254 stuck valve

Unknown
Unknown
edited November -1 in HUDSON
started up the 254 today and all runs well except for a small miss and a lifter tick .any ideas on how i can possibly unstick this valve without removing the head?any help will be appreaciated.

mike

Comments

  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    Mike, first of all find which cylinder is missing, by shorting out each plug in turn. It is usually an exhaust valve which is stuck, so when you find which cylinder, remove that plug and the valve is right underneath. Tap it down and see what happens, It may be that you need to mix up a can full of 50/50 gasoline and kerosene. Remove the air cleaner, start the motro, rev it up and pour the mix down the carburettor throat, heavy enough so that the engine almost stalls. There will be great clouds of smoke, but the mix will get sprayed on to the valve stems, which should be enough to loosen the offending valve if it is still stuck. Good luck,

    geoff.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    There's someone I know who swears by putting a few ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in the tank with every fill-up. Any comments?
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    For sticky valves I have always used a gas ATF mix down the carb seems to work fine of course we can't readily put our hands on kerosene anymore.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    51hornetA wrote:
    For sticky valves I have always used a gas ATF mix down the carb seems to work fine of course we can't readily put our hands on kerosene anymore.



    Why no Kerosene for you? We have plenty here.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    thanks all for your help, i will try this and see how it works out . thanks again

    mike
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    I think I got my last jug of kerosene at Can. Tire. I know it wasn't hard to find.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Wal-mart (at least here) has K-1 kerosne in the heater aisle. They have/had 1 gallon bottles. I used it to flush the clutch. K-2 is available at all the local gas stations.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Maybe we should be like old bootleggers and instead of running moonshine to Canada in our Hudsons, we can deliver kerosene.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Dave53-7C wrote:
    There's someone I know who swears by putting a few ounces of Marvel Mystery Oil in the tank with every fill-up. Any comments?



    That's an interesting topic, and one that I have looked into before- a look at the MSDS on Marvel reveals that it is mostly kerosene and light oil. Maybe we should be using it in our clutches, lol? I learned the mechanic trade from an older aviation mechanic, and he swore by it in everything. We would always replace one quart of crankcase oil with MMO. Several folks in the know in the vintage aircraft association I belong to use it in the fuel tanks for upper valvetrain lubrication. It is a great penetrating oil, and great for air tools. I don't use it in oil that often anymore because it's so thin, but do use it in my '29 Hudson fuel tank, 4 ounces per 10 gallons, and while I don't know that it helps that much, it certainly doesn't hurt. When I build engines I have it in a spray bottle and spray the insides of the engine to prevent rust. It was developed by the Marvel carburetor company to be used with their carburetors (Incidentally found on early Hudsons).



    I drowned a Model A in it years ago (the engine anyway) that had chronic sticking valves, and it freed it up rather well. I poured quite a bit in both the gas tank and the oil pan.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Yeah there are some places you can get kerosene up here but its a different blend from the old stuff you used to get. As may be the case in the US service stations are going the way of the dodo bird. We have gas bars run by big box stores. In the good old days(sigh) you could go to you neighbourhood service station get kerosene and varsol(part cleaner up here) and be good to go. You could even drop off the car for an oil change. These places are few and far between and lets face it who can work on the new cars. I open the hood on mine and can't figure where the engine is.

    Just not easy to get stuff anymore have to drive all over the place. A sad lament but lucky for me I have my own Hudson service department in my garage....LOL I still give good service and sometimes I run promotions and give away free cups.....
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    Have you tried the local aero club, for aviation kerosene (jet fuel)? This is great stuff, the equivalent of the old "Power kerosene" once used in tractors and stationary engines. Has more lubricant in it than the rubbish lighting kerosene you buy at the hardware stores. My son has a mate tests all the local aircraft, and drains a litre out of each tank for testing. Guess who gets the occasional 4 gallon tin of this???

    Geoff.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    51hornetA wrote:
    ... I open the hood on mine and can't figure where the engine is.



    Just not easy to get stuff anymore have to drive all over the place. A sad lament but lucky for me I have my own Hudson service department in my garage....LOL I still give good service and sometimes I run promotions and give away free cups.....



    Maybe you were looking in the trunk! :D



    Can you clarify what sort of free "cups" you're giving away? :rolleyes:
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Could be Dave, could be I wondered why the spare was under the hood :D

    Plastic cups that I have crudely drawn stepdowns on and call them Hudson collectibles. 2 free with every service.....
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    51hornetA wrote:
    Could be Dave, could be I wondered why the spare was under the hood :D



    Plastic cups that I have crudely drawn stepdowns on and call them Hudson collectibles. 2 free with every service.....



    You wondered why the spare was under the hood and why the headlights were red. :D I know what you mean about looking under the hood these days. No more emphysis on an engine that you can work on, just a big ugly engine cover hiding things that can't be repaired.



    Before you achieve artist status, maybe I should grab a few of those collectible cups!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Geoff C., N.Z. wrote:
    Have you tried the local aero club, for aviation kerosene (jet fuel)? This is great stuff, the equivalent of the old "Power kerosene" once used in tractors and stationary engines.



    Good point here, if you hunt around you'll find smaller airports in your area, call the FBO (Fixed Base Operator), aviation greek for the office that runs the place, and ask if you can come and fill up a five gallon jug with JET-A. Tell them you're doing a science project... or using it to wash parts... or better yet, making up clutch fluid for your Hudson. That should get some weird responses. Costs about the same as unleaded gas.



    There's a reason us flyboys refer to jets as "Kerosene Heaters".
  • Uncle Josh
    Uncle Josh Senior Contributor
    Aha, I'm not the only one who's been thinking of using MMO in the clutch. The 47 truck is gonna get a shot of it this week.
  • hudsonguy
    hudsonguy Senior Contributor
    Geoff C., N.Z. wrote:
    Mike, first of all find which cylinder is missing, by shorting out each plug in turn. It is usually an exhaust valve which is stuck, so when you find which cylinder, remove that plug and the valve is right underneath. Tap it down and see what happens, It may be that you need to mix up a can full of 50/50 gasoline and kerosene. Remove the air cleaner, start the motro, rev it up and pour the mix down the carburettor throat, heavy enough so that the engine almost stalls. There will be great clouds of smoke, but the mix will get sprayed on to the valve stems, which should be enough to loosen the offending valve if it is still stuck. Good luck,

    geoff.



    Geoff,



    Excuse my ignorance of Hudson 8 engines, since I only have experience with the big sixes, but isn't the spark plug in a flathead usually located above the intake valve, rather than the exhaust valve? Something about cooling the plug, rather than melting it comes to mind, as a reason for this design.



    Thanks,

    Doug
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    No, the plug is usually over the exhaust valve. It was over the inlet valve in the Essex up until the 1928 models, and then switched to the over the exhaust in 1929, where it stayed. I believe this was to allow the incoming gas to better cool the plug electrode, as if it is directly over the top of the inlet valve there is no direct flow on to it, being shielded by the head of the open valve.

    Geoff.
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User]
    Geoff C., N.Z. wrote:
    No, the plug is usually over the exhaust valve. It was over the inlet valve in the Essex up until the 1928 models, and then switched to the over the exhaust in 1929, where it stayed. I believe this was to allow the incoming gas to better cool the plug electrode, as if it is directly over the top of the inlet valve there is no direct flow on to it, being shielded by the head of the open valve.

    Geoff.



    Great info to learn. Is this engine history available in book form? I like reading books on design history.
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