Hard Kicking Pan

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KingT
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Hard Kicking Pan

#1

Post by KingT »

Hi All

My mystery deepens. With my 51 FL, kicking the front cylinder is accomplished with normal effort but kicking through the rear cylinder is very hard to almost impossible when the plug is in. The rear jug acts as if it has a compression ratio of 15 to 1 and about 400lbs of compression. With the plugs out, both cylinders kick through with no effort.

I have checked the valve adjustment and measured the “lift” at the tappet blocks . The amount of “lift” is the same in both the front and rear cylinders. Both cylinders appear to cycle properly, plugs in or out.

Starting is only possible with a downhill run. Then the rear cylinder plug fouls with oil after about 30 seconds. The front plug looks OK just sooty.

I conducted a pressure test expecting a very high reading in the rear cylinder but got a low 60lbs in BOTH cylinders.

I took off the head believing I had a bad gasket. The cylinder was oily and there was oil on the piston dome but no “standing” oil was present.
So I’m totally baffled. The next step is a teardown of the rear cylinder check it out. Any suggestions as to what could cause this problem and what I should look for when I do the disassembly??

King
Bosheff
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Re: Hard Kicking Pan

#2

Post by Bosheff »

How does the thing run once ya get it fired up?....bosheff
steve_wood
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Re: Hard Kicking Pan

#3

Post by steve_wood »

Bent pushrods maybe?

Can you do a leak down test? Maybe worn valve guides?

That oil's comin from somewhere.....
Cotten
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Re: Hard Kicking Pan

#4

Post by Cotten »

King!

First order logic would blame the plug.
Its not a "long reach" plug by any chance?
Had to ask, sorry.

Your description makes it seem that the valve pushrods are moving, but at least one valve does not, allowing greater compression.

A sealed combustion chamber can be subject to unusual vacuum as well as compression, so the oil may have been pulled past the rings.

Now that you have removed the head, inspecting the opening of the valves is difficult. One would think it would take a catastrophic rocker failure to prevent a valve from opening. And one would think it would be audible!

You might get a bent coathangar and start by feeling through the head's pushrod holes for clues, but it would seem the pancover must come off, if you find no other causes.

Diabolical.

....Cotten
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