Can I guess that by "nowhere left to go" you screwed
out the valve adjusters until the tops of the rocker
arms wouldn't go any father in?

If that's the case, then you'll note how far OUT the
bottoms of said rocker arms will stick out. When those
arms stick out, that creates quite a bit of wiggle
room for the pushrods. Remember how hard it was to
properly seat a pushrod into both the lifter and the
rocker arm at the same time? Remember how easy it is
for a pushrod to pop out of the dimple in the lifter?

That's probably what happened. Your valves were
adjusted all the way in, hence the poor running, and
then there was so much slack that the pushrods popped
out, stalling out the engine.

If my guess is correct, then I'd recommend
reinstalling the pushrods *carefully* back in place,
then properly adjusting the valves in accordance with
the year of your engine. That's right...Type IVs get
swapped out so many times that, for all you know, you
might have a '72 1700cc pancake built out to 2000cc in
the back of your '83 Vanagon. Check the serial number
on the case against the Muir book to find out the year
of your engine and then find out what your valve lash
spec is, then tweak away.

If I'm completely wrong, then never mind me...

Hope this helps!

Sam

--- zolo <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET> wrote:
> This is an aircooled, two liter engine.  I changed
> the heads on it and reassembled the whole thing.
> After that it just would not run well and later not
> at all.  Checked compression and found none.
> Adjusted valves again and again until there was
> nothing to adjust anymore.  Then there was
> compression but not very good.
> I was wondering if the valve lifters got pumped up
> and could not release to spring pressure at all.  Of
> am I assuming wrong.
> Any of you have a clue?
> Zoltan

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