Our "New to Us" Winnie

[jon_d]

I'm just typing up 949 words describing Terry watching someone work on his heads (after all, he did live in Tasmania for a while) while, patiently not entering the workshop due to insurance considerations.

[T1 Terry]

Wouldn't it be more time efficient, less worry, less $$$$ while you did the lighter things if you took it into a good repair shop to have it done. They might even let you camp up in their yard.

Seems to be a while since you went to a mechanic shop you could trust had mechanics who knew what they were doing, minimum 6 weeks, for a job this big, more likely 3 mths before they can fit you in .... or they simply don't want to do it at all ...... easier to simply install and engine built by someone else with a 3 yr warranty.

I intended to farm the job out while we were in the Illawarra, every mechanic I felt I could trust was either dead, retired or not in the least bit interested ...... Out of the 6 engine rebuilding shops that were in the Illawarra, 2 remain, and they do high performance engine work, I doubt they have even seen a V10, they certainly wouldn't know how to work on one.
It seems fairly clear, who ever worked on this one didn't really know what they were doing either, so how do you know the engine shop you send the heads to have a clue about what they are doing ......

My guess is these are the lowest priced heads the workshop could find to import from the USA, they machined the surfaces, cut the valve seats and fitted new valves and considered that to be reconditioned. Very few machine shops even have a valve height measuring tool these days, so if I was to take the motorhome to someone who could pull the engine out and remove the heads, they would send them out to ...... who? Yet another shop that doesn't really have a clue what they are doing?
If the workshop was still here, I would trust Jerry to do the job and get it within a thou of tolerance .... there just aren't engineers/machinist like that still out there.

Someone, not sure if it was the previous owner or someone before that, spent big $$ getting these heads replaced ..... to end up with this ..... if the workshop didn't know what to look for, they would start to blame computer problems, fuel injector problems and so one .... it at least explains why it looks to have 10 new injectors in it .....

26 yrs ago, this is what I did when I had my workshop, figure out what the problems were that other workshops couldn't .... it reach the stage the workshops brought the problem cars to me rather than the disgruntled owner ....... there just aren't those technicians or workshops out there any more ......

T1 Terry

[jon_d]

Putting my tin hat on....
But Terry, you were talking about grinding the tops of the valves to make it work.

Just checking, yep, tin hat is ready. pressing submit now.



Having said that, I do note that the turbo in the bus has a Chinese axle, exhaust housing, Japanese core and compressor wheel and housing. Piston rings and bearings are Chinese. And me machining the exhaust housing to fit the core.

14.JPG

Anything to make it work!!

[T1 Terry]

I'm just typing up 949 words describing Terry watching someone work on his heads (after all, he did live in Tasmania for a while) while, patiently not entering the workshop due to insurance considerations.

Even if I remove these heads, get the measurements so I know how much has to machined off the top of each valve, then number them so they get the correct measurement for each valve ..... I'd still panic and have to reassemble the heads and do the measurements to see if they actually got it right
I remember getting valve shims machined by a machine shop I trusted, they came back give or take 5 thou from the size I required .... I ended up waiting 6 weeks for the correct size shims to arrive from Japan ..... and that was over 30 yrs ago

T1 Terry

[T1 Terry]

Putting my tin hat on....
But Terry, you were talking about grinding the tops of the valves to make it work.

Just checking, yep, tin hat is ready. pressing submit now.



Having said that, I do note that the turbo in the bus has a Chinese axle, exhaust housing, Japanese core and compressor wheel and housing. Piston rings and bearings are Chinese. And me machining the exhaust housing to fit the core.

14.JPG
Anything to make it work!!

You know of a different method to get the valve stem height correct?

T1 Terry

[BruceS]

A few dumb question Terry.
I have no knowledge of those motors.
Most motors have solid lifters (manual adjustment) with adjustable tappets or hydraulic lifters (self adjusting).
I saw one uTube video that talked about hydraulic lifters but maybe a later version as I think it was fuel injected.
Sounds a bit like faulty lifters maybe?

[T1 Terry]

A few dumb question Terry.
I have no knowledge of those motors.
Most motors have solid lifters (manual adjustment) with adjustable tappets or hydraulic lifters (self adjusting).
I saw one uTube video that talked about hydraulic lifters but maybe a later version as I think it was fuel injected.
Sounds a bit like faulty lifters maybe?

The rocker/cam follower sits under the cam lobe, hydraulic lifter one end and the valve the other. It could be as simple as a stuck hydraulic lifter, but there as too many cyls with lower than expected compression and that is likely due to tight valve clearances resulting in the valve being opened when the cam lobe is trying to pump up the hydraulic lifter to remove the slight gap to prevent tappet rattle ....

First job, remove the cams and measure the valve stem heights, kinda tricky with the valve springs still attached ...

T1 Terry

[Dot]

I'm just typing up 949 words describing Terry watching someone work on his heads (after all, he did live in Tasmania for a while) while, patiently not entering the workshop due to insurance considerations.

Even if I remove these heads, get the measurements so I know how much has to machined off the top of each valve, then number them so they get the correct measurement for each valve ..... I'd still panic and have to reassemble the heads and do the measurements to see if they actually got it right
I remember getting valve shims machined by a machine shop I trusted, they came back give or take 5 thou from the size I required .... I ended up waiting 6 weeks for the correct size shims to arrive from Japan ..... and that was over 30 yrs ago

T1 Terry

Terry when did you last go to refresher course of any description? you should know some good mechanic or workshop, things have changed in the 26 years you have been out of the "mechanical loop" I am also going to go back some years when my Terry dec had a mechanical workshop plus was the chief mechanic for a logging contractor in NZ where the main work was bulldozers, trucks, and all other logging vehicles & equipment. He went to 2 workshop refresher courses yearly and at out workshop no mechanic was employed if he had been out of the trade for 12mths or more as things changed so fast. I think you forget people that work doing such jobs as yours work 8 hrs a day on your job, You might work 3 or 4 hrs a day because you are not physically able, you do not have the necessary tools or other needed equipment. You will stuff yourself out and be no good to anyone at all. I was just trying to save you time & health and maybe $$$$. I know I am just a numb nut female but I can cope with the stirring. Thinking of Margaret as summer is coming.

[BruceS]

10......9......8......7..........

[supersparky]

Terry, take the heads off. You will never know what you are dealing with, til the heads are off the engine and on the bench.
Does it look like the head gasket is new?
Or the timing case cover gasket?
Why don't you contact the fella you bought it from and ask him. Now you have it home, and he has his money, there is now, no longer a reason for him to BS you.

Or, just had a big memory wander into my head.....
BP Corse + oil used to do horrible things to engines running on gas. Things like gum up lifters and make them run like a pig. The only oil we finished up using was Penrite HPR Gas.

Can you pull the rockers/lifters out, bolt the cam back down and do another comp test?

Edit, just realised that there was another whole page of comment that I hadn't seen. But, my thoughts are still the same. Either pull the heads off and fix whatever is the point of failure, or put it back together and order a crate motor from US. While you wait for motor to turn up you can do the solar upgrade or something else to keep you busy.