desperately need help engine related

[dash8mx]

?:? :-[ :'( I went to put my a new 4-barrel manifold on my 75 ford bronco 302. After removal of manifold i saw what i believe to be a pushrod not where it is supposed to be .It is angled away toward the back of the motor from the tappet? it is supposed to sit on. What are my options , how do i fix this, i have never dealt with this stuff before.Any help greatly appreciated.Anything i do on this truck requires more than it ever appears to. THANKS WILLIAM IN VA lost as always

 

[Madgyver]

That means one cylinder been down and you were running on 7. Remove the valve cover and check the rocker that would be on that pushrod (maybe the stud broke). Remove pushrod and roll it on a straight table to see if it is bent. If it is, you may have had some problems that needs to be checked out (binding in the valvetrain). If it's not and the rocker stud is ok, Get that cylinder to "top dead center" (highest point on the compression stroke) and install that rod back in place tighten down the rocker till you can still turn the pushrod and then go a quarter turn more. This will give you a baseline starting point to get it running. If this is too much for you I suggest you get a book like chiltons or haynes and read. This is simple for some but may be complicated to others. Good luck.<br> madgyver

 

[77bronko]

If you have been running like that for a while depending on whether it is an intake or exhaust port you may need a complete rebuild. If it was an intake port you may be OK. I would do a compression check on the cylinder with that rod to make sure it is A OK. Also this may be a good indication of the state of the top end of your engine. In which case you may need to have the heads rebuilt, replace the lifters. But if you want the cheap and probably temporary fix...<br><br>I had this same problem with an old Caprice and got many miles out of it by just replacing what was broke. It is easy to do, take off your valve cover. You will need to remove your rocker arm for that rod. I would at the very least replace the lifter and possibly the rocker. The rod can be checked for straightness by rolling it on a table. Just pull out the lifter with a hooked peice of wire. Unbolt the rocker. Put in a new lifter, put in the rod, bolt on the new rocker and torque. Fill in the gaps with a chiltons manual.<br><br>Good Luck,<br>

 

[dash8mx]

[quote author=madgyver link=board=5;threadid=11568;start=0#84997 date=1037988049]<br>That means one cylinder been down and you were running on 7. Remove the valve cover and check the rocker that would be on that pushrod (maybe the stud broke). Remove pushrod and roll it on a straight table to see if it is bent. If it is, you may have had some problems that needs to be checked out (binding in the valvetrain). If it's not and the rocker stud is ok, Get that cylinder to "top dead center" (highest point on the compression stroke) and install that rod back in place tighten down the rocker till you can still turn the pushrod and then go a quarter turn more. This will give you a baseline starting point to get it running. If this is too much for you I suggest you get a book like chiltons or haynes and read. This is simple for some but may be complicated to others. Good luck.<br> madgyver<br>[/quote]I removed vlave cover and the rocker arm was turned to the right on the valve spring.It was really loose which i assume is why the pushrod came out.i appears to have a longer stud than the other valves.The top threaded part is about a 1/4 inch higher than the others.Any thoughts thanks william in va

 

[Broncobowsher]

That is bad. If the stud is that much higher then the others then it is pulling out of the head. They are a press fit.<br><br>A long time ago my parents had a camaro that pulled a stud out of the 305. They got it fixed and it ran a happy life for many years until the valve seals went out and rust ate the body.<br><br>It is repairable unless the reason it pulled out is that the head has a crack that propagated to the stud hole. That would be the worst possible event and I have never seen that before on a running engine. One that has blown into a million pieces is another story.<br><br>There are kits that replace the press in studs with threaded studs. Some require machinging on the head and I think some are simple pull, tap, and bolt.<br><br>I am guessing that you will need to pull that head and take it to a good machine shop and have them give you some advice after they see it. While you are at it, pull the other one and have the heads done.

 

[74bronc]

It sounds like the stud has pulled out of the head. You will notice that they are pressed studs and not screw in studs. That stud will need to be pressed back in or better yet, pull the heads and have a machine shop install screw-in studs. Much better anyway. I would bet the motor was over-revved at some point, floated the valve and pulled the stud. Not too hard to fix, but glad you found it. The bronco should run much better with that fixed.

