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