Manky's Pop.

[kapri]

My spare engine has slightly different valves. I didn't measure them, but they appear to have a thinner shaft & a shoulder above the head. So wouldn't have fitted anyway. I didn't want to swap the whole head over in case it was a different compression ratio.

Valve on right is 'go faster' version for better gas flow .

[Manky Monkey]

Ahh, kinda makes sense.
How was the trip to the Lake District Kev?

[poprodder]

kev came back on a recovery truck.

[kapri]

There appears to be something contagious !

[poprodder]

your better half mentioned it on fb.

[kapri]

Not meant that way Chris, I meant at Loonys workshop, or perhaps it's just Manky himself?!

[poprodder]

 

[Manky Monkey]

Yup, Mankiness is highly contagious, with no known cure I'm afraid.
(Kev's truck suffered a transmission fluid leak).

[Manky Monkey]

No Loony at the workshop for a couple of days, (fuel problems with his own car), so still not fired up the rebuilt motor.
I'd toyed with the idea of dashing down to the Beaulieu rod show in the New Forest in it on Sunday, but looks like I'll be saying goodbye to the Charger instead.

[Baychimp]

Andy, the rain stopped it turn into a fine evening haven't you got that engine running yet.

[Manky Monkey]

Yeah, by the time I left the workshop yesterday evening it was lovely. I didn't get there till about 4pm & didn't want to get into it then have to stop, so I worked on my motorcycle instead.
My day off today though. Got a couple of errands to do this morning, (posting merchandise off to forum members n stuff), then off to the workshop later to get it sorted.

[Manky Monkey]

Running again.
Various hoses & cables refitted, new rocker cover gasket, top up the coolant ...nothing else left so time to fire it up.
Took a bit of coaxing & although it didn't need the choke, it didn't want to idle for a while. The hydraulic lifters were a bit noisy to start with until they'd pumped themselves up, but no repeat of the clunk, clunk, clunk of a bent pushrod. That's good then.
I ran it for 15 minutes or so until everything was properly warm, then shut it off & drained the oil. New oil filter & fresh oil, then time for a test drive.
Archie jumped in with me & we took it for a quick spin to the local petrol station, then back around the ring road. No nasty mechanical noises, but pretty hot in the cab & there's definitely a flat spot in the acceleration. Put your foot down & there's nothing, then it lurches forward. All or nothing. It's still all a bit brutal at the moment, no subtlety to it at all. You can't really cruise sedately in it -it's more a matter of pointing it in vaguely the right direction, stomping on the throttle & waiting for it to go braaarrrppp. 
So pushrod problem hopefully fixed.
I think I might get in touch with Tom Airey Tuning, the guy who tuned my last trike for me, for some rolling road time. It just needs to be a bit smoother & a bit more civilised, but it's getting there. 
 

[poprodder]

great news on running again, could flat spot be what kev mentioned being cam well worn?

[Mr_G]

Sweeet.

[Manky Monkey]

Would've thought that'd affect general engine running, rather than acceleration Chris. Once warmed up, it ticked over quite nicely. Maybe a little mechanically noisy, but it's a 30 year old engine with lots of wear so it's never gonna be whisper quite & my daily driver probably makes as much noise.
There's a plastic cam on the side of the carb that regulates how the fuel shot from the accelerator pump is delivered. There's a selection of 8 different cams available to give different performance characteristics. I'm wondering if it's worth buying the set & experimenting to try & get a more even, progressive delivery. Something to talk to the rolling road guy about.
I'm aiming to drive the truck to the Nostalgia Nationals drag race meet at Stratford on Avon next Sunday, so probably won't tinker with it too much before then, but will do a few more test drives after work each afternoon.