Bent Push Rod

[ldammeyer]

My Ford 2000 gas 3 cylinder stated running really rough - after investigation I found # 2 cylinder had no compression. I took off the valve cover and discovered it has a bent push rod. I can tell the bend is well down toward the tappet, but have not pulled out the push rod. The push rod rotates slightly and is loose. Can I replace the rod and start the engine, or is there potential damage to the tappet? ...any suggestions?

 

[automech]

after replacing the bent rod, turn the motor over by hand/ratchet-socket to see if anything is wrong. Look closely at valve adustment on all cyls. Maybe something just came loose on that one cylinder? Pushrods dont bend for no reason.

 

[ldammeyer]

I'd check the tappet spring & keepers just to be safe. Also you'll need to lap the new valve in the seat.

Thanks - I was hoping not to have to remove the entire head.....no chance it just over revved.....or was caused from horrible timing (which I subjected it to when rebuilding carb earlier this year)

 

[Jerry/MT]

My Ford 2000 gas 3 cylinder stated running really rough - after investigation I found # 2 cylinder had no compression. I took off the valve cover and discovered it has a bent push rod. I can tell the bend is well down toward the tappet, but have not pulled out the push rod. The push rod rotates slightly and is loose. Can I replace the rod and start the engine, or is there potential damage to the tappet? ...any suggestions?

My experience with bent pushrods is that they are usually caused by a valve thats stuck in the gude and that usually occurs on engines that have been sitting for quite some time. As the pushrod pushes the rocker up, the valve does not move and something has to give. That something is the push rod buckling under the load. If the push rod isn't too badly bent you can starighten in and reuse it but before you crank the engine again spray something like brake cleaner, Liquid Wrench, ATF, etc down the guides to help them release the valve stems. Make sure the valves are free before you try to start up again.

 

[ldammeyer]

My experience with bent pushrods is that they are usually caused by a valve thats stuck in the gude and that usually occurs on engines that have been sitting for quite some time. As the pushrod pushes the rocker up, the valve does not move and something has to give. That something is the push rod buckling under the load. If the push rod isn't too badly bent you can starighten in and reuse it but before you crank the engine again spray something like brake cleaner, Liquid Wrench, ATF, etc down the guides to help them release the valve stems. Make sure the valves are free before you try to start up again.

Great advice Jerry.....I will check the valves and report back. I bought the tractor at auction last fall and it ran 'rough' ...had a tractor mechanic tune it up and it ran well until summer...then wouldn't start anymore. We troubleshot this fall and found #2 cylinder was down. Mechanic helping me felt it probably was down when I bought it. My hope in the valve is/was stuck and I don't have to remove head.

 

[ldammeyer]

Great advice Jerry.....I will check the valves and report back. I bought the tractor at auction last fall and it ran 'rough' ...had a tractor mechanic tune it up and it ran well until summer...then wouldn't start anymore. We troubleshot this fall and found #2 cylinder was down. Mechanic helping me felt it probably was down when I bought it. My hope in the valve is/was stuck and I don't have to remove head.

OK, I have pulled out the push rod and it is bent at the bottom next to the tappet. Upon Jerry's advice inspection of the valves revealed one in totally seized. I sprayed it with penetrating oil and was able to tap it down and it will not budge upwards. So, now it is " off with her head ". I will need to do a little research, but i am hoping I will not have to remove too much of the front end of the engine. Any Ford 2000 input is welcome. While it is off I can rerun the fuel lines, install a new fuel pump and maybe even install a new radiator. Will post pics...

 

[Short Game]

I would try to get the valve to move back up with the spring plate first. Do you have access to a slide hammer? Try to get it moving and get some penetrating oil down the stem. It moved down, it could move back.

I'm going on the idea that it was running on the other barrels all the time since you got it and the valve had been stuck a long time and could have originally stuck from lack of running for a long period. If you can get it moving again and put a little top oil in your fuel, you might dodge the bullet. I've had a similar situation with a car engine once and once it was moving again, never had another episode. I'd try that first. That's if you're not out there pulling the head right now.

On edit, it looks like the lift on that valve is now farther than normal. I would not crank that engine, except with the plugs out, and then, very carefully by hand until the valve is clear of the piston. If the valve is not clear, the piston might start it moving back up. Go easy. I'd try pulling it up with a slide hammer. I have made one for a job before. It's not too hard to do if you have a lot of junk laying around.

 

[tcartwri]

Is it an allusion, or is the rocker arm broken as well?

If that valve is hanging that far open, it likely smacked the piston and that is why it is stuck.

 

[Patches]

looks like the rocker was rolled over, after removing the bent pushrod, so he had access to the valve. The valve was pushed too deep in the guide manually and is now stuck "way open", probably by carbon deposits on the stem

 

[Short Game]

looks like the rocker was rolled over, after removing the bent pushrod, so he had access to the valve. The valve was pushed too deep in the guide manually and is now stuck "way open"...

Prezactly.

It would have been better to have just bumped it down a little and then pulled it back up. Then down again and up. A little farther each time. I would think though, that a slide hammer could get it back up as easily as it went down. Pouring some diesel over it might help too.

