Just my luck. Three days in and.....

From the pic, remove the bolts for the rocker shaft and remove the shaft from the pedestals. Then you will have access to the valve spring.
 
The top row of head bolts hold the rocker shaft on unbolt those pull the whole shaft off and you get access to springs. When you tighten the rocker shaft/head bolts back down tighten them back down in a spiral pattern just working center outward just you will not be tightening the lower bolts.
 
Took me till 9:30, but the car is back together, fixed, road tested and I even got pulled over by the local constabulary for a burned out tail lamp.

I went and looked at it again based on what carmine said and found the rocker arm slid out of the way on the shaft. Pretty simple. Got it apart then the trouble began.

Stuffed 10' of polypropylene 1/4 twist in there, brought it up to TDC. valve was sitting pretty. Got the keepers off no problem.

Compressed my new spring. Set it over the valve. Couldn't get the keepers in. Prolly fought with it for 30 minutes. Couldn't get them in. Wrestled with the spring tensioner. Kept dropping keepers under the car. Tight spot. Fat spring tensioner. Fat fingers. Over tensioned the spring once and it shot across the shop.

Then I got the idea that maybe the valve wasn't seated all the way. Measured it against the other valves. Yep. Off by a 1/4 inch. Hmm...what did I read 'don't get the rope caught under the valve.'? Yep. Rope was in there. Pulled out 5' of rope and suddenly the valve seated metal on metal and I had another 1/4". Stuffed 3' back in and thought I would be ok.

Another half hour later trying to keep an 1/8" of play out of the valve so I could fumble with dropping keepers under the car again, I finally succumbed to backing the piston back down stuffing the rest of the rope in, bringing the piston back up. 5 min later, reassembled.

5 more minutes - valve cover and plug reinstalled. Fired it up. Ran like nothing ever happened.

Took it around the block, got pulled over, came home, put it in the shop, smoked the place out with the oil burning off the exhaust manifold.

Done.

Now I find out why the bulb is burned out.... seized screw. Got the entire assembly out. Soaking in pb blaster. We'll finish that project tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help folks.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
Took me till 9:30, but the car is back together, fixed, road tested and I even got pulled over by the local constabulary for a burned out tail lamp.

I went and looked at it again based on what carmine said and found the rocker arm slid out of the way on the shaft. Pretty simple. Got it apart then the trouble began.

Stuffed 10' of polypropylene 1/4 twist in there, brought it up to TDC. valve was sitting pretty. Got the keepers off no problem.

Compressed my new spring. Set it over the valve. Couldn't get the keepers in. Prolly fought with it for 30 minutes. Couldn't get them in. Wrestled with the spring tensioner. Kept dropping keepers under the car. Tight spot. Fat spring tensioner. Fat fingers. Over tensioned the spring once and it shot across the shop.

Then I got the idea that maybe the valve wasn't seated all the way. Measured it against the other valves. Yep. Off by a 1/4 inch. Hmm...what did I read 'don't get the rope caught under the valve.'? Yep. Rope was in there. Pulled out 5' of rope and suddenly the valve seated metal on metal and I had another 1/4". Stuffed 3' back in and thought I would be ok.

Another half hour later trying to keep an 1/8" of play out of the valve so I could fumble with dropping keepers under the car again, I finally succumbed to backing the piston back down stuffing the rest of the rope in, bringing the piston back up. 5 min later, reassembled.

5 more minutes - valve cover and plug reinstalled. Fired it up. Ran like nothing ever happened.

Took it around the block, got pulled over, came home, put it in the shop, smoked the place out with the oil burning off the exhaust manifold.

Done.

Now I find out why the bulb is burned out.... seized screw. Got the entire assembly out. Soaking in pb blaster. We'll finish that project tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help folks.
Click to expand...
Glad you have her working again, and seems you had fun in the process (thanks for sharing). Now enjoy her a while, then you can decide if/how your going to rebuild her. As I said earlier, she might clean herself up nicely with some miles and make you decide not to ever open her up. As to the sludgy look of her insides, just carry a few quarts of oil and a filter in the trunk... if the pressure ever falls off swap filters immediately. If newer oil breaks down enough sludge, the filter may clog and the bypass kills pressure.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
I went and looked at it again based on what carmine said and found the rocker arm slid out of the way on the shaft. Pretty simple. Got it apart then the trouble began.

