Lost the tip of a intake valve

What would ahave been the cause of this 3 weeks ago I was parking the super at work when it started to skip.

That evening when I went out to ajust a lose rocker. the tip of # 1 intake was laying near the push rod tube in the valve cover.

I have never seen a valve break flush with the top of the keepers grove like this before. I simply backed out the ajuster and put the nut on the back side and spun it back in and locked it down and drove it home and them to th shop yeaterday. RAN FINE!
Yesterday evening we pulled the engine and today took it down and replaced ,re ground a new valve and re installed the head thats as far as we could get before the end of the day. Due to interuptins.
This is the new milage moter I had so much trouble with before .

We are thinking about installing a zipper in the car for this yo yo motor.

But realy have any of you ever seen a valve fracture in the keeper groves like this ? and the heads are Auto linea

Oh FYI the rocker geometry was way off in the beginnig we corrected it as best we could with new push rods cut longer by the added jug shims over stock that should have put it close the only thing lef would be to shim the rocker and make new push rods again even longer we did have a adustable push rod to set it up by.

My brother said to recheck the geomerty. but the rockers are setting in stock angles to the heads. just like a stock engine

What did I miss?

Barry, Your engine probably does need to have the rocker shaft stands shimmed. The geometry most likely went south with the jug spacers. Even changing a cam shaft can possibly cause geometry problems....

Your builder should be able to give you a rundown on how to check this out and repair it...I don't think there will be a change large enough to warrant new push rods....

Good Luck.....

Oh Barry, you have given me a not so pleasant flash-back. A little off point, and nothing you can use here, but the inverted adjuster story recalls for me my first Coupe, a '56 A, 1600 Normal, I bought for $600.00 in 1966. While it ran (poorly) when I bought it, it just barely made it another 500 mi. Many things were not right, and as my education began, and I went to adjust the valves, thinking that might help, I found a couple of the adjusters turned backwards, like you say. WTF?? was my reaction. There was a LOT wrong w/ this car, and it was very soon therafter that I was down to rebuilding the engine from scratch. The reason for the valve train "mods" was rather obvious, actually: eaten up cam lobe and lifters. Why that might have happend, I will never know. My $600 car was a "bargain" no longer. Hired a guy to do the work, and while he took a while, we worked together to do it right. It went back as a stock 1600, and ran like a top for many years.

He called this morning and told me the numbers on the springs came up heavy dudy race springs

I told him to take them OUT. I called back this afternoon he said that 6 of the 8 springs were bowed. This stuff was new parts

Looking back.. The geometry was even worse when the motor first came in back in September. We improved it a heck of a lot with what we did But I agree it may have to have a shim under the standoffs of the rockers. I wont have time to go near it this week It will have to be the week after, were overhauling this week at work.

Found the problem!! One of the rocker assemblyes had the shims in wrong. Number one intake was way off. and this guy put 125 to 1 rockers on this engine. My build specs Called for 1 to 1 even the cam recemends it we discovered that quite by accident. But Im glad we did or I'd be splitting it again to replace a cam.

I will Never have any use for Strickly Foreigh, any more . NEVER!!

Also we refined the rocker geometry to match stock exzackly. and did allow for the extra cam lift of the 2180 cheater cam.

Here's to happier days, and infinite road trips...

Ok took it out this evening and it sounded and ran pretty good .

HOWEVER I have resevations about the aftermarket Dizzy its has a unstable dwell curve that looks like it going bad and its barely got 1,000 miles on it.

what in your opinion would be a good replacement but with a adjusable curve I want it to have a 38 degree range from 6 degrees before to 31 dedrees advanced,

Day 2 I drove it to and from work ..We also lowered thw compress a schose while we had it down ..
This is a very cold natured engine now. I need some heat rizers to warm the air into the carbs.. Monday was cool damp and very foggy.

It spit, popped and farted for a about 50 seconds took 3 atempt before it straighned out, and still you could tell it was very hesatent to go,

I took it easy about 1/2 a mile and It was fine after that but you could tell it did NOT like the damp weather. I closed the chokes a bit this evening I'll let you know how the rain tommorow afects it.

