1600 stuck engine

[JOCCO]

The sun came out and I got ambitious and pulled it out. I took it down to Jon's house so he can check it out tomorrow. Odd thing now is, there's no sign of any heat on the rod at all, only the cap.

I hope we got that governor bearing so it'll last. If it does, I guess that's the answer, take two bearings to make one, but you'd better have a lathe or know somebody who does. Heck of It is, I wrecked another head gasket and need another new one.

RR check those rod bolts too. Better idea is to get new ones due to all the stress from this fiasco. Hope you can buy just the head gasket.

 

[rrlund]

RR check those rod bolts too. Better idea is to get new ones due to all the stress from this fiasco. Hope you can buy just the head gasket.

Brandy got me just the head gasket a year ago. I found the receipt with the part number so she can try to get another one.

 

[rrlund]

I've got so much junk around here that I can't even remember what I have. Jon wanted me to come down to the shop this morning because he was having trouble finding the right head gasket. Well, he was looking under diesel instead of gas, so we got that straightened out pretty quick. He wanted me to see what was happening when he put a gauge in that rod though. The hole is out of round by .003. It's OK on the sides, but off by .003 at the top. The cap is offset by .010 or more too from side to side and rubbing the sides of the crank journal. He asked me if I had ever replaced a rod in it? Ya, I did, maybe 20 years ago. I was grinding feed and broke the top off a piston and it twisted a rod. I called the engine shop at Stamm Equipment, they said they had one and I went down and got it.

There's a number stamped in the rod, but none on the cap. We're thinking if that is the one, that they just threw parts together and "reconditioned" it but the parts still didn't really match up. So anyway, he asked if I was sure I didn't have another one. He said he remembers me going in a shed and handing him a rod out of something one time. I had to slap myself in the forehead then. I should have six of them somewhere. I came home and went out in the corner of the tool shed with a flashlight and sure enough, there was a bucket full of them in some 1600 parts. Mystery now was, there was only five of them. I got back to the shop and asked him of my nephew had needed a rod too when his 1600 dropped a valve. I know I gave him some valves. He said ya, that might have been when I handed that one to him. So the job just got easier. I took three of them back to the shop and told him to use the one that checks out the best. He's going to bead blast one and check the wrist pin bushings, so we might be seeing light at the end of the tunnel.

We still can't get it through our heads, why it chose now to die after being overhauled at least three times since I put that so called "reconditioned" rod in it way back then. Five months since we put the last new set of bearings in it after having that thrust welded up.

Guess what else I found in the bottom of that bucket of rods. Down under some main caps, there was a governor gear and weights. There was a bearing on it, but there must have been a little bit of water in there at one time or more over the years and the cage was rusted out and the balls were falling out of it. The brass washer and gear are good if I ever need them, if I can remember they're out there.

 

[JOCCO]

I am glad for you! Much like me if you buy a part, you will find one the next day! Now I will tell you what happened. When you rebuilt the engine, you changed stuff. Seen it a hundred times. Fresh overhaul and you change or upped compression i.e. a rod or other issue shows up! You reground or welded up that crank right? Now take your time and don't skimp use those rod gauges, jigs and rod hones he has if you have to set there all day by yourself use plasti gauge when it goes back together too.

 

[rrlund]

I am glad for you! Much like me if you buy a part, you will find one the next day! Now I will tell you what happened. When you rebuilt the engine, you changed stuff. Seen it a hundred times. Fresh overhaul and you change or upped compression i.e. a rod or other issue shows up! You reground or welded up that crank right? Now take your time and don't skimp use those rod gauges, jigs and rod hones he has if you have to set there all day by yourself use plasti gauge when it goes back together too.

I got it back in. I went back down to the shop after dinner and put a rod in the blast cabinet myself. We checked and found out the wrist pin bushings was better than the original. Jon used his meter and checked the rod with and without the new bearings in it. Everything checked out perfect. We had .002 clearance. The book calls for .0015 to .002. When I brought it home, I hung the rod on the crank upside down with the new bearings in it, dry and without the piston on it. I tightened it up and swung it around. I took it back off and checked for any scratches or wear marks. It was still like new. I got it all back together and spun it over with the starter. The head is still off of course. It would keep turning a little after I let off. I can turn it over with the fan. Spinning it over took some of the assembly lube out and I can feel some movement now when I try to slide it back and forth.

I don't know when we'll have a head gasket. Brandy is off this week, spending spring break with her daughters. When I left the shop at a quarter to three he said he hadn't had time to order it yet. We're getting there.

But ya, we had the thrust welded up and reground. He ground the rod journals .010 too, even though I didn't see any problem with them. I guess he did though. Jon said they might have gone just slightly oversized instead of slightly undersized when they ground it.

