push rhod, seal replacement Options

[914itis]

looking for instructions on push rod replacement with pictures.

[VaccaRabite]

Not hard to do, and you can do it with the engine in your car. Pelican may have a photo essay on it, or maybe aircooled.net.

Get the back end of your car in the air. you are going to be spending some time under there so get it to a height where you have enough room to work and are comfortable. Use jackstands.

1) Pop the valve covers off. Just look at everything for a moment so you have an idea of how its going to come out. The valves are on a rocking arm that is held on to the head via an axle. That axle is supported by 2 bolts. There are 2 axles. There is also a spring wire keeper that spans the head and has prods that go into the push rod tubes.

2) undo the 4 bolts that hold the adjusters to the head, and remove both the entire adjuster assembly. These are oily, and can slide apart. Its not a big deal if they do - but try and keep them together. Put them in the valve cover top so you don't lose anything. Be careful of the little wire spring thing that runs across the head. You don't want to mangle it.

3) pull the pushrods out. mark them somehow so you know what tube they go back into. It is important not to get your pushrods mixed up. Except some people say it isn't important. You can make your own choice on this one, but I suggest marking them so that they go back into the same bore they came out of.

4) the lifters may or may not slide on out. If they do, make sure they go back into the bore they came out of.

5) with a pair of plyers, grab the pushrod tube under the cylinders and carefully rotate it back and forth until you can get it loose and it slides out. With the engine in the car, you probably won't be able to get the tube all the way out unless you lower fan side of the engine a little. Unless you find a ton of RTV or silicone sealant in there, I don't think you need to bother fully removing the tubes. Again, a lifter may come out. It is important that the lifter finds its way back into the same bore it came out of.

6) remove the old rubber seals, clean up the sealing surface and replace with the VITON o-rings. Lube them with motor oil. Again, different folks do this differently. Some like to place them in dry, others like to use grease, others like to use engine oil. My bias here is clear. Get ready, the only tricky part is coming up.

7) Replace the pushrod tubes back into engine case and head. What is so tricky about that?! Well, you also have to make sure that the pushrod tubes get fully seated without pinching and cutting the O-ring. This is why its good to clean the sealing surfaces and then lube with some oil. It is a tight fit getting them back in, and if they pinch they are almost certainly ruined. Once the tubes are in, inspect (you may need a mirror) to make sure they are fully seated and in good shape (no pinching, no cuts).

8) Put the heads back together. Use a new cork gasket on the rocker covers.

if done correctly, your pushrod tubes will not leak. DO NOT use sealant of ANY kind on them. You may stop a leak now with it now, but when the sealant fails (and it will) you will never got them sealed again unless you can get rid of all the old sealant. Which is a HUGE PITA.