spridgets
[Top] [All Lists]

INteresting Problems.

To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: INteresting Problems.
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2001 19:07:12 EDT
I ran into an interesting problem today.  I was driving my Midget toward 
Knoxville on the interstate, when I noticed the heat guage was pushing 
upward.  Watching it closely, I decided to get off at the next exit to check 
the water, when a loud clattering noise started from under the bonnet.  I 
pulled immediately over to the shoulder and under an overpass.  

As soon as I stopped, steam began rising from under the bonnet, and the 
clattering was still loud.  I shut her down and raised the bonnet.  First, 
the heater hose had burst and was spraying out hot water.  No-brainer! I 
loosened the radiator cap to relieve pressure, then pulled the hose off, cut 
it off behind the burst, and reinstalled it.  Easy enough.  Started it back 
up and the clattering was continuing--got out to see where it was coming 
from--unmistakeably from under the valve cover.  I pulled the valve cover, 
and found that one of the pushrods had jumped from under the rocker arm and 
was playing titter-tatter on the underneath of the valve cover.   Eyeballed 
it and determined it was straight, and reinstalled it, setting it by feel, as 
I didn't have a guage with me.   No water--I found about 2 cups of rainwater 
in a flat container that had been discarded alongside the interstate, which I 
strained out and put in the radiator.

     Started back up and back on the interstate--engine running fine, but 
starts to overheat again.  Drove to the next exit, probably 2 miles, and 
added cool water at a service station.  Back on the interstate, it seemed to 
run a lot cooler to my destination.  After that stop, back in the car and on 
the interstate again, and we are overheating again--badly, but not in the red 
zone yet.  Pulled over and added a little water (she boiled prolifically when 
I opened the radiator cap.  Ran about 3 more miles--still overheating, so I 
pulled into another service station where I removed the thermostat and filled 
the engine with cool water again.  The 'stat is a 180 degree stat that was 
hot and wide open when I removed it and closed when I ran cold water over it, 
so it was working.  But without the thermostat, the engine rans cool and got 
me home just fine. 

I am wondering what the hell is going on?   This is an engine that normally 
runs cool--in fact, last year I had to install a 190 degree 'stat to get 
engine temp up to optimal temp.   True, I did change blocks, and used the 
water pump that was on the new used block, but it has been running just fine 
until now.  And the thermostat was OPEN when I removed it, indicating that it 
was letting water go through.  But when it was removed, the engine stopped 
running hot.

AND, what made the pushrod jump from under the rocker arm?  The rocker arm 
was adjusted to spec and when I found it loose I checked the locknut and 
adjuster and both were tight.  The pushrod seems straight, although I will 
recheck it by rolling on a flat surface.  

Any ideas?  Thanks!

--David C.



<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>