Front cover is on, oil pump in great, can pulley seated and happy.

For a tight crank pulley, 250 degrees in the oven for 30 minutes (on an air bake pan, of course), 1/3 more the time but 25 percent less the heat than your favorite brownie recipe will loosen it up and seems to have no ill effects.

Also, widening the mouth of the woodruff key slot on the main pulley makes it go on much, much easier if the pulley is tight.

Few more things to button up and check out, and I'll be starting it up.

 

Success.

Just started it up works awesome. No clack after oil circulated.

So, in sum, the low oil pressure caused by a semi clogged pickup tube (rtv and junk) cause my rockers to clack.

Wow. I am exhausted. Thank you so much for the help and encouragement!

Now that I've gotten it working I'm ready for a new engine that I can just maintain and I think this one is going to get a new home.

 

I abbreviate my responses but there is not much more to say than.... good job. When you dropped the pan I figured you'd find what I wanted to post but didn't..... The pic of valley pan removed and I pretty much knew. I use Hitac and aviation Form-A-Gasket - no RTV anywhere. Also I use Loctite Red/Blue depending if I do not to remove/future remove a bolt/nut. Nice story about the vet, glad to see someone gives a crap and can put themselves in our shoes every once and awhile. Your son will do well because his father is who he is.

 

So we can all sleep easy now, safe in the knowledge that your mystery has been solved?? It's been a fascinating story and I'm really glad that I didn't have to do all the work.

Congrats on getting there in the end!

 

Thanks again, everyone. I took the story down about my friend on the off chance that he might search the threads. Suffice to say that I've piddled with this engine a little more than I'd like--but learned alot--and it is going to be donated to good home in the very near future. His engine is seized--will not turn with starter or manually. I'll just use my 4.0 after a week or so (maybe two. I am sick of looking at my tools) as a stop gap until I find something new (I wanted a new one anyway, put together by a COMPETENT mechanic). As a bonus, his interior is alpaca (found out today) so he's going to be getting some new front and back seats and a black dash, door seals, and other interior parts that are sitting in my garage and need a new home. I don't know what I was thinking when I saved all of that stuff. I'll never use them. I'm just going to take everything to his house and give it a go.

 

Way to go Charlie!

 

Hey alright!

 

Your my hero

 

So your daughters boyfriend was right all along!

Congrats on finally finding this demon, persistence paid off! Great read.

 

He was. But for the fact that he was busy following her around like a groupie instead of helping me in the driveway he would be in very high esteem.