Road Trip

[Chryco Psycho]

Sorry I have been stupid busy working far to long days & not following this as closely  . I feel responsible for not watching this thread as closely as I should have .
 I am sorry you have abandoned the trip with the Chall , I would have made a different decision , I have seen this issue before , I feel you could easily continue to make this trip with your Chall , it is not a major issue . Just so you know the #3 rocker is an intake , #5 is exhaust . 
 I would have tightened the lash on the valves 1/4 turn or maybe 1/2 just to remove the excess play so while sitting  the lifter would not bleed down enough to drop the pushrod out & kept on driving her . worst case you could overnight a new Pushrod from Smith Bros .
I cannot explain why the stock rockers keep the pushrods in place but adjustables can drop them other then the stock rockers preload the lifter a long way as the cup in the rocker arm  is not all that deep . sounds like the engine was running vary well otherwise .
 I doubt your engine shop will find anything wrong at all .
 Can you get back to the Chall still ?
 Stay safe & keep coming with the updates . Enjoy the rest of the ride !!

[VTMopar]

Update.        I made it to my sisters home near San Francisco.     I put over 2100 miles on the Ford, as I hit a number of the national parks in Utah.    We have just a spectacular country.   After I'd visit one of our parks, I twas concerned the next one would be disappointing.  Not so.    I visited the Arches, Monument Valley, Bryce's Canyon, Zion and then went south to the Grand Canyon before heading to Vegas and then to California.    It just so happens that it was National Parks week, so no fees!   

I also stopped and "delivered" a 3 speed wiper motor to a guy outside of Los Angeles who sold one to me a year ago, but when it stopped parking properly, immediately shipped me a replacement no questions asked.    He has an AAR that is a beauty, and working on an E body vert.     I could have shipped the wiper motor, but I really appreciated his "service" and wanted to stop and meet him, as he really stood behind his work.    Another great Mopar Person!

In total, I drove over 8,000 miles and hit 21 states.    Obviously, I wandered quite a bit, because if I had taken a direct route from VT to Fl and then to CA, its about 4,500 miles.     I met some terrific people along the way, some of whom I mentioned here.     I'm now just hanging out and will play a little golf and relax

Chryco, I appreciate your comments but there is no way you bear any responsibility for my decision to leave the challenger.    I have to admit the uncertainty of it all was starting to bug me, especially as I headed into less populated areas and what was certainly more rigorous driving conditions up and down those mountains and across some deserts.   Finally, there is the fact that this was a fairly expensive rebuild, so I think the rebuilder needs to stand behind his work.   

In some ways, it also made my life somewhat easier.   Now I will have the car at home, not 3,000 miles away all summer.....and I wont have to decide how I would have gotten her back from CA (fly from VT and driver her home, or ship her completely across country).    If I choose to, I can start (or resume) the Road Trip from Vermont this summer or fall......   

The transport company says it could be a few weeks before they can pick her up.  I'm guessing the recent Mecum auction in Kansas City and others have something to do with availability.    I'll post a status report on the car as things develop and once they (hopefully) get her fixed.   

 And, if I resume this road trip..... I'll resume this blog if ok with the moderator. 

 I'm heading back home to VT at the end of May, and I believe this trip has been quite therapeutic for me.   I know there will be difficult moments  ahead as I begin my "new" life without my wife.  But the support I received from folks here - and from those people I met on the road - has been very helpful.    Many Thanks to everyone for the support, words of encouragement and fellowship.

VT Mopar

[brads70]

I'm guessing the oil pressure drop was due to a liter getting spit out of it's bore when the pushrod fell out and then bent.  
For circle track racing with a SB Mopar we always bush the lifter bores for just that reason.

[Chryco Psycho]

 
 I bet it is just a simple valve adjustment problem , I had 2 customer cars do exactly the same thing & yes once a pushrod drops out the lifter can jump out of the bore causing the oil pressure drop .
 Enjoy the next month & keep us updated , it is fun to get out & drive a Mopar 8000 miles anytime !!

[VTMopar]

Update.     Well, I'm back in a Mopar, having rented a Charger for my time here in California. 

 I'm touring CA, going through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and yesterday I went through Death Valley, where I had an interesting experience.   As I was driving out in the middle of nowhere, about 4000 feet, I had some classical music on and was watching this storm cloud drop rain ahead of me in the desert.    Very peaceful.......All of a sudden, I was startled by a very loud noise and looked in my rear view mirror expecting a train or semi on my tail.....then "wham" up along my side was an F16, F18 (or whatever...I was in the Army) about a hundred yards to my left and an equal distance from the ground.....    The pilot obviously enjoyed scaring the crapout of me         About 10 minutes later I stopped at a pullout by the rim of a canyon that "feeds" down into the floor of Death Valley..... Was just getting my camera turned on and "wham" the dude comes screaming down that canyon.....again only a hundred yards or so away, eye level.....  He roars down the canyon and then goes straight up from the floor of the Valley (he must have been pulling some major G's).    Didn't see him again, and I think the Navy's testing grounds are near Death Valley, which is very cool as I got to a couple hundred feet Below sea level.   Overall, its a very desolate place......

