Help!!! Push rod problem on 1940 straight eight 248!!

**Morgan Wright** · 11-15-2015, 01:29 PM

Got a 1940 Buick recently, got it cheap because it sat 30 years and the engine was locked up, but only has 40,000 miles on itbuick5.jpg buick6.jpg.

Today got it unlocked after an overnight soak of Deep Creep and WD-40, but now I can't get 3 of the push rods back in. 13 of them went right in, 3 won't.

Seems as if there was a seat or guide of some sort holding the bottoms of the push rods to the cam shaft, and I must have dislodged 3 of them because they are facing sideways. When I shine a flashlight down in the holes, that's what I see on 2 of them. On the third one, the seat was sideways and now it's gone, it fell into the engine. That one pushrod goes in a little deeper than the other 13 that went in.

How do I straighten out the seat/guide (and get a new one for the one that fell in......maybe it fell all the way to the pan, I hope)

Morgan

**firstofeight** · 11-15-2015, 03:35 PM

As you were informed on the AACA/BCA site, there are lifters or cam followers that sit on the cam. The push rods fit into these. I do not see how they can turn side ways or fall into the pan if the cam is still there. If you are correct, I fear what you will find when you drop the pan. PLEASE keep us in the loop.

My first Buick was a 1940.

Ben

**CNC-Dude** · 11-16-2015, 01:46 PM

You probably have several lifters frozen(stuck or rusted)in their bores that are preventing you from being able to reinstall them. Pull the side cover off and this will allow you to see plenty.

**firstofeight** · 11-16-2015, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by CNC-Dude

You probably have several lifters frozen(stuck or rusted)in their bores that are preventing you from being able to reinstall them. Pull the side cover off and this will allow you to see plenty.

Well, I assumed the side cover is off. If not, I can now see how a lifter might be sideways. If it stuck to the pushrod when it was pulled up and then fell off. If you have not pulle3d the side cover, do so as CNC advised and let us know what you see.

Ben

**Morgan Wright** · 12-11-2015, 01:17 AM

Just to thank the people who told me about taking the side cover off to get access. I did it right after you suggested it and straightened out the lifters, and forgot to thank you.

**LONG** · 12-11-2015, 11:08 AM

Originally Posted by Morgan Wright

Just to thank the people who told me about taking the side cover off to get access. I did it right after you suggested it and straightened out the lifters, and forgot to thank you.

good going