[1990]525
09-25-2007, 09:02 AM
Hi guys. This weekend I completed my cylinder head removal&installation. Hoorah, although alas a problem has arisen! While driving about 40mph I noticed a tink tink tink which I attributed to the old volvo 240gl next to me. Stopping at the next stop light, idle was fine and the ticking slower. After accelerating (lightly) from the light, my revs don't hold and the tinking becomes more of a thunking. I pull over across traffic immediately and coast to the parking lot on the corner.
After undoing the oil cap on the valve cover, I could see that a rocker arm retaining clip had come undone. Following the tow home, me father and I pulled the valve cover and to our surprise all of the exhaust side rocker arm retaining clips had popped off and were either jammed against the side of the cylinder head or floating next to the rocker arms... Oh boy was this the result of a slipped timing belt? I don't think so.
Our best guess is that the clips either weren't fully clipped in... or were oriented in such a way that the feet of the clips either hit a cam lobe or part of it hit the valve cover. There was no sign of scuff on the cylinder head walls or the valve cover however.
After snapping the retaining clips back on the rocker shaft, we thought we might as well see what happens with the valve cover off when the car is run. It starts up perfectly and smoothly. After observing the cam and rockers for a few minutes we noticed that the exhaust clips which we had oriented approximately vertical to the cylinder head were slowly sliding down towards the exhaust side ports. This is how the clips were oriented after the cylinder head installation, as the intake clips seemed to snap comfortably leaning towards the intake side ports, it seemed logical that the exhaust clips would lean the other way.
Most of the exhaust side rocker arm retaining clips ended up coming to rest on the exhaust side, except for the one over cylinder #2. That clip stayed vertical to the cylinder head. I assume that is because the clip is slightly though not visibly bent from the rocker arm whacking it against the cylinder head.
So a few questions: How are the rocker arm retainers SUPPOSED to be oriented on the intake AND exhaust sides? Also, why would the cylinder #1 rocker arm now be slightly toward the front of the engine, ie not centered over the valve stem? Would this be because of a bent clip? Also, why did the clips likely pop off in the first place?!
Thanks for your knowledge guys!
After undoing the oil cap on the valve cover, I could see that a rocker arm retaining clip had come undone. Following the tow home, me father and I pulled the valve cover and to our surprise all of the exhaust side rocker arm retaining clips had popped off and were either jammed against the side of the cylinder head or floating next to the rocker arms... Oh boy was this the result of a slipped timing belt? I don't think so.
Our best guess is that the clips either weren't fully clipped in... or were oriented in such a way that the feet of the clips either hit a cam lobe or part of it hit the valve cover. There was no sign of scuff on the cylinder head walls or the valve cover however.
After snapping the retaining clips back on the rocker shaft, we thought we might as well see what happens with the valve cover off when the car is run. It starts up perfectly and smoothly. After observing the cam and rockers for a few minutes we noticed that the exhaust clips which we had oriented approximately vertical to the cylinder head were slowly sliding down towards the exhaust side ports. This is how the clips were oriented after the cylinder head installation, as the intake clips seemed to snap comfortably leaning towards the intake side ports, it seemed logical that the exhaust clips would lean the other way.
Most of the exhaust side rocker arm retaining clips ended up coming to rest on the exhaust side, except for the one over cylinder #2. That clip stayed vertical to the cylinder head. I assume that is because the clip is slightly though not visibly bent from the rocker arm whacking it against the cylinder head.
So a few questions: How are the rocker arm retainers SUPPOSED to be oriented on the intake AND exhaust sides? Also, why would the cylinder #1 rocker arm now be slightly toward the front of the engine, ie not centered over the valve stem? Would this be because of a bent clip? Also, why did the clips likely pop off in the first place?!
Thanks for your knowledge guys!