Valve job


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Post Thu Nov 30, 2017 8:56 pm

Valve job

I have a 1949 KB5 in overall excellent condition. I do have one concern, however. I have 5 cylinders with 85 PSI compression and 1 cylinder with 60 psi. I can hear a putt-putt-putt out of the tailpipe. I haven't done a cylinder bleed down check yet but am starting to think that perhaps I have an exhaust valve hanging up. I have two quick questions:
1. Is there a one stop shop where I can buy gaskets so I can do a valve job?
2. Does anyone else have some input or advice?

Thanks in advance!!

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Post Thu Nov 30, 2017 11:55 pm

Re: Valve job

Others will probably have other information for you. look for Olsen's gaskets on the web: http://www.olsonsgaskets.com/
Good guys. There are probably others out there. I know he treated a Member real well. Shipped a gasket to Brazil, it turned out to be the wrong one(two different types in that year) He shipped another at no extra charge. Good Guys.

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Post Fri Dec 01, 2017 7:30 am

Re: Valve job

I also have had a great experience with Olson Gaskets.- Stickman 207

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Post Fri Dec 01, 2017 1:12 pm

Re: Valve job

jethro2996 wrote:I have a 1949 KB5 in overall excellent condition. I do have one concern, however. I have 5 cylinders with 85 PSI compression and 1 cylinder with 60 psi. I can hear a putt-putt-putt out of the tailpipe. I haven't done a cylinder bleed down check yet but am starting to think that perhaps I have an exhaust valve hanging up. I have two quick questions:
1. Is there a one stop shop where I can buy gaskets so I can do a valve job?
2. Does anyone else have some input or advice?

Thanks in advance!!


Olsen gasket for sure. Sent a manifold gasket to me within 3 days. Excellent service.

On the valve job. Have you ever done a flathead valve job?

#1 Has the engine "sat" for a long time? If so it may have a stuck valve?

#2 Leakage test anyway. Remove intake manifold and valve covers to check for stuck valve. They have to be removed either way
1947 KB-2
1952 Morris Minor MM (RHD)
1984 Mercedes Benz 380SL
2000 BMW 528i (240,000 Mi.)
1979 Benelli G2 Moped (39 Mi.)
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Golden Jubilee
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Post Fri Dec 01, 2017 2:21 pm

Re: Valve job

Olsons, bought from them for years, also ePay ones show up once in a while, I think I have a stack of them in my garage too,

you can do a in the truck valve grind, and just lap the valves, then you'd need manifold and side valve tappet cover gaskets as well as head gasket,

but 85LB. is certainly within spec for this motor, they are low compression, the one slightly low cylinder may just be crud, do a bleed down if you want,

I've owned these motors for years, and even fresh rebuilt ones always seem to have a slight putt putt intermittent sputter I've never been able to completely eliminate,

that part could be carb issue, slight intake leak, or?

Factory manual states compression ration of GRD 214 & 233 motors as 6.3 which means around 75 psi on a compression tester, many variables can affect this reading, from casting difference of combustion chambers to accuracy of gauge, your motor certainly isn't tired.
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Post Fri Dec 01, 2017 2:52 pm

Re: Valve job

I am going to attempt to respond to several comments at one time here.

The carb was rebuilt recently. The putt-putt was there both before and after the carb rebuild. The rebuild shop was one who does this for a living, not some "guy" in his garage. IMHO we can eliminate this. Perhaps there is a vacuum leak somewhere but I think the carb is good.

I have been driving this truck this fall and have perhaps two or three hours on it since I bought it. Previous owner used it for parades and such. It doesn't get run a lot but it doesn't sit for years either.

I have drained and completely removed all liquid from the fuel tank prior to the carb rebuild.

If you stand at the front of the truck the engine runs very, very smooth. If you stand at the back of the truck, you can hear the putt-putt. There is also a chain that hangs behind the tailpipe to prevent the box from lifting too far. The exhaust blowing on this chain has turned it black. Might be related, might just be from start-up and using the choke. The truck really doesn't like 4th gear too much. On flat and level ground it will get up to about 40 mph after a mile or two. I couldn't imagine that 4th gear would have any value at all with a load of wheat on it. This could be normal too for the data plate is claiming only 80 H.P.



