Broken pushrod, oil soaked spark plug and smoking. HELP!
03-22-2013, 11:58 PM
#1
Broken pushrod, oil soaked spark plug and smoking. HELP! So after a long deployment to Afghanistan and finally getting my car out from storage, it's first drive was depressing. Cruising down the road I suddenly got a loss in power and light blue smoke was coming out of the tail pipes like crazy. I scanned the car and found it was a number seven cylinder misfire, p0307. I pulled the spark plug and it was soaked with fresh oil. I pulled the valve cover and the intake valve push rod is completely missing. I can't even see it down inside the hole. The rocker looks like it's complete and tight and the valve spring isn't broken. What do I do? Is there a chance of some more serious damage? Any input or advice of other things to look at is very much appreciated. I'm confused as to how a broken pushrod caused my spark plug to be oil soaked and why my car is burning oil. Thanks for any advice.
03-23-2013, 07:14 AM
#2
Don't understand how the pushrod can be completely missing. Bent or broken but missing? Can you use a mirror and light to see into the pushrod hole to look at the lifter tray? I would be concerned that #7 ring land bit the dust. If you can find someone with a boroscope you could peek into the spark plug hole to check that. Also, any marks on the spark plug other than oil?
03-23-2013, 07:23 AM
#3
Cylinder is operating under a high vacuum, due to the valve not opening. This can/will pull oil into the cyl.
Next step: Pull the intake, the valley cover, and find the missing pieces.. ALL of them. [I'm betting there will be some in the oil pan.]
Next step: Pull the intake, the valley cover, and find the missing pieces.. ALL of them. [I'm betting there will be some in the oil pan.]
03-23-2013, 08:44 AM
#4
Launching!
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+1 with the Old Geezer's advise. If you're lucky the pieces may still be in the lifter tray, but definately drain the oil and check for metal!! Good luck with the repair!
03-23-2013, 02:50 PM
#5
Well I'm definantly hoping that I didn't do any damage to the cylinder and that simply throwing in a new set of lifters and pushrods will get me on the road so I can enjoy this summer. Unfortunantly for me I guess these are the things that happen after a car sits for a year. Well I haven't pulled the intake or the valley cover yet but I will along with pulling the head. I may end up pulling both sides to do all new lifters. Here is a picture of what I can see from under the valve cover. I haven't pulled the rocker off yet to get a better look, but with a light and a mirror I can't see anything down inside the hole. The only thing definantly noticable about it is the chunk of metal missing around the pushrod hole. Not sure how that may have happened but hopefully I'll get it apart tomorrow and will find out. Please keep any input or ideas coming. Anything is appreciated. Thanks agian.
03-23-2013, 04:40 PM
#6
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two possible causes I can think of, if the valve is stuck closed the push rod could bend the break, more likely the lifter collasped and the push rod got jammed and broke. In either case the lower section of the push rod would be launched off the lifter.
You can check the lifter by measuring down to the push rod pocket on the lifter and compairing it to the others.
Either was check very carefully for any pieces that may be left inside the motor.
Hopefully no additional damage.
Good luck.
You can check the lifter by measuring down to the push rod pocket on the lifter and compairing it to the others.
Either was check very carefully for any pieces that may be left inside the motor.
Hopefully no additional damage.
Good luck.
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03-23-2013, 05:34 PM
#8
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my view on missing push rod when a engine sits for a year some valves are open letting moister in a couple cylinders now the problem happens, the valves rust stuck then cam comes up on lift and then pow something has to let go, you can move rocker arm and lightly tap on valve top with brass hammer see if it moves, it may of broke rusted seal on valve already. hope you did not bend a valve, next time it sits spray down the cylinder for long term storage, some people use marvel mystry oil ot wd oil, something to stop rust. you may of damaged springs too...... agree extra buring oil is high vac situation not vent cylinder due to missing push rod
03-23-2013, 06:22 PM
#9
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Years ago when we where going to park a car for an extended period of time we would pull the spark plugs and squirt a little trany fluid in each cylinder. Also do a fresh oil change before parking it just to make sure the is no moisture in the crank case.
Just a couple of thoughts.
Good luck.
Just a couple of thoughts.
Good luck.
03-23-2013, 06:26 PM
#10
Thanks for all the replies guys. I don't think it had a stuck valve just because I did let it run several times that probably totaled about 2 hours of run time hours in the garage before I ever got it back out on the road and it never had a misfire. It ran really smooth.
03-24-2013, 08:14 PM
#13
I went ahead and pulled out the rocker and fished out the pushrod...in two peices. It looks as if though it was broken cleanly in half. There were two pieces of the pushrod still sitting in the lifter tray and I can't find any misc peices of metal floating around. I pulled the oil drain plug and didn't get anything out there either. I looked down inside of the pushrod hole and there was definantly something strange about the lifter so I went ahead and pulled the head. The lifter had somehow wedged itself in the lifter tray and got stuck all the way up in the tray. It's hard to explain but I'll post up some pic's of everything. The cam seems to be fine as there doesn't seem to be any flat spots or abnormal wear marks on it. The cylinder head looks good too aside from a lot of oil resedue all over the valves for number 7 cylinder. The piston top looks good as well and the cylinder wall looks good as well. I guess I'll have to through in some new lifters and pushrods and call it a day. I'm so broke it's not even funny. It will probably be another two months before I can even afford those parts. Here are a few pictures of what I'm working with. I have a picture of the pushrod, the cylinder head, the number 7 combustion chamber, the lifter tray and the lifter. The lifter tray has a small chunk of the plastic missing from where it looks like the lifter tried to spin or something of the such. Also, the lifter has a pretty nice groove in it. Not sure if it's from normal wear or if its from getting stuck but all the lifters I pulled out have the same wear pattern on them. All the input is appreciated guys. Thanks again and keep the ideas coming.
