Loosing power uphill or under load any ideas?

[Rothu]

most manuals don't cover everything that should be done, or they leave an important "NOTE:" at the end of a chapter AFTER you've been through the procedures.. Grrrrr.

It definitely sounds like your lifters are not set right, causing valves to be open at odd places making it hard to have any compression to maintain fuel in the chambers and backfiring. If all was going well before the head gasket change, then I would really recommend you reset the lifters as posted before.

BTW, all 186s and 202s, in fact just about all the red/blue/black have hydraulic lifters. Only the very early engines had solid lifters.

[Worby876]

Talk about getting help from the grave..
I was doing some search to school up on setting up the valve push rods and found
this on line article from my Dad...

http://holdenpaedia.oldholden.com/Hydraulic_Lifters

Im printing it out and will see what I have to do if I need to to reset the push rods and

lifters etc...
Seems like a major job..but hopefully I can do it. 

[Rothu]

It really isn't that hard. The first few times, one manual insisted to REMOVE the lifters and take them all apart (keeping them in order using an 12 egg carton) clean them out and put them back together, then re-install them, which took hours.. The other manual recommended the procedure I outlined, as has your Dad, which takes about an hour. If you have the non-adjustable rocker posts, even easier. Make sure you remove the spark plugs for easier turning of the engine.

Good luck, but I'm reasonably sure this is the problem.

[restoreid]

If she runs fine on PETROL there's nothing wrong with the motor If you switch to GAS without running the carbie empty it wil run rough because the motor wont run on both the carbie has to be empty before you switch to gas But it sounds like the gas systemneeds a complete overhall which needs to be done by a PRO because they are touchey things

[Worby876]

aahh the weathers turned crap...wet and windy and I dont have a shed to park her in
so its gonna have to wait till the weekend....i'll do some more reading and give the
push rods a reset...I cant remember if they got mixed up or if I kept them in order
when I took the head off to replace the blown head gasket.

Ive read that its important to keep them in the right order and the right side up,
I gather so they marry up with the same degree of wear and tear when they go back in
but is there any other reasons? I mean they are all basically the same aren't they?

What happens if they do get mixed up? What the worse that could happen?

Im gonna stay a wake at night worring about it now until I get it sorted 

I will look into the LPG gas thing getting gummed up but its hard to see why its just
happened all of a sudden like since the head gasket blew.

cheers

[Rothu]

I would worry about the mix up of push rods. I've changed and mixed mine a few times, and it didn't make a difference.

The real thing to keep in order is the lifters and rockers with the posts. The lifters and cam lobes wear together, and if mixed up they can gradually wear in different parts. But since you didn't pull them out, no worries.

Same with the rockers. they wear with the posts. not the end of the world, and are very cheap to replace.

I agree, it's hard to see why it would be the gas system if you've only changed the head gasket. there is a procedure for changing and setting the head back in, which in no way affects the gas works.

I've changed the head and gaskets numerous times (about 12 times!) as I've up graded components and the earlier changeovers (before I understood about the lifters) definitely had all the symptoms you're having before resetting the lifters.

[Worby876]

Thanks for the advice Im sure I will be much more confident once Ive done
this once or twice  eh?

I upload the pics I took when i did the head gasket at Xmas can you tell me
if these are the non adjustable rockers or not?  see  last picture in the album.

[Worby876]

doh Im still learning how to upload pictures on this site

so I will try again...

ok try this...fingers crossed..

[Rothu]

Yes, they are the non-adjustable ones. So, tdc on each cylinder in turn and torque them down to 42nm. You'll be fine.

[Worby876]

Thanks again...Ok heres a silly question, but after I pull the plugs out use a long screw driver to observe TDC...
How do you usually turn the motor over..do you remove the front grill and radiator to get a hold of the fan and
turn her that way or stab the starter in little jolts or ....what ?

I told you Im not as savvy as the Old man...I was too busy watchin TV or playin on the computer when
he was tinkering with the Cars and stuff...I should have paid more attention.