The truck has had a pretty good life, was stored indoors until I got it. If you are a KB fan you would really like this one, it is a 7 out of 10. All the old guys in my little town have to stop and talk about it. My intentions is to make it a weekend workhorse/go to the car show truck. Pretty much done except for some tires and pull the grain sides off. I just don't want to cause further damage to the motor if there is a valve hanging up. I also have a spare Green Diamond (for sale?) that I can practice on in my shop before I try the real thing.

Does anyone consider the bleed down check a way to positively verify this or are there others things to look for?
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Golden Jubilee
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Post Fri Dec 01, 2017 5:17 pm

Re: Valve job

black would mean burning rich, which could be carb adjustment, and could be causing post detonation, timing could be slightly off too, late timing makes for lack of power, too tight points do too, etc.

a vacuum gauge will tell you if a valve is sticking or burnt, it's hard to armchair diagnose, my 49 panel has a freshly completely rebuilt motor, rebuilt carb,
from front runs smooth as silk from tailpipe has a irregular putt, seems not from same combustion stroke so I attribute it to limitations of nearly 70 year old carb technology,

I'm not dismissing anything you posted, what I personally would do before tearing the head off is to do a vacuum test, if needle is steady and reacts to throttle snapping open like it's supposed to, (vacuum gauge goes into hole on side of manifold that has the square pipe plug, not carb base.) I'd then bring timing to factory static setting,

at operating temperature, time the motor, (disconnecting & plugging vacuum line to carb) after motor is timed, reconnect, verify vacuum advance is working, entire distributor moves with vacuum not internal guts like newer ones,

these motors time different from newer stuff, you set adv/retard gauge on distributor base to zero, then loosen squeeze clamp on back side of distributor,
turn it to line pointer with notch on top of front pulley, the rpms have to be low so centrifugal advance inside the distributor isn't advancing, you then tighten the clamp to pin the distributor, Then you loosen nut on base and rotate base which is clamped to distributor so advance arrow lines up a few degrees advanced,

I'd then turn in carb mix screw to just barely touch, then back off 1 1/2 turns to initial setting, (if you do this while it's running and engine doesn't die then the needle seat has been blown out by someone cranking it down in the past, I've gotten rebuilt carbs with blown out seats, (not implying your rebuilt one is, But it's OK it eliminate all possibilities? Yes?)

next use a dwell meter to verify points are adjusted right, feeler gauges are not that accurate,

Now your truck is initially static timed, with distributor vacuum line reconnected, what I do is put a timing light, vacuum gauge, and tachometer,

and adjust timing as needed, the factory manual states after initial timing, adjust to compensate for altitude/fuel etc. there is no hard fast timing mark setting like newer motors, (make sure rpm is low enough so adjustments can be noticed, too high rpm hides adjustment variances, factory manual says idle rpm is 200-300 which is pretty low to me, I'd adjust it low enough to still be smooth but not activate centrifugal or vacuum advance.

then slowly dial out the mix screw on the carb watching tach & vacuum gauge, you want highest vac reading, if it starts to stumble dial back in, listen to your tailpipe, if you are happy then adjust up throttle linkage to the idle you prefer,

You may already know all or most of this, take what you want from it, I've been playing with GRD motors since 1975, I'm sure others will have better advice, this works for me,
Good luck,
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Post Fri Dec 01, 2017 8:03 pm

Re: Valve job

Thanks for the input. I shall give this a try. Probably won't happen before Spring given our northern weather but you never know. I was assuming (quite possible incorrectly) that the lower cylinder compression might have something to do with it. I think the best thing to do is to have a period correct shop manual so I can do each step you recommend by the book. Where is the best place to find such a manual? One other question: How many miles will a Green Diamond run before a typical valve job is usually needed? This one has 55,XXX miles on it. I don't have any real mechanical history on it so perhaps it has been done once or twice already...........................

Thanks

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Post Sat Dec 02, 2017 9:33 pm

Re: Valve job

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