Loosing power uphill or under load any ideas?

[Rothu]

When my pushrods were bent, it idled and revved perfectly. As soon as you put it in gear, it would have no power whatsoever.

It took me 2 months to discover it, because everyone else was insisting it was the timing, or the gas setup, or the spark plugs, or the dizzy, or the brake booster, or the oil pump, or the air filter, or the gas lines, or the camshaft, or the coil, or the engine earth... I'm surprised someone didn't insist "Well it must be your windshield!" 

I checked/replaced all of these things and still it would idle and rev perfectly, but no power under load. It drove me to the point of a nervous breakdown. NOBODY had any more ideas.
It was not until I swapped the HEI dizzy for the old points one (another insisting opinion) , and was twirling the rods on cylinder one to make sure it was TDC, that I could see the rods were bent. Checked the rest of them, and more than half were bent. Replaced all of them: BINGO! Power to the max!

[Warren]

Fair poitn Rothu, and easy to check as well.

So Worby check to see if you have bent pushrods first and then move on to the timing.

Warren

[Worby876]

Hey fellas, thanks for all your comments and general interest...sorry Ive been away at a conference and the weekends have been wet so not much more progress...but hoping to do some more this weekend weather permitting.

I will try to check the timing again with the strobe..I can confirm the Harmonic balance seems to be OK and not slipped
as NO 1 Cylinder at TDC with Key at 12 and timing mark at 11 o clock.

Also I will pull the push rods and see if any of them are bent...after that I might be seen running naked down the road screaming 

again I appreciate your help and patience with me and hopefully we will get to see the old girl running again like she should
up hills and all.

cheers

ian

[Worby876]

Actually on re reading the last couple of posts ...thanks guys...I will check for bent push rods first and then move
on to the timing...Im hoping it will be as simple as you have indicated...Im getting pretty desperate and running
out of depth of knowledge and experience.

cheers

Ian

[Marishka]

Watch those harmoic ballancers, sometimes the outer can spin out of line with the inner And make it hard to do the timing properly.

[ben]

marty is right. check the harmonic balancer is correct with TDC spark plug 1.

[Worby876]

I can confirm the Harmonic balance seems to be OK and not slipped
as NO 1 Cylinder at TDC with Key at 12 and timing mark at 11 o clock.

Is there any other way I should check this?

Im still checking the rods to make sure none are bent..

Im also going to make sure the rocker saddles have the arrows pointing in the right direction
I read on old Holden that this is a common mistake too.

Ive been reading up on the Jaycar electronic CDI kit that does dual maping for dual fuels
so I can have the right advance and curve for LPG and also for Petrol...
check it out http://www.calaisturbo.com.au/archive/index.php/t-120190.html

Less than $100 too..

Might be the trick...once I get the basic tuning sorted out.

[Worby876]

Hi Fellas...
Well I think i'm diggin a deeper hole...

I re tensioned all the Rockers starting at No 1 Cylinder at TDC ..made sure with a bit of plastic hose as a feeler down the Spark plug hole and watched it peak, as I slowly rotated
the motor using the Fan and watched the timing mark on the Harmonic Balancer line up with the white line .
Then I did all the others first at 30 newton Metres (as per Work shop manual) I twirled all the push rods and noted they all seems straight...even pulled the ones
from NO 6 cylinder and checked etc..
Then I put all back and started the engine and ran till warm and re tensioned to 39 nM but observed a distinctive tapping sound...like one of them was making a small knock.

Oil started leaking on the exhaust so i put the cover back on and hoped it might go away once the oil reached all the galleries etc ....but alas ...its still there and the motor is
idling rough and lumpy...I will post a youtube clip here below,

I hooked up the timing light and noticed that the white mark would stay steady about an inch and a half the left of the White line but dis appeared every now and again
so Im wondering if its missing or something...when i increased the revs the mark would travel about 3 inches further to my left or anticlockwise. Does this seem right?

I think Im getting my self all muddled up and wonder if its time to find a mobile Mechanic or see if I can find some one else with some experience in this kind of thing.

Any Brisbane BUGA members want to come and have a look see , Im just a couple of minutes from the Shailer Park Hyperdome on the South Side

Cheers

http://youtu.be/Hjm7ufx5LXI

[Warren]

Yep sounds like one of your lifters has air in it.

Also I had a look at the timing one as well, and you are doing those readings at idle so you will not get the timing correct  - re read my post on timing.

It needs to be checked/adjusted at working RPM not Idle.

Warren 

[Worby876]

OK, If one or more of the lifters ha air in them its should eventually come right once enough oil has splashed around right?
I guess I could pour a bit of oil down along each pushrod to ensure the lifters get a dose ...

Im probably at the stage of trying to find one of those mobile mechanics I see driving around hopefully with LPG experience.

Id hoped to have sorted it all out with everyones input and my Dads written info, I guess I was trying to follow a bit in his footsteps
but I simply don't have his mechanical knack and being a bit sentimental about it all has probably clouded my better judgement and self estimation,
as well as trying to ward of the wives concerns Im throwing good money after bad on a loosing battle....I have to admit it been one thing after another.

At some point the economic reality has to be stated..I guess thats why we see some great unfinished projects being reluctantly relinquished and sold
for a fraction of the time money and effort already invested.

Sigh ...Im getting a we bit Phiosphical for this hour of the night eh 

Cheers