How hard is it to change pushrod tube seals?

mylimeywesty · Post by **mylimeywesty** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 8:20 pm

Is it hard to change the pushrod tube seals? How far do I have to break the engine down? Can I leave it in?
Is this something I can do in one day in my driveway? Only one side is leaking, so can I just do that side to save time?

raygreenwood · Post by **raygreenwood** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 9:30 pm

Its actually quite easy. Remove valve covers. Remove wire pushrod keeper from under rocker stands. Turn engine around to TDC for whatever cylinder you are working on. Remove the bottom cover plates attached to the heat exchanger.

I use a set of locking pliers with dried silicone sealer on the jaws...for padding....and set it just tight enough to arely clamp the tubes. Remove the two nuts on the rocker stands for the affected cylinder. Remove rocker shaft assembly as a unit and lat it on a paper towel. Remove pushrods. Twist tube lightly....and push it out through the rocker box. Replace both 0-rings...use an 18mm or 11/16 socket...whatever fits the edge of the tube and into the bore. Lube the o-rings...and tap the tube back in place with the grooves to the sides. It takes about 45 minutes per side ...depending upon how much cleaning.I recommend removing the cover plates and pressure wasjing everything under the plates at the car wash before starting. Ray

Pillow · Post by **Pillow** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 11:06 pm

Ray is assuming you have a T4 engine... Which you might I am not sure.

If it is a T1 engine the heads need removed for the tubes to be changed. Much more difficult job.

raygreenwood · Post by **raygreenwood** » Tue Jul 29, 2003 11:28 pm

Ooooh....sorry! Pillow is correct. If you have a type 1-3....the heads will have to come off and the exhaust. Best to pull the engine for that...and get a full gasket set. Ray

mylimeywesty · Post by **mylimeywesty** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 9:19 pm

raygeenwood

It is a type 4 engine. Can you go a little more in depth on this?

I can't find it in the Bentley.

Pillow · Post by **Pillow** » Wed Jul 30, 2003 10:44 pm

>Can you go a little more in depth on this? <

I thought Ray did a great job of explaining it in that paragraph.

If you are a novice it might be good to have a pro shop do the work and watch them.

Better to spend a little to have it done right than leak oil on the road and grenade an engine.

raygreenwood · Post by **raygreenwood** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 9:25 am

Itsworth it to grab a shop manual and take a look at how thepushrods and the head go together. The tubes are installed by simply pushing them into the block. There is a groove in both the block and the head..that the o-rings pop into. What you have to see...is that the things that are in the wya of the pushrod tube are: The rocker arms...so they have tocome off...and the valve cover...so they have to come off. There is a bendy piece of stip wire attached to teh bottom of each rocker stand. When you have the particular cylinder you are working on at TDC...and pull of the rocker shaft...you will see that that wire. Carefully remove it and set it aside. You have to have each cylinder you work with at TDC...so the rocker shaft nuts have no tension on them. You ned the bottom cover plates off..so you can see the pushrod tubes and twist them loose...ad push them back out through the valve cover. Its really pretty easy. Ray

mylimeywesty · Post by **mylimeywesty** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 9:25 am

Novice or not, I'm not going to pay the $200 to have them changed the local VW mechanic quoted. I have skills, but the process isn't very explicit in the Bentley.

mylimeywesty · Post by **mylimeywesty** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 9:28 am

Ray

Thanks. That sounds like I can do it. Is the wire you're talking about go all the way across the bottom, kind of bent at different angles?

busdude · Post by **busdude** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 12:49 pm

i went to change my pushrods cause a friend recomended it found out that i have bad rings so insted of running this motor (40H) im going to build me a 1600 that had 1000 miles on it that we tore apart cause it was in a car wreck i miss that 68

raygreenwood · Post by **raygreenwood** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 4:40 pm

Yep..thats the wire. Do not bend it up. Remove it carefully. I'm still not 100% sure of its function...but its there. It must nut contact any of the pushrods when you are done. If it does ...it will wear a notch in them. I believe it was design to reposition any pushrods whose inside endrode up out of the lifter cup. But generally...if you have that problem...a piece of wire will not help you. Ray

76campmobile · Post by **76campmobile** » Thu Jul 31, 2003 6:11 pm

I think that wire "helps" to hold the tubes firmly seated in the case and head.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Aug 01, 2003 2:09 pm

That would seem to make sense....but the same theory applies...I think.... If your pushrod tubes are that loose...hee hee...I think the wire will be of little help...who knows. Ray