Working after morons

[Bonnewagon]

Remember the stuck Pontiac 400 I freed up last year? (https://gbodyforum.com/threads/doing-the-unstuck.69747/) I finally opened it up for a look-see. First off I was right about the valley pan leaking. It was horrible. But it didn't have to be so. The morons I am following decided not to replace it. Just schmear orange RTV all over it and call it done. YIKES!!! Had they used something decent like Marine Tex it might have worked. But no- just use whatever is the cheapest at Auto Zoned Out. Then when some gas or oil hit it it failed and let water fill the engine. But after I got the engine unstuck it shook and rattled for quite some time. The lifters banged like crazy until they loosened up and smoothed out. One kept clacking on and off even until now. Sometimes really badly. See the pic for the reason. Damn lucky the push rod held the lifter top piece from falling into the engine. I put it back together and it seems OK. Then I noticed the rocker nuts were some cheap-*ss Chinesium attempt at poly locks. (Just $9.99 on Flea Bay. Hurry! Almost sold out!!! ) When I put the rocker arm back on I no matter how tight I made the set screw I could still turn the nut easily with a 5/8" wrench. What junk. Maybe I can scrounge some real Pontiac jam nuts. It also looks like not one gasket was actually replaced. Just schmeared with the orange goo. Stay tuned for more surprises.

 

[69hurstolds]

Orange goo it up and SEND IT!

Hahaha

 

[Bonnewagon]

I just thought of something. How was the pushrod adjusted? I mean if it was adjusted with the lifter intact then once the lifter came apart that adjustment is lost. There should have been at least a half inch of extra space there probably letting the pushrod go wild. So did the morons adjust the rocker with the lifter top dislodged like that? Because I had to unload the rocker "lock" to get it loose. Cripes what morons these guys were.

 

[tc1959]

 

[Turbo Zach]

Some people's kids!

 

[Bonnewagon]

Well, if that isn't bad enough, Pontiac rocker nuts are now scarce as hen's teeth. I can probably scrounge up 16 from my big bucket-o'-nuts but I then it is going to be hard to replace them. I'm sure the morons just tossed them. After all, RACERS need adjustable Chinesium nuts.

 

[Local Hero]

And here I thought the moron who previously owned my car, only screwed up the one.

Like the zip-tie holding the radiator to the core support and the 3 feet of rubber fuel like going from the stock Buick hardline on the driver's side, aallllllllllllll the way over to the SBC fuel pump on the passenger side, which too, was zip tied to the front sway bar. the missing transmission inspection shield, the bucket seats only bolted in on the outside edges, the disconnected speedometer cable from the side of the transmission because it interfered with the threaded rod shift linkage for the non-neutral switch containing cheap-*ss floor shifter.

 

[spidereyes455]

And here I thought the moron who previously owned my car, only screwed up the one.

Like the zip-tie holding the radiator to the core support and the 3 feet of rubber fuel like going from the stock Buick hardline on the driver's side, aallllllllllllll the way over to the SBC fuel pump on the passenger side, which too, was zip tied to the front sway bar. the missing transmission inspection shield, the bucket seats only bolted in on the outside edges, the disconnected speedometer cable from the side of the transmission because it interfered with the threaded rod shift linkage for the non-neutral switch containing cheap-*ss floor shifter.

That sounds like a guy I used to know. He did all of those exact same things and worse on a regular basis.

 

[69hurstolds]

That sounds like a guy I used to know. He did all of those exact same things and worse on a regular basis.

And then they wonder why stuff blows up

 

[fleming442]

Ames Part Detail