What would cause Valve Keepers on a Ford 302 to fail. Just had a valve job done with hard seats installed.?

Question

Just had a valve job done with hard seats put in. Car ran fin, then before I put it away the last time I drove it, I started hearing a very light tapping sound. Thought maybe a rocker needed a little adjusting. But when I started the car, I started, ran for 5 seconds knocked real hard a couple of times and siezed before I could get it turned off. Was this a bad valve job or something else?

After tear down, I noticed that the valve stem had simply sheared off right in the middle of the valve stem. Once this sheared off, it dropped into the piston and shattered the sleave which trashed the block, the heads and the pretty much everything. Does anyone know what would cause this kind of failure. Was it just a bad valve? If so is the repair something the machine shop should be liable for?

Answer 1

I agree completely with Mr. T. Poor workmanship by the shop. Keepers were not properly seated when installed.
Mechanic with 36 years experience. I've done hundreds of valve jobs.

Answer 2

once you put in the keepers,you need to tap the valve spring with a small hammer to set the keepers.take the valve pans off and see it the valves are intact.if a keeper came loose,then its probably laying there.just take a valve sprind compressure and compress the spring and put them back in and tap the spring to seat them.on the 302(which is a very good engine)they are hydrolic lifters.you could try putting the lifters on the low cam and retorque the nuts and see if that helps.the mechanic that did the job,might not have pumped the lifters up before he installed them.

Answer 3

ok initially... i individually like cork gaskets, and would in no way placed vaseline on them it purely supplies the oil a head commence on inflicting a leak, we use cork gaskets on our race automobile automobiles and in no way have a situation with them except they are no longer tightened stunning, so my first suggestion would be to confirm you're tightening them sufficient and not overtightening them... 2nd... sure oil can leak from an exhaust manifold if the valve seals are worn sufficient oil can certainly drip into the exhaust and take a seat on the section around the exhaust gasket and reason a leak to look third... heres what you do to end this leak from the valve conceal... make confident there is not any previous gasket textile caught to the actual of the pinnacle floor and make confident none on the valve conceal itself, then make confident each and all of the bolt holes in valve conceal are flat (no longer dented upward" use a small hammer with somewhat bit medal on underside and gently faucet and bolt holes that are raised down flat , then do such as you probably did earlier with the hi-tack spray to hold them to the conceal whilst tipped over, then make confident head floor is clean and dry, utilising a a million/4 inch force ratchet and socket and extension placed all bolts in earlier tightening any of them completely... as quickly as all put in and comfortable bypass around tightening them frivolously somewhat at a time until eventually you ought to use a honest quantity of torque to tutor them anymore then force the automobile for an afternoon or 2 and bypass lower back and verify each and all of the bolts lower back... i assure you're starting to be the skill to tighten a minimum of a few of them purely like yet another 0.5 a turn or so, then you definitely shouldnt have from now on leaks from the covers in case you hit upon a leak around the exhaust nevertheless ...then you definitely possibly have very worn valve seals which isnt unclear simply by fact the truck is 20 yrs previous now

Answer 4

You don't know how adjust the valves and YOU BEND IT.
( YOU CLOSE THE GAP IN THE ROCKER ,LEAVING THE VALVE OPEN AND THE PISTON HAD HIT THE VALVE,SUBSEQUENTLY BEND AND SPOIL THE VALVE)

now, You have to pay the mechanic ,to do exactly what He has done before.

Answer 5

Valve keepers don't usually fail. Your problem was due to poor craftsmanship. Take the complaint back to the shop that performed the rebuild.

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Answer 6

Sounds like a combination of both rocker arm and lifters, sounds like they were not adjusted properly, and did the car have any oil? Sounds like it didnt if it seized.

Answer 7

valve keepers dont fail..if u dropped a valve something broke.[valve spring,valve itself] or bad rebuild..bad lifter or bad ajustment..