Road Trip

[Chryco Psycho]

Here is my thoughts 1 of 2 things is happening
1] Bad lifters , there are only 2 people making hyd lifters now Johnson & the other , only Johnson are good you may be able to find out what makes use / repackage Johnson lifters .
2] When an engine sits one of the valves will be open , overnight the lifter may collapse which is normal even a good lifter will not hold pressure endlessly , when you start the engine cold the lifter has to pump back up which takes a few seconds allowing the pushrod to drop out . On a recent rebuild we had the same problem but used adjustable rockers & I set the preload close to minimum to prevent the lifter pumping up too much & holding the valve open , we had a few pushrods drop out as I continued to adjust the preload tighter so the pushrods did not have enough room to fall out . This solved the problem .
 My vote is scenerio 2 , as it is not the same pushrod , annoying for sure & I bet you have the factory non adjustable rockers so there is no easy solution . Changing pushrods will not help , just blindly ordering slightly longer pushrods may go beyond the adjsutable range of the lifter & hold the valve open . It really depends how even the valve tip height is , with new hardened exhaust seats they should have the exhaust tip height bang on , if the intake seats were just touched up the valves may have sunk into the heads causing the tip height to be higher with less adjustable clearance in the lifter unless the tips of the valves were carefully machined down to the original height . Were both pushrods that fell out exhaust ? Were hard valve seats installed ?

[AARuFAST]

AARufast.    Some very interesting questions.     No, I do not rev the motor when shutting her down.    When I reach a destination, I generally shut her down relatively quickly.....she may idle for several seconds at the most.   

Do you have suggestions on these practices?

I'm using Joe Gibs Hi Zinc 10-30 synthetic which was "suggested" by my engine builder.    I changed it after the first 3000 miles......and I'm about 2,000 on the new oil.   The oil looks very fresh.....

Thanks for the ideas on places to see...... I was looking this evening and identified a couple of the same ones!

Thanks,
VT Mopar

1) I would not rev it before shutting down, 
2)ChrycoP good points...are the valves noisy rockers noisy? 
 Pushrod compressing lifter when shut down, over time the lifter collapsed, the thin synthetic oil is not pumping up the lifter fast enough when starting up, thus the pushrod slips from under the rocker. At least it has Hi-Zinc.
 I have seen a STP additive for synthetic oil at auto stores or purchase heavier w synthetic oil.   
In higher elevations ( Rocky Mountains ) you will not need higher octane. Thinner air to fuel ratio.........that is why they sell 91 octane. If pinging use a good grade octane booster without cleaners. Hope you had uneventful day.......motor wise...Remember gas stations are far and inbetween out west.

[VTMopar]

Chryco.... thanks.       You are way beyond my knowledge level - so here's a pic of the assembly that I took when the first rod came off.   The first time, it was the 3rd valve from the front (left), the last time it was the 5th one (same side).    So - are those exhaust or intake?

And yes, most definitely they put hardened seats in......

I will forward your (and AARu's comments) to my mechanics.....   They are very frustrated with this situation, as they are terrific guys who take a lot of pride in their work and went the extra mile to get my car ready for me for this road trip.

Thanks again .....  I really appreciate your help and suggestions.   And thanks for the tip on the octane..... I'm at 8000 feet tonight and while she isn't pinging, there is definitely a difference in power!    I drove her long today -- about 600 miles -- and she ran terrific.....  but I'm pooped  

VT Mopar

[VTMopar]

I put in a long day and went from Oklahoma, to Dodge City Kansas to Alamosa, Colorado - about 600 miles.   The car ran great, although I can feel a difference now that I'm up at about 8,000 feet.   I'm hoping to go over the Continental Divide tomorrow at Wolf Creek Pass, but will have to wait to see if the weather will permit it.   If so, I want to head to Durango and then on to Utah and take in some of the National Parks.    If not, then I'll sit things out here until the weather allows the Challenger to move .....   

As a kid, I was a big Western Fan, so just had to drive up to Dodge City.   It wasn't quite what I expected..... I missed Mat, Doc, Festus and Miss Kitti.....  kbut I  had a nice lunch and saw a fat cat......   Otherwise, there are some very large farms up there..... and some huge stockyards in Western Kansas.   

I'm glad to be in Colorado.   How beautiful.    Within an hour, I saw a band of Pronghorns, a nice sized herd of Elk and too darn many Mule deer too close to the road....   Makes me think of getting back into hunting this Fall....

Attached is a pic I took of a historical market in the middle of Oklahoma.    If you take a minute to read it - it's about 2 small boys - age 9 and 5 - who went on a REAL roadtrip!     As I drove on the Sante Fe Trail across the plains (and now into the mountains) - it's just mindboggling to think of how our forefather pioneers did it with horses, oxen and wagons.....   I did 600 miles today, a distance that would have taken them months....   Simply Incredible. 

