Kent, OK, I know I could have completely avoided this problem if I had only been using your instructions. But (& it always starts that way) I had replaced 2 sets of valve stem seals in the past 6 months using your instructions & I thought I knew the steps. Yup, the one biggest warning you give was what I did: removed the nuts on a stem & it dropped down. The cam is in the 1 o'clock position & the stem is about 3/4" from the surface.
My questions are, is there a way to get the stem back up without pulling the whole head off? Is this position far enough along that I can rotate the engine & push up the stem? Hopefully forward? If I could rotate backward (& I know you say never to do this), but what are my risks there? Might I be able to poke a magnet down there & pull up the stem? If there isn't any other choice, do you have any manuals with the instructions on how to pull the head? BTW, I still haven't found my instructions on doing this. What position should the cam be when I take out the stem nuts?
OK, my last question. It might be almost as easy to swap engines. I've got another car with a poor body that has a turbo engine. This car is non-turbo & has a great rust-free body & excellent original paint. Would a turbo engine fit into a chassis made for non-turbo? The turbo car is a 81 300TD & the good chassis is a 81 300D. I really need to just start a binder with all your instruction manuals & booklets so I CAN find them and avoid things like this! Thanks -tony
PROBLEM SOVLED!
OK, I wrote the above last night when I was rather down & depressed. But for anyone who doesn't believe, God does answer prayers! This morning about 5am He woke me up & told me to suck it out. I recently got the evacutating/dispensing pump (at the same time I got these valve stems I'm working to replace!). I put a piece of 3/8" inner diameter tubing on the end of it, then that fit nicely into a piece of 1/2" I.D. tubing. Note these are the cheap clear fairly thin tubing you can pickup at Home Depot or anywhere. I removed the old valve seal & the 1/2" tubing fit almost perfectly over the top. I just pulled a vacuum and the stem came jumping right up! I had to wiggle the tube a little as it was hitting the rising stem, but the stem did come completely up and I was able to hold it through the tubing, pull off the tubing & keep the stem up & put a nut on it. BTW this was the #4 intake valve just for clarity. Amen, Lord thank you thank you! It's important to remember that he answers big, small and medium prayers. Yesterday this was a big prayer, today it seems more low/middle... :) I'm not sure how much further the stem could have dropped & still be sucked out but I'm not sure I really want to know! I still do have a question. How difficult would it be to (at some point in the future) put the '81 300TD turbo engine into this non-turbo '81 300D? Oh, and what position should the cam be in before I remove the next stem nut??? :) :) :) As always, this website is a wealth of information! Thanks -tony
Great work!
Tony, great work on solving your own problem with divine assistance. :-) That was very clever!
As far as engine change - from your two cars it is a snap. You will need to change both the engine and trans from the 81 turbo. You will need the exhaust and the driveline from the turbo and well as radiator, oil cooler, etc. Since you have both cars side by side you are good to go. Kent