Dsalillas

1. Only the #1 piston is up

2. As far as I can tell all the valves are up, I have the cams set exactly like Joseph Mitro's pics. the only lobes that touching lifters are the #4 intake and the #2 exhaust.

Flywheel lock is in place and the three bolts are in.

16v 944 engines don't have a cam tower. The cams are mounted directly in the head.

The gasket is brand new and the head bolts are torqued to spec.

My guess is that the #4 intake valves are somehow frozen in the up position.
This head has been sitting in my garage for over a year.

If they are stuck is there any way to get them open without having to take the head off again?

jonnybgood

I haven't dealt with frozen valves but that sounds like the problem. Get some WD 40 or other lubricant on to the valve stem above the guide so it would flow down and perhaps pop it loose. You might have to consider that those valves are bent. Why would they freeze up and not the other valves?

This is out of my experience. Perhaps start a thread asking about frozen valves.

Dsalillas

Late last night(or early morning depending) I used a pvc coupler(per the broken valve spring thread) and compressed the #4 intake springs. After putting some leverage on them there was a faint pop and the valves move fairly free now. I'm going to lube them up later and check the rest of the springs before putting the cam back in. I may try to run the cam(hand turn the crank) without the lifters to see if its binding or not, just to be sure.

peterjcb

I was going to suggest that you take the lifters out but you beat me to it. I see that you liked my homemade spring compressor idea . It cost me a whole $.20 at Home Depot. I tried buying a spring compressor for our cars but no one seemed to carry it ...."Necessity is the mother of invention". Hopefully the stuck valve was your problem.

joseph mitro

well sorry i'm just getting to this thread but i don't think i have anything else to offer. i'm glad the pics helped. sounds like some frozen valves but they are freeing up. is your cam chain binding at all?

Dsalillas

New Update:

I got all the valves free but the intake cam sticks a little even without the lifters in but it still turns.

Here is my new problem.

I have the flywheel set at TDC and the cams I think are at TDC. The problem is that the mark on the cam pulley doesn't line up with the mark on the distributor housing. The tensioner has full slack. When I move the pulley to the mark I can't get the belt on.

Has any one else had this problem?

joseph mitro

my marks were off by about 1-2 mm or about 1/2 a tooth but it was fine. if that's all that's keeping the belt from going on then line it up the best you can and move the cam just enough to get the belt on. i would then have the final timing done by a shop with the correct tools.

Dsalillas

Newest update:

I've freed up all the frozen valves, cams are in, timing belt set, and everything put back together.

Now my newest problem which I'm sure many of you had.

It won't start. The starter and crank are turning but I'm either not getting fuel or no spark.

I'm so close, I can't stand it.

What's the simplest ways to check both of those?

joseph mitro

if this engine has been sitting for a long time it will probably take some time to get the fuel there and so on. also, if the timing is too far advanced or retarded, it will be hard to start. that was my problem - very hard to start because timing was off. once that was corrected it became much easier to start.

Dsalillas

She has a pulse!!!

She's getting spark and will turn over with starter fluid but won't stay running cause she's not getting fuel. I kept cranking it till the battery died so I'll have to wait for the recharge.

A couple of times today the belt jumped because the intake cam was binding but I fixed that. Hearing the belt jump made me almost have a heart attack, twice!!

Luckily both times it jumped all the pistons were mid stroke and all the valves were closed. Checked compression and it was 180 all the way across which brought me so much relief, again twice. Hard to believe I was so lucky.

Hopefully by tommorrow I can figure out the fuel problem.

eohrnberger

Way to go! I'm sure that you'll figure it out and get her back on the road!

michaelathome

DAMN!! Good to hear. I have gotten freaked out about slipped belts here on the forum and I know that they are good for about 30K but it sounds like maybe you just needed a bit more tension.

Keep us informed,

Michael

jonnybgood

That is great. When you do get it started be prepared for the lifters to take a long time to pump up. Sounds like a deisel.

So you had two problems; 1. valves stuck and 2. bent cam?

Dsalillas

I had two problems.

1. stuck valves

2. cam was binding causing I over torqued the cam bridges.

my new problem is that I'm not getting fuel.

The car turns over and idles a second or two using starting fluid but once that runs out it dies. I've gone through a whole can already.

Tomorrow I'm gonna try something different.