that's what i'm worried about. It sat for years. Plus I haven't checked the other head yet but I can only imagine it's the same scenario but hasn't gotten to that level yet. 

 

Unfortunately the scrap yards out here puncture the tanks to drain them. and my tank is FULL. I put $30 in so it's got half a tank of good fuel and half of who knows what. previous owner had to replace the fuel pump and injector (supposedly) but who knows if they drained the tank. 

 

 

SO

 

clean heads

drain and clean tank

reassemble and test

fuel system cleaner every tank for a bit.

Edited July 2, 201312 yr by CarpeNoctem

local scrapper charges 27.50 for a fuel tank. so if I can find one that is clean inside welding a patch on the hole will cost me about 30. that's 57 vs 178 for a new one or a bunch of time doing it myself............ 

 

another DIY

Cleaning the one you have seems more practical.  It is pretty easy to make your fuel pump drain your tank for you, of just let gravity do the work.

draining isnt the problem it's containing it and cleaning the tank. that level of sludged is gonna take some doing to get clean.

 

 

:edit: local radiator shop does full tank cleanings for 100. just goint to do that.

Edited July 3, 201312 yr by CarpeNoctem

Ok I had some time off of it due to family but now an update.
 
New fuel tank
 
Heads cleaned, valves cleaned, re-assembled with new gaskets and seals.

 

New timing belts

 

YET..........

 

No power from 1&3.

 

I have spark

 

I have fuel as evidenced by the fact it runs on 2&4.

 

I am no longer dropping followers when it runs

 

when the heads we're off I looked at the cylinders and saw no evidence of odd wear, broken rings, anything out of norm really... I'll do a compression test this weekend

 

Valve timing is spot on from all I can see. Cam markers are 180 out from each other (bottom and top at timing mark). At tdc the 1/3 cam is up and out diagonally while the 2/4 is down and out diagonally)

 

at tdc the ignition rotor is pointing at the #1 wire and the master cylinder. like this

 

 

 

 

 

Yet a power balance test shows no drop in rpm from 1 or 3, but dies on 2 and 4 and it has a definite misfire. Only thing I can say is that when I advance the timing (rotate dizzy body clockwise) the rpm screams up. I'm hitting my head against the same wall over a problem I thought was licked.

How is the intake gasket? Maybe you have a vac leak causing a no-fire and high idle as you advance the timing

Edited November 6, 201312 yr by MilesFox

If hlas were removed they pump up to max height so when reinstalled the valves dont close is very commen for it to only run on 2 till it warms up and lifters can bleed down and valves close again have had it take 30 min or more. when i have lifters out i pump them down so the have to addjust is better ticking than missing. I bett you just dident give it enuff time or timing is out

Plug wires for 1 & 3 swapped.

 

As Miles posted, "vac leak". Vacuum port on the intake runner for 1 & 3, feeds the EGR and Purge solenoids along with the Heater controls. If there is a vac leak there, it will seriously lean-out 1 & 3. Found that one myself.....

Edited November 7, 201312 yr by TomRhere

I don't think I pumped up the HLAs so that may be it. I didn't run it long enough to warm up because of the miss. but that I imagine would affect both sides since both heads got disassembled, cleaned and replaced with all new lifters

 

I'll "carb cleaner test" for vac leaks as well. 

 

A new thought is the motor was trying to run with missing intake lifters. there is a chance (though minimal) that enough oil got sucked past the rings that it clogged up the cat and is creating too much back pressure. the previous owner was trying to drive it like that so who knows.

I thought I had a dead motor after a headgasket job, but it turned out the HLAs weren't pumping up (stuck in the bore after reassembly). Before going nuts, I'd do a compression check. Worst case, there is no oil flow to the HLAs on that side (cam case o-ring failure). You can pop off the valve cover gasket and see if oil is coming out of the relief hole for the HLA galley. It might get a bit messy tho..