Developed a miss in the last couple of weeks. Came on slow, then got the pfft pfft pfft out of the exhaust pipe. I thought it may be the intake/exhaust manifold gasket, so I replaced that this afternoon. Miss still there. Started pulling plugs and found #5 made little difference when I pulled it off. So I did a quick and dirty compression test on that cylinder(engine was only run for 5 minutes, aircleaner still on) and only got 65 lbs. Did a wet test and it only went up 10 lbs...not much considering it was only a warm engine. Last test a month or so ago I believe that cylinder had around 145 lbs. So, I'm hoping its a valve...but what about a collapsed lifter (remember, this is an '83 hydraulic lifter engine)? Any thoughts?

Crap crap crap (cleaned up version of my verbal explosion).

Crap. Sorry to hear that. Well, you know you've got a couple spare heads down here, and we didn't bother to replace the head gasket before dropping that motor in there. Any signs of coolant getting into the combustion chamber or oil into the coolant?

It is entirely possible that a lifter collapsed. THat motor sat for who knows how long and it hand't been running right before you replaced the thermostat. The sludge buildup might have clogged the lifter and killed it. However, the only way a collapsed lifter would kill compression would be if it was the intake lifter. Maybe pull the valve cover and watch the rocker arms while the motor runs?

Hopefully it is something easy like a head gasket, cracked valve, or collapsed lifter. A trick to try and unstick the lifter is to run a quart of tranny fluid in the oil for about 100 miles and then do a oil and oil filter change. The added detergents in the tranny fluid are supposed to clean the innards of the motor and help free up stuck lifters.

What weight oil are you running?

Also, I have an 84 Dodge shop manual if you want to borrow it. It coivers the hydraulic slant.

No oil in the coolent or vice versa. Yes, I do have a hydraulic head at your place! Forgot about that...I have "rebuilt" lifters before as I had a collapsed lifter in my 400 once. They are simple to take apart and clean. I run Valvoline 10W-40. Oil pressure is still 45lbs. *sigh*

Dude that sucks! I guess pulling the valve cover will tell you if it's a collapsed lifter or not. I am getting ready to switch my hydro stuff out, I got the mechanical cam and solid lifters from Josh whilst at Ceejs.

I wish the best!

~THOR~

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1984 D100 Shorty Custom
Certified Auto Appraiser - RevItUp Classic Appraisals
President - Cherry City Bombers CC
Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Aw, geeze, that sucks. Sorry to read it. Here's hoping for an easy fix.

Erm...why running 10w40 oil? Not really a good choice of viscosity…

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Seems to me if a lifter was collapsed you would be hearing it clatter.When I pulled my 83 apart(Reeds future build)it had a nice hole burned in #4 ex valve,still ran ok.Point being if a valve is burned sure doesn't stop the slant from getting the job done

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83 B-150 slant 6,4 speed. 79 B-300 360 pathfinder 4x4. 74 W-300 318 4x4 git-r-done 80 B-100 sl6,4speed

do you have an egr valve on it???? i had one stick and burn holes and two pistons....it still ran

No EGR, that been removed and has a block off plate installed. I'm hoping its just an exhaust valve...seems in line ( ) with symptoms I've had in the past. Why do valves hate me?

I think that the head gasket that you put under the "red head" could be reused. You only had it on there for what, two weeks?

Yeah, about that...Well, ONCE AGAIN!, let me know your schedule....

Will do. I am in the middle of cleaning up the mess left by the remodling project in my sister's room, and I have some legal work to get done this week. Maybe by the end of this week I could do something. however, my garage is a mess right now too and I need to get that sorted. Think it can last until the weekend of Feb. 14-16?

Don't see why not...or I could just run down sometime this week and pick it up and do it this weekend.

Okay, whatever works best for you. I have got some legal work I have been putting off to get my sister's room done, but I need to get this legal work done by the tenth. Otherwise, I could work on your car sooner.

Just let me know when you want to come down.

Can you run a vehicle without the erg valve? Does it make a difference? Guess it is mostly an emissions thing.

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Depends on the motor and the fuel management system and the ignition system. Slant sixes were designed in the 50s, long before EGR valves were around. The EGR system was a bolt retrofit to the slant six, so slant six engines can be easily run without an EGR valve.

Modern engines utilize the EGR valve in determining timing or fuel mixture.

In a nutshell, pre 80 cars- yes can be run without an EGR. Post 80 cars, no. That is a gross oversimplification, but a basic rule of thumb.