Peace,
VT Mopar

[VTMopar]

 

Well, my luck ran out today on the road trip with the Challenger.     I was just getting started this morning when it happened again.....this time a push rod was bent.     Luckily, a guy named Ron stopped to see the car as i was pulling the valve cover in a parking lot and he just happened to own a shop with his son.   They had a trailer, so we winched it on and took her over to their shop a short distance away.   After  talking to my mechanic, and with Ron, i decided the smart thing was to get her on a transport back to Vermont.    Clearly, there is something going on fundamental with the rebuild, and i was probably just very fortunate to get as far as i did.  Rather than getting someone else involved......and given what I had invested in the rebuild, it just makes sense.

  I am so fortunate to have had Ron stop by and offer assistance, with his son Chris.      It just so happens that Ron has an all original 69 Hemi Road Runner.   It was just featured in a May issue of a Mopar magazine (forgive me, but I can't remember which one as I had a few things on my mind today!).   Anyway, she is a beauty!    So, I called a transport company and they will pick it up at Ron's, as he graciously offered to store it in his garage, next to his Runner.    Not bad company!

So, within a matter of hours, I rented a car, contracted to get the Challenger  shipped across country, transferred my stuff into the rental, and am now in a small hotel near the NM border.    I left my Challenger with a gentleman that I met only a few hours earlier, but I feel very fortunate.     In addition to finding a fellow Mopar guy, Ron and I are also Vietnam Vets......  His son is also terrific.......So lets just call this destiny.

Thanks to everyone who gave me encouragement and showed an interest by making suggestions about where to go or how to fix the Challenger.    I'm going to finish out this phase of the trip, but probably won't be posting much for updates, as it just isn't the same with a Ford Fusion from Hertz.

One of my late wife's mottos about life that she lived by as she fought the ALS monster was:  " It's not how fast you run, or how high you jump, but how well you bounce. ".    In the scheme of things, this is a very small setback, and I count my blessings.   Who knows, maybe I can resume the trip this fall?

Peace,
VT Mopar

[AARuFAST]

Bummer VT

Smart decision. Hope the transport is reasonable.
 You do not want to grenade the motor.
Be safe on your trip home........watch out for the storms in the central states....

[brads70]

Sorry to hear this!  Enjoy your trip . Safe travels!

[jordan]

Total Bummer!  I was pulling for you the whole way.  I read this thread first every day.  Trade in the rental Ford for a new Challenger, and finish your trip in that.  Still a Challenger!!  Best of luck to you. 

[VTMopar]

Well, Jordan, given the mood I was in at the time, if the rental agency had one, I probably would have sprung for it, no matter the cost.     This little Ford I'm finishing this trip out with needs another rubber band under the hood.       I have to admit, however, I only stopped for gas once all day, and the cruise control, power seat, and lack of wind noise was rather pleasant today.   And, i will probably sleep a bit better without worrying if the car will still be where i parked it the night before......    But, after over 5,000 miles in the Challenger, I would have preferred to finish the trip to CA with her.......

VT Mopar

[spamtank]

Total Bummer!  I was pulling for you the whole way.  I read this thread first every day.  Trade in the rental Ford for a new Challenger, and finish your trip in that.  Still a Challenger!!  Best of luck to you.

Yea, it was kinda like kowalski, you know, getting updates on the radio back in the old days...

Hope you can finish the trip in the fall after you get your motor straightened out.

[dodj]

That's too bad VT, but, like you said, you can finish the trip another time!

[Mopar Thunder]

That's a darn shame VT.  But I agree it is better to send her home and have it figfured out w/o destoying it.  Thanks for posting on your adventure.  I wish you the best and enjoy the rest of your time.

[model maker]

Vt, I am glad you got to get as far as you did as you have met some real friends along the way. That man Ron & his son Chris will sure remember you & maybe, Just maybe, that boy may have been inspired  by YOU to do this someday, you sure did keep me following your road trip. The next time you resume your road trip, if you  decide to drive through Nevada, it would be an honor to meet you sir I am near Reno, Nevada.
BERT
P.S. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

[RusTy/SE]

Doug, would the shop owner be Ronnie Clark from the Aurora area in Colorado, and his son Chris? I just finished the May issue of Musclecar Review and one of the articles was about Ronnie's Bronze Fire Metallic 1969 Hemi Road Runner. Based on the article they certainly seemed to be stand up folks.

I'm glad you were able to experience things new to you and thankful for the time we shared. I know i'm a little old for it but around these cars and people like yourself it's hard for me to act my age and not my shoe size

Possibly it's not a terminal issue regarding the motor and your Challenger will be back on the road in short order. Let us know when you return home and what the issue turns out to have been.

Russ

[VTMopar]

Yes, That is Ron's RR feature.     The magazine gave him a very nice large photo of his car and the article that is hanging in his shop.   Heis justifiably very proud of that car, it is a beauty!      My challenger is still next to it, in his garage, as the transport company is backed up for a few weeks.    I sleep well, however, knowing it is in Ron and Chris's care.......

VT Mopar