 

[ldammeyer]

looks like the rocker was rolled over, after removing the bent pushrod, so he had access to the valve. The valve was pushed too deep in the guide manually and is now stuck "way open", probably by carbon deposits on the stem

Correct patches - on these fords you can move the rocker arm out of the way once the rocker adjustment is loosened...or in my case the push rod bent and was not even touching the rocker arm.

 

[ldammeyer]

Is it an allusion, or is the rocker arm broken as well?

If that valve is hanging that far open, it likely smacked the piston and that is why it is stuck.

Tcartwri - I bumped it down with a hammer. When I removed the valve cover all were basically level.

 

[ldammeyer]

I would try to get the valve to move back up with the spring plate first. Do you have access to a slide hammer? Try to get it moving and get some penetrating oil down the stem. It moved down, it could move back.

I'm going on the idea that it was running on the other barrels all the time since you got it and the valve had been stuck a long time and could have originally stuck from lack of running for a long period. If you can get it moving again and put a little top oil in your fuel, you might dodge the bullet. I've had a similar situation with a car engine once and once it was moving again, never had another episode. I'd try that first. That's if you're not out there pulling the head right now.

On edit, it looks like the lift on that valve is now farther than normal. I would not crank that engine, except with the plugs out, and then, very carefully by hand until the valve is clear of the piston. If the valve is not clear, the piston might start it moving back up. Go easy. I'd try pulling it up with a slide hammer. I have made one for a job before. It's not too hard to do if you have a lot of junk laying around.

Short GAme - thanks for the advice....funny thing is my wife had a few holiday chores for me else I would be out tearing it down now...and I wanted to see what others on Tractorbynet had to say. I will attempt to find or build a slide hammer....how would I connect it to the top of the rod? My hope is it will start to move again....it is doused in penetrating oil now, so hopefully it is soaking through...

.
.

 

[tcartwri]

Tcartwri - I bumped it down with a hammer. When I removed the valve cover all were basically level.

aaahhhh ...

 

[Short Game]

...how would I connect it to the top of the rod?

You mean the valve stem, yes?

I'd look for a small puller that has jaws that fit the spring cap. I'd replace the center screw with a bolt that fits through the screw hole in the puller and connect it to another longer bolt with a coupling nut. The longer bolt would pass through a good heavy weight to use as the hammer slide. If I could not find a puller with jaws the fit well, I would make a clamp that fits better. Anything that holds it well and can be trusted to stay on and pull straight while tapping it back up should be good.

Anyway, I hope you get out of this with just a single push rod.

I've been trying to remember the car that had the stuck valve. It was a flat head six Rambler and the valve had stuck open while it had sat for a long time. In this case, I could see the stuck valve through the spark plug hole. I tapped it down and shut with a punch. When I cranked the engine over, it stuck open again. I sprayed WD-40 through the plug hole and kept repeating the procedure until it was freed up. Like I said, after that, it never did it again.

 

[Johnp33]

I would pull the head, it will not be cheap if the piston has bent the valve and when you get it free-ed up enough to move it, it breaks.
Just a thought!

 

[Short Game]

I would pull the head, it will not be cheap if the piston has bent the valve and when you get it free-ed up enough to move it, it breaks.
Just a thought!

Well, since the valve was stuck shut, it is likely that the piston hasn't hit it. If it never loosens up by moving it up and down, it may very well be bent and it stuck for that reason. On the other hand, if it becomes fully free and moves easily, then it's probably not bent. If it doesn't free up, then the head is coming off anyway. As soon as it's good and free, if that be the case, run a compression test to see if it's damaged before running the engine. We don't want the old girl losing her head.

 

[ldammeyer]

Well, since the valve was stuck shut, it is likely that the piston hasn't hit it. If it never loosens up by moving it up and down, it may very well be bent and it stuck for that reason. On the other hand, if it becomes fully free and moves easily, then it's probably not bent. If it doesn't free up, then the head is coming off anyway. As soon as it's good and free, if that be the case, run a compression test to see if it's damaged before running the engine. We don't want the old girl losing her head.

I have a Milwaukee optical scope and will look around through the spark plug hole to see if I can see any damage up on the valve head itself or on the head of the piston. Still looking to hear from any Ford guys on how much of an ordeal the head removal is, if any. If it's not too big of a pain I would rather tear it all off and have all of the valves checked out - I have a guy who has rebuilt several heads on some of my cars....many of which had seized valves. Mind you all of these car engines were in cars that had been idle for many, many years. Tomorrow I will grab a small gear puller and make a small slide hammer to hopefully move the valve back up.

 

[Reg]

My guess is that that valve stem is also bent.
Heck, head jobs on little gas engines are no big deal, just pull it and do a valve job while you are in there.
I wouldn't want to keep pushing/pulling that valve up and down, just take the head off, remove valve spring(s), tap it through. Roll it on a block with the valve head hanging over the edge to see how much it is bent, etc.

 

[Willl]

Have you tried to pry upwards on the spring cap.

Do it evenly, both sides at a time.