I tried to get over to Yosemite today, but the higher passes got some snow, so I decided to head north to Lake Tahoe instead.    Beautiful country up here, still snow in the high country.  California sure has a bounty of different things to see....you go from the coastal areas (Big Sur was terrific), all the  farms in the valleys, the cattle country in the foothills, and then to the Sierra Mountains which are quite spectacular

So, I  will finish my wanderings this week up in Oregon and then take the coastal route down to San Francisco next week.   I then will play a little golf and then drive my sister to Nashville for a family wedding towards the end of the month.   After that, I fly home.   

 My Challenger was picked up in Colorado last week and is sitting in Michigan, awaiting final transport to Vermont.    Hopefully, it will get there next week and I will have an update about the motor problem before I get home.   I hope Chryco is correct and it is a simple valve issue......

So, I will be on the sidelines until I can report the final assessment of my motor.    Until then.......

Peace
Vt Mopar

[Mopar Thunder]

Wow that must have been some experience not expecting it. My cousin flies F-16's and I have seen him do somethings like that, very cool.

[spamtank]

Update.     Well, I'm back in a Mopar, having rented a Charger for my time here in California. 

 I'm touring CA, going through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and yesterday I went through Death Valley, where I had an interesting experience.   As I was driving out in the middle of nowhere, about 4000 feet,

Well, imagine the pilot's surprise when he found you cruising at 4000 feet.   

That must have been awesome to see him making those passes. 

I'm happy to hear that you are seeing so many interesting sights and places.

Hope by the time you get home your motor is fixed and you get get back out and enjoy her some more.

Take care.

[GranCuda1970]

When humping the rolling terrain in Camp Pendleton outside of Edson range we had a F-18 Hornet pilot screaming over us at that distance at one time he was low enough to see the painted helmet he was wearing. Those things have tricky exhausting noise for ground troops you will hear it screaming in and look in the direction of the sound but it is actually coming in 180 degrees from where you hear it, may have been the rolling terrain messing with us. I think he was simulating taking out a chopper cause when we crested the next ridge out of a saddle a Sea Cobra was hovering in front of us boy they are quiet when they are low and protected by terrain. Ft Irwin is a National training center out there and most unit will train there before deploying to the middle east.

[GranCuda1970]

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/05/08/stunning-video-lets-you-pretend-youre-riding-along-in-an-f-16-with-the-flying-fiends/

[MizzouRT]

It is hard to put into words what I would like to say.  So thanks for posting about your adventures.  5,000 miles in your Challenger is impressive.  I admire your attitude despite difficult family situation.  I found this thread inspiring and uplifting.  Best wishes and good luck.

P.S.  I look forward to your next trip once those rockers are adjusted and those pesky pushrods stay in place! 

[brads70]

   Any updates on your engine troubles? Are you still on the road?

[VTMopar]

Greetings       Yes, I made it back home a day or so ago.    I'm still catching up on a lot of things around the house.   I had my mail forwarded, etc. -- but still have a lot of details to attend to since I ignored them for a few months       As to the car, well interestingly it arrived the same day.   It was picked up in Colorado a month ago, but sat in their storage facility in Michigan for the past 3 weeks or so as they awaited a load going my way to New England.    I'm ok with that as when I originally contacted them they said it might take 4 to 5 weeks.....     

My mechanics are going to check out the issues with the push rods later this week. 

Unfortunately, I have another issue that has cropped up.    The driver of the van who delivered the challenger started her up (despite strict instructions not to) and drove it off the van.   With the collapsed lifter, the motor had no oil pressure.   We're not sure how long it ran or if this caused any damage to the internals of the motor (which are all brand new!).   Obviously, I don't want to have an issue pop up later that can be tied to this "event" - and I'm in conversations with the shipper re: a strategy to determine the extent of any damage.    So - the sage continues.....     I'll keep you updated.   

It does feel good to be home after 15,000 miles, 32 states and nearly 3 months on the road       

Peace,
Vt Mopar

[Chryco Psycho]

Ugg , we should have put the lifter back in with a magnet , hammered the bent pushrod straight & reset the lash so it would have been "safe" to start it at least , now the pan should come off the check the brgs etc .

[brads70]

Ugg , we should have put the lifter back in with a magnet , hammered the bent pushrod straight & reset the lash so it would have been "safe" to start it at least , now the pan should come off the check the brgs etc .

  bummer! I hope it's OK? 

[VTMopar]

Chryco:    I disconnected the battery before I left;  and I specified on the shipping instructions the car was not running and should not be started (which was written in bold across the paperwork);  and it was winched on the van when loaded in Colorado.    I'm not sure how much more could have been done to avoid this!     It's very unfortunate, the driver on the delivery simply didn't pay attention.   I've been told that it was not driven onto the Van from the warehouse and I don't know if the driver was present when this was done.....   Anyway - he should look at his paperwork and the disconnected battery should have been a signal!   Nonetheless -- it is a shame as we will probably have to pull the motor to really see if anything is damaged.   

VT Mopar