 495-8229

          48 TR1800    48 #4 Midget    65 Morgan 4/4 Series V (B1109)
     75 Bricklin SV1 (#0887)    77 Spitfire    71 Saab Sonett III
                       65 Rambler Classic

Morgan:    www.team.net/www/morgan
Bricklin:  www.bricklin.org

If you can read this             - Thank a teacher!
If you are reading it in English - Thank a Vet!!


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