Stuffed 10' of polypropylene 1/4 twist in there, brought it up to TDC. valve was sitting pretty. Got the keepers off no problem.

Compressed my new spring. Set it over the valve. Couldn't get the keepers in. Prolly fought with it for 30 minutes. Couldn't get them in. Wrestled with the spring tensioner. Kept dropping keepers under the car. Tight spot. Fat spring tensioner. Fat fingers. Over tensioned the spring once and it shot across the shop.

Then I got the idea that maybe the valve wasn't seated all the way. Measured it against the other valves. Yep. Off by a 1/4 inch. Hmm...what did I read 'don't get the rope caught under the valve.'? Yep. Rope was in there. Pulled out 5' of rope and suddenly the valve seated metal on metal and I had another 1/4". Stuffed 3' back in and thought I would be ok.

Another half hour later trying to keep an 1/8" of play out of the valve so I could fumble with dropping keepers under the car again, I finally succumbed to backing the piston back down stuffing the rest of the rope in, bringing the piston back up. 5 min later, reassembled.

5 more minutes - valve cover and plug reinstalled. Fired it up. Ran like nothing ever happened.

Took it around the block, got pulled over, came home, put it in the shop, smoked the place out with the oil burning off the exhaust manifold.

Done.

Now I find out why the bulb is burned out.... seized screw. Got the entire assembly out. Soaking in pb blaster. We'll finish that project tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help folks.
Click to expand...

I'm glad you got it together, even if it was a tourtous path! Now you can enjoy the car. I used to get all Gung ho to rip something apart and rebuild, but then I realized that changed it from something of a hobby, to a pain-in-the-*** w/a deadline. Now I learn to "Enjoy the moment".

I'd love it if my Magnum had a stroker small block w/aluminum heads, cam, etc. There is no reason I can't do that, but I've enjoyed thousands of miles of thumbs up and wind in my hair with just a humble 318.

IMG_4219.jpg
 
cantflip said:
Glad you have her working again, and seems you had fun in the process (thanks for sharing). Now enjoy her a while, then you can decide if/how your going to rebuild her. As I said earlier, she might clean herself up nicely with some miles and make you decide not to ever open her up. As to the sludgy look of her insides, just carry a few quarts of oil and a filter in the trunk... if the pressure ever falls off swap filters immediately. If newer oil breaks down enough sludge, the filter may clog and the bypass kills pressure.
Click to expand...
The last time i did one of these valves (Caddy 503 block) i followed up with one of those engine desludge additives. It was an extra oil change but it significantly changed the engine running. It was almost hard to believe Sounded better. Ran smoother. I will be doing that today with the Fury. It is out getting a state inspection right now.
 
Fast Eddie B said:
The last time i did one of these valves (Caddy 503 block) i followed up with one of those engine desludge additives. It was an extra oil change but it significantly changed the engine running. It was almost hard to believe Sounded better. Ran smoother. I will be doing that today with the Fury. It is out getting a state inspection right now.
Click to expand...
That can be slightly risky on an old one like yours with such heavy deposits. There have been cases where a big chunk broke free and blocked a passage somewhere.

Personally when I have needed to try to desludge an engine, I drain out a quart of oil and run it with a quart of ATF for a short while. Then I let it sit at least over night, run it again and change the oil. ATF does some amazing things to sludge and carbon deposits, I haven't ever seen or heard of bearing damage from this... but I would use it as a last resort on a late model unless I knew for certain the coated pistons or cylinder walls could take it.

For your old girl, I'd personally run her in just a little more before I started the next trick... just to get a really good feel for the progress if no better reason.
 
Change it hot and then drive it, done. If the sludge is loose it will come down, if it is happy where it is at it will stay. Don't run at 100 mph for long periods and you should be fine.
 
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