Hydraulic lifters not coming out

[Savara]

I didn't actually get all the lifters out just 4 of them. There's now no tappet noise at all, just the phut phut phut from the carb, zero power, vibration (see my post above). Timing is spot on although vac advance not working I'm pretty sure it never has. I've read other posts where people say they make little difference.
Thanks for help so far, again, great forum..

[Savara]

I did consider a pushrod not seated properly but I've reassembled them very slowly paying close attention to them being seated after every turn of the rocker mounting bolts by pushing them with a screwdriver. All adjusters seem aligned closely to each other. Why don't they make the shoulder part of the lifter concave to avoid that issue anyway?!

[Cobra88]

did you reset the preload on the followers ?

or did you just stick the pushrods back in ?

[Savara]

Reset the preload? The only adjustment is the adjusters on the rockers no?

[Cobra88]

Yes on the rockers

You either still have a pushrod not correctly seated or you bent a valve by running with a pushrod not seated initially
(done it myself first time)

Nothing else would make the chuffing popping in my opinion

Regards
Rick

[Savara]

Hi Rick/all
I've just had both rockers off again and rebuilt very carefully to ensure push rods are seated in the followers properly. minute adjustments only required if anything to the adjusters as you would expect. Another compression test - all 150 psi or so. Spark plugs in, starts like a dream, no valve train noise just the hesitation and the phut phut phut. If a valve was bent that would mean zero compression surely and at least some awful noises?
What next?? Go to the pub perhaps? Hmmm..

Subaru, Subaru, my kingdom for a Subaru!

[Cobra88]

yes your right if a valve was bent comp would be low of damaged pot

don't know what else to suggest
Have you checked the resistance of the plug leads and rotor arm ?

Other than that I'm stumped

Regards
Rick

[Savara]

LT lead 1k ohm HT leads all 5k ohm. Replaced the rotor arm recently and have swapped back, no difference so not that.

I just don't get it. Tickover is sweet as a nut, the engine has never sounded so good, put your foot down and phut phut phut shudder, phut phut..

[Cobra88]

sorry as I don't know every step you took

Timing is set at 5 degrees vacuum disconnected ?

Hows the engine earth strap ?

Are all vac pipes on ?

[Savara]

Timing set by timing light, adjusted by hand back, forwards, same thing. Vac pipes on or off no difference as vac advance not working (new unit is in post) but I've been told and read that the vac advance doesn't make a big difference and many vans run without it jst relying on the centrifugal advance.
Other than that vac pipes are ok. Engine earth strap? Have had a look and can't see one. Where is it usually? Engine turns over fine so I imagine it's fine as starter motor healthy.

[Cobra88]

earth strap I think is on front of gearbox

[Savara]

No sign of it (auto box) but must be there or starter wouldn't be so healthy no? In any case, new vac advance unit arrives tomorrow so will overhaul dizzy at same time to take that out of the equation..

[Cobra88]

Mine is Auto too

Earth strap is across front gearbox mount.
Auto does have an earth strap

you might be earthing through throttle linkage or similar.

[937carrera]

It's much more likely to be something you have done, than a new issue.

Go through what you did you replace the lifters and think about how that could have gone wrong on reassembly.

Post the steps up and others may be able to spot something too.

[Savara]

Earth strap checked all fine. Have now overhauled the distributor, no difference. 2 garages have diagnosed this as lifters but now I'm not so sure. I've disassembled the rockers and pushrods 3 times now and it makes absolutely no difference. The only issue with the lifters (4 are new 4 are old) is one of the old ones has absolutely zero pressure. This was difficult to set the preload as there is nothing solid there at all when you screw in the adjuster. I have however adjusted it 3 times and checked compression over and over - all 150psi.
The engine starts and ticks over like a dream. Touch the throttle and pop pop through the carb. Ty to drive it and It's like it's running on 2 cylinder, just so rough, no power at all. Could a completely flat lifter cause an issue? I'd have thought it would just mean valves not opening fully rather than not closing. The dodgy lifter is cylinder 2 rear i.e. the one rearmost on the RHS. This would be an exhaust valve in any case no?
It's the fact that nothing makes any difference that makes me think I'm barking up the wrong tree totally..
Woof woof...