 

[dash8mx]

Well it appears the rocker stud has pulled out of the block as the whole stud turns if you try to tighten the nut.I called a locl machine shop and was told that if i had a stock engine they would just press in a new stud.i was quoted 20 dollars.I was also quoted 75 dollars to put screw in studs on both heads.I already have the manifold off so the heads aren't that much more to take off now instead of later if it were to happen again.So my question is get new stud pressed in or go for the screw in studs and if so any particular favorites? I plan on keeping the truck and would rather not do this again in the near future. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.You guy's and gals are always so insightful with what is the problem and i would sell the truck without this list. Thanks william in va<br>

 

[Jeepster]

How much money you got? Spend the twenty now to get you going,rebuilt the heads later with the screw ins.

 

[74bronc]

Would you have to pull the head off and take it to him to press the stud in? If so, you might as well pull both heads and have the screw-ins done. Since you don't know exactly how this happened, who is to say other ones won't do it in the near future. Who knows, you might be able to get by for a long time just pressing that one back in, but I am an overkill kind of guy and if I plan on keeping something, I definitely do it right the first time as to avoid going through this all over again. .02

 

[Madgyver]

To do it right the first time I would just rebuild the whole motor, No sense in going halfway. Go all the way!! Or just get the stud pressed back in to get you back on the road and plan for a rebuild or swap soon.<br> <br> 74bronc is right but to do that much work since the heads are off you may as well redo the valve guides, recut the seats, etc. At this point you just as well redo the bottom half with new bearings, timing chain, rings, cam, lifters, etc. <br> So you see my point."go all the way"

 

[66horse]

Something to consider. If you have AAA and a machine shop is close you can get it towed there and back for free, or have them out the manifold on and just drive it away when they are done. I throw this option in there cause Iam think if you are pulling the heads, get them rebuilt, if you dont have to pull the heads just spend the 20 bucks and then start keeping a close eye on your an engine and saving for a rebuild down the road.<br><br>Ont he tow thing it is true, I got a free tow to the shop to get ours sandblasted and free tow back. It had no engine. AAA's only qualification is that is being towed to be worked on. Towed there to get stud pressed, towed back to put manifold on. your out 20 bucks and a lot less labor.

 

[Gordys74]

Its kinda funny how a loose rocker stud can lead to an entire engine rebuild, but I have to agree. If the engine has a lot of miles on it , and I was that close to having it tore down anyway, I'd probably just go ahead and do it all at once and paint it also.<br><br>When it is back together and blowin sweet tunes out the exhaust, it WILL turn heads.

 

[Jeepster]

$20 just turned into $2000

 

[Rustytruck]

Call your local Ford dealer and see if they can still get the over sized pressed in studs. Ford used to stock them in a thou and a half oversized stem just for this problem. Pull the bad one out and get a bfh and a threaded coupler nut from the hard whare store and an extra bolt with the same thread size screw on the coupler nut most of the way down to support the threads and then screw in the extra bolt into the coupler nut untill it bottoms to make a solid unit then put on a little oil on the studs shank and go to swinging the BFH nice and straight. when it rings solid stop so you dont crack the head. If the hole is wasted or an oversized stud is unavailable then the next best option is to go to the Chebby dealer and get a screw in stud for the 327 engine it is the same shank size with a larger thread on the bottom and no hex nut built in. Then all you have to do is pull the bad stud and tap the hole to the same thread on the stud. No drilling and no machining or head removal.

 

[JTCamp]

I would have a new stud pressed back in or get the screw in type. However when it comes to rebuilding the heads, I would not do it unless you are going to rebuild the bottom half at the same time. I've seen too many motors, including mine, on which the heads where rebuilt only and the motor began burning oil because of blow-by. It's important to remember that everything wears at the same rate and by fixing the top only, the bottom, usually, can't hold the additional pressure and you get oil past the rings. Just a thought.<br><br>John

 

[Jeepster]

[quote author=jtcamp link=board=5;threadid=11568;start=0#85179 date=1038022284]<br>I would have a new stud pressed back in or get the screw in type. However when it comes to rebuilding the heads, I would not do it unless you are going to rebuild the bottom half at the same time. I've seen too many motors, including mine, on which the heads where rebuilt only and the motor began burning oil because of blow-by. It's important to remember that everything wears at the same rate and by fixing the top only, the bottom, usually, can't hold the additional pressure and you get oil past the rings. Just a thought.<br><br>John<br>[/quote]<br><br>I agree with JT's assessment, just spend the $20. I if you do the heads, it'll move the weak link somewhere else. On and on you go.