Im expecting it to bauk in the morning. I told you guys, NC weather is not kind to a bug engine. heres the proof.

You are 100% right Barry; a very knowledgeable friend of mine who builds motors & trannies and does all sorts of headwork & machine work told me that these motors are very sensitive to environmental conditions; a far cry from today's computerized EFI technology.

It did better. But its still not where I like it. I already got my mind working on a design for a pair of air filter cases for my solex / brosols I trie a pair of 40hp cases but they are just to big to fit . It didn't baulk and the power is down some because of the dampness . Im debating on a dizzy up grade but right now Im counting pennys. I see trouble ahead at work And I need to squirel back as much as I can.

Ricardo. Im a firm beleiver in carberation if tuned correct it can give EFi a run for the money. and I beleive i have hurt my milage when I added the protronics. so I have work to do ,to get that back

When warm it idles very steady you can hear it count them out because of the 74 stroke.You at first would think it was a EFI. But cold there is no dou't.

I ran the dizzy up while i had a tack and timming light on it I set the max dwell at 31. Closed the chokes a schose more .

It made her a happy camper. SOOO much better now

But it idles at 1.100 That confirms it iIhave to find a differnt dizzy with at least 36 degrees of dwell and a very steep curve.

Not a off the shelf toy for sure..

Its doning pretty good for now I rarley set at idle very long any way.I ussalsy shut it down as soom as i park it.

But starts on the first bump and idled like it had injectin . Much much better.

First off, the distributor doesn't control the dwell, that is determined by the gap of the points. A lot of knowledgable people that still have points usually set the dwell angle at 50 degree's plus or minus 2 degree's


If you meant to say timing then with today's low octane gas, you want your timing to not exceed 28 degree's at full advance. If it goes higher, you run the risk of detonation.

I usually run the engine up to 3,500 RPM's and set the timing at full advance (28 degree's BTDC) and lock the distributor. I don't worry about the timing at idle, only the total advance of the distributor.

I re checked it today It just shy of 30 . And the protronics are non adjustable. as far as i can tell?

If you have a Pertronix point eliminator then the dwell is non-adjustable. It's already set to allow maximum charge/discharge of the coil.

All you have to deal with is the ignition timing as stated above.

As i supected thank you Larry, The Hot vw Mileavge engine was bigger than mine 1745 76 str. same bore 8.25 to 1 compression mine is only 7 to 1 but the I tried to use their timming set up timed at 10 BTDC at idle, and advance max of 31 at 3,000 . I can tell you as fact it dose not spark knonk at all But it will try to desil when you shut it down hot

I need to lower the idle dwell. and I want it to jump to at least 20 degrees at 1,500 rpms AND idle at least at 6 BTDC but 10 degrees BTDC is what was done on the Milage motor.

I need more dwell 38 degress total Who has a dizzy set up for this?

May be i should be useing the word ADVANCED for timing.

WE helped it Now 38.5 mpg But it still Idlies to hi for my likeing. and will grummble when you shut it down hot.

BUT,I have heard NO pinging upon exceleration or cruise speed. and its plenty peepy

Caution Barry.....If it tries to keep running after shut down, double check your timing, fuel air ratio, and make sure your idle circuit cutoff solenoids are working properly, if used on the single barrel carbs......Happy trails...

Has to be either timing or the gas octane since his compression ratio is low.

The solex brosol dont and cant be fitted with solenoids.

ITs the timming to get the hi side at 30on 3,000. I had to have the idle reading at 5 after TDC thats why it idles high.

A new dizzy is on its way with a longer curve setup It will go in as soon as it gets here.

As long as I let her coast the last mile before getting to work or home to let the head temps drop a schose,It dose fine when i shut it down. I am keeping a sharp ear on it.

With the timming set on the low side it idle fine but hs laggy powr and poor economy. So I HAVE to have a 37 degree curve in the dizzy.

We did check the cam with a dial setup the last time we had it down its right It just a odd cam setup. that has to have more curve to work well.

The new dizzy can be curved up to 60 degrees so t was a good pick It came with stops for different curves setups and now the car idles nicely and had very decent pep.