 

[JOCCO]

I got it back in. I went back down to the shop after dinner and put a rod in the blast cabinet myself. We checked and found out the wrist pin bushings was better than the original. Jon used his meter and checked the rod with and without the new bearings in it. Everything checked out perfect. We had .002 clearance. The book calls for .0015 to .002. When I brought it home, I hung the rod on the crank upside down with the new bearings in it, dry and without the piston on it. I tightened it up and swung it around. I took it back off and checked for any scratches or wear marks. It was still like new. I got it all back together and spun it over with the starter. The head is still off of course. It would keep turning a little after I let off. I can turn it over with the fan. Spinning it over took some of the assembly lube out and I can feel some movement now when I try to slide it back and forth.

I don't know when we'll have a head gasket. Brandy is off this week, spending spring break with her daughters. When I left the shop at a quarter to three he said he hadn't had time to order it yet. We're getting there.

But ya, we had the thrust welded up and reground. He ground the rod journals .010 too, even though I didn't see any problem with them. I guess he did though. Jon said they might have gone just slightly oversized instead of slightly undersized when they ground it.

Very good sir I have seen the most minor thing mess an engine up. And seen them run ok with clearances expansion foam would fill!

 

[rrlund]

I got it running this morning. Sounds good. The governor surges a little, but it levels off right where I set the throttle. It's running 1900 no load high end, set at about 950 low idle no load for now. I can turn that stop screw in on the throttle plate and get it lower. It was idling about 500 when I started it up, but it wanted to die running that slow.

I sure wish I had somebody here who could get that carburetor dialed in though. I'm still having to run it about three quarter choke and have to pull it out all the way when I give it gas. I've had that thing for almost 25 years and I just can't get that problem ironed out. We put it in the ultrasound a year ago. I just put a new float in it because the old one was crushed when I took it apart to see why it was flooding. It doesn't flood anymore, just won't run right without the choke. I put electronic ignition it it while it was down. I've fooled with the timing this morning and seem to have that set about as good as I can get it.

It's back to running like it always did before I seized it up, so I guess I'd better call that a win.

 

[scootergmc]

I got it running this morning. Sounds good. The governor surges a little, but it levels off right where I set the throttle. It's running 1900 no load high end, set at about 950 low idle no load for now. I can turn that stop screw in on the throttle plate and get it lower. It was idling about 500 when I started it up, but it wanted to die running that slow.

I sure wish I had somebody here who could get that carburetor dialed in though. I'm still having to run it about three quarter choke and have to pull it out all the way when I give it gas. I've had that thing for almost 25 years and I just can't get that problem ironed out. We put it in the ultrasound a year ago. I just put a new float in it because the old one was crushed when I took it apart to see why it was flooding. It doesn't flood anymore, just won't run right without the choke. I put electronic ignition it it while it was down. I've fooled with the timing this morning and seem to have that set about as good as I can get it.

It's back to running like it always did before I seized it up, so I guess I'd better call that a win.

What's the oil pressure?

And your fuel issue sure sounds like your float level is set too low.

 

[JOCCO]

I got it running this morning. Sounds good. The governor surges a little, but it levels off right where I set the throttle. It's running 1900 no load high end, set at about 950 low idle no load for now. I can turn that stop screw in on the throttle plate and get it lower. It was idling about 500 when I started it up, but it wanted to die running that slow.

I sure wish I had somebody here who could get that carburetor dialed in though. I'm still having to run it about three quarter choke and have to pull it out all the way when I give it gas. I've had that thing for almost 25 years and I just can't get that problem ironed out. We put it in the ultrasound a year ago. I just put a new float in it because the old one was crushed when I took it apart to see why it was flooding. It doesn't flood anymore, just won't run right without the choke. I put electronic ignition it it while it was down. I've fooled with the timing this morning and seem to have that set about as good as I can get it.

It's back to running like it always did before I seized it up, so I guess I'd better call that a win.

That is great news could be jet or venturi tube issue. Assume it's a marvel tsx? Could also be drawing air around shafts. Sometimes having a spare carb to try is helpful.

 

[JOCCO]

What's the oil pressure?

And your fuel issue sure sounds like your float level is set too low.

That is a possibility too.

 

[rrlund]

That is a possibility too.

I thought so and I went back out to take it apart and set it higher, but it was kind of wet along the gasket where the top goes on, so I thought it might already be too high, so I left it alone. I'm not feeling real agreeable today and need to sit down, but when I get a minute and some ambition, I'll take it apart and raise the gas level and see if that helps.

 

[rrlund]

That is great news could be jet or venturi tube issue. Assume it's a marvel tsx? Could also be drawing air around shafts. Sometimes having a spare carb to try is helpful.

TSX 880 ya.

 

[LandonT]

I had trouble with the 880 for a while and had to run the choke, with the float sticking up, only partially open. It's worked itself out but might check that it is quite loose.