I was gifted with two used good pushrods from a local source. Your advice
is well taken!

John
On Feb 8, 2015 10:19 AM, "Dennis Haynes" <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:

> If the push rods bent during operation, they are now shorter and there
> should have been some lifter noise or some indication something was not
> right unless the valves were adjusted to compensate. Put the rocker shaft
> in without push rods and use a lever to operate the valves to check for
> free movement. A stuck one will be obvious. If all good then put it back
> together correctly, new adjusting screws and adjust the works properly with
> 1 to 2 turns preload. Do not leave a gap. Put it together, turn the engine
> over a few times with a wrench to make sure all is god and then fire it up.
>
> Dennis
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
> Of John Rodgers
> Sent: Sunday, February 08, 2015 11:00 AM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: 2.1 L push rods
>
> This is a relative moderate mileage engine  - -somewhere around 117,000
> to119,000 miles. But I had overheat issue when someone else drove it. That
> may be when this event occured, no real way to know. At this point I don't
> know what elese to do for it except to put in new pushrods and hope for the
> best. Head removal or engine teardown is out of the question for the
> for-see-able  future.
>
> What would you suggeest?
>
> John
> On Feb 8, 2015 9:15 AM, "Dennis Haynes" <d23haynes57@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Pushrods don’t usually bend from wear or fatigue. On an otherwise well
> > running engine the usual culprit is the valves binding in the guides.
> > On an engine with mileage this is often a result of overheating. When
> > the valves overheat the stems also expand and can jam in the guides.
> > The rods can get bent trying to open a valve or a valve hang open and
> > the rod can fall out of the rocker or lifter socket. Same can also
> > happen from extreme over revving.
> >
> > Dennis
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On
> > Behalf Of John Rodgers
> > Sent: Saturday, February 07, 2015 3:23 PM
> > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> > Subject: 2.1 L push rods
> >
> > Finally got around to fixing my pushrod tube leak. Found there was a 4
> > inch crack in one tube. Upon disassembly and removal of the push rods,
> > I found two of them bent. Probably accounts for the one cracked tube
> > at least. On the passenger side, as seen from the rear of the van,
> > from back to front, it was the 2nd and 4th push rod.
> >
> > The engine has run fine, but for the oil leak. But this has to be fixed.
> > Anyone have  two or four pushrods from a junked 2.1 L that they care
> > to part with? Would be much appreciated. My van is down for the count
> > as it sits.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > John
> >
>