Looking for valve adjustment tool

[sruddy]

I let my car sat too long and I can't get it started.  I'm having compression issues with two cylinders. I haven't done a wet test yet but think there is valve damage. They all look like they are moving ok but I guess I have to measure them to know if they are moving correctly. If the adjustment is correct I assume that means the seats are rusted. I'm working on a Lincoln Mark III and the service manual gives two methods to adjust. One just has you tighten the rocker arm nut 1 turn after rocker arm clearance is eliminated. The other uses a feeler gauge and that's were I need the tool to bleed down the lifters. If the first method is fine I guess I'll use it for now.

Edited August 18, 2021 by sruddy (see edit history)

[Str8-8-Dave]

What testing have you done that leads you to believe there is a compression issue with 2 cylinders?  Even if that were true that should not prevent the 460 4v from starting. I would say unless you have already changed the rocker arm adjustment the worst case scenario would be having the hydraulic lifters collapse from sitting in which case they would rattle for a moment then pump back up with no change to valve clearance.  The no start is more likely fuel or spark.  To test for a fuel problem take the lid off the air cleaner and using a pump oil can give the two front barrels of the carburetor 1 good shot of fuel and reinstall the air cleaner cover.  If the car fires and dies it's probably bad fuel.  If it won't even fire it's likely spark.  That car uses a Ford Thick Film Ignition module mounted in the distributor body and they are known to fail.  I would also look carefully at rotor and cap.  

 

 Cars left sitting for long periods with unleaded fuel with ethanol it are sitting ducks for total fuel breakdown via phase separation in which case your fuel lines may be full of brown goo.   Once you get the car actually running if it is missing you can isolate the bad cylinder(s) by pulling 1 plug wire off the plug at a time and putting it back on or by using a grounded needle probe.  If the pulling the wire or shorting it results in a drop in RPM that cylinder is running.  No change in engine speed means a dead cylinder.  That could be a bad wire, a fouled plug or possibly valve leakage.  

[misterc9]

What year is this? Does it have points?  Even with two bad cylinders it should still start or at least backfire or shoot flames.  As mentioned above it's probably a spark or fuel problem that affects all the cylinders.

[sruddy]

13 hours ago, Str8-8-Dave said:

What testing have you done that leads you to believe there is a compression issue with 2 cylinders?  Even if that were true that should not prevent the 460 4v from starting. I would say unless you have already changed the rocker arm adjustment the worst case scenario would be having the hydraulic lifters collapse from sitting in which case they would rattle for a moment then pump back up with no change to valve clearance.  The no start is more likely fuel or spark.  To test for a fuel problem take the lid off the air cleaner and using a pump oil can give the two front barrels of the carburetor 1 good shot of fuel and reinstall the air cleaner cover.  If the car fires and dies it's probably bad fuel.  If it won't even fire it's likely spark.  That car uses a Ford Thick Film Ignition module mounted in the distributor body and they are known to fail.  I would also look carefully at rotor and cap.  

 

 Cars left sitting for long periods with unleaded fuel with ethanol it are sitting ducks for total fuel breakdown via phase separation in which case your fuel lines may be full of brown goo.   Once you get the car actually running if it is missing you can isolate the bad cylinder(s) by pulling 1 plug wire off the plug at a time and putting it back on or by using a grounded needle probe.  If the pulling the wire or shorting it results in a drop in RPM that cylinder is running.  No change in engine speed means a dead cylinder.  That could be a bad wire, a fouled plug or possibly valve leakage.  

I did a compression test. Here are the results.

1. = 155
2. = 90
3. = 160
4. = 85-100
5. = 170
6. = 155
7. = 160
8. = 155

I then put a tablespoon of oil in #2 and 4 and got these results. 2=155, 4=190

This is good news as I would like to get it started before digging into the engine. I have tried pouring gas into the carb. It will backfire out of the carb and when I tried to advance the spark a bit it blew up one of my mufflers. My gut is telling me it's a carburetor issue. The carb was totally frozen. During the long soaking involved to free it up I found another carb at the local auto wreckers. It looked better so I used most of the parts from the new carb but used the bowl from the original. The reason I did that is the new carb was very sludgy in the bowl, and I wasn't confident I got all the passages clean.The new carb turns out to be a 1973 and my car is a 1970. There were differences that I tried to keep the original set up which had larger jets and had different looking tubes, the ones with the holes in them. The other difference is I had a thick flange  gasket between the carb and spacer now I only have a paper one. So I'm contemplating removing the carb, switching the bowls, and jets back to how the new carb was set up and use a thick gasket which I just recieved. It could be timing but I didn't change that from last time I started it. I did replace the cap, rotor, points, wires, plugs and coil. I'm getting spark. Even though I just installed new points I did just order a petronic electronic ignition for an upgrade. I also emptied the gas tank, flushed the lines with new fuel and added a new fuel filter.

12 hours ago, misterc9 said:

What year is this? Does it have points?  Even with two bad cylinders it should still start or at least backfire or shoot flames.  As mentioned above it's probably a spark or fuel problem that affects all the cylinders.

1969 Lincoln Mark III, with 1970 460 engine This is good news, I have given more info in a reply to Dave above, maybe you can check it out.

Edited August 19, 2021 by sruddy (see edit history)

[ejboyd5]

If you blindly keep on changing components you'll never get to the root of your problem. The compression as tested will certainly allow it to start and run. Air supply is probably good, so that leaves spark and fuel.  With a non-running engine, spark is easiest to check, so first verify that you have a good spark occurring at the proper time relative to engine rotation. When this is done, some fuel added through the carburetor should provide a short run time to allow diagnosis of the fuel delivery system. Only one system at a time or you'll always be chasing your own tail.

[sruddy]

1 hour ago, ejboyd5 said:

If you blindly keep on changing components you'll never get to the root of your problem. The compression as tested will certainly allow it to start and run. Air supply is probably good, so that leaves spark and fuel.  With a non-running engine, spark is easiest to check, so first verify that you have a good spark occurring at the proper time relative to engine rotation. When this is done, some fuel added through the carburetor should provide a short run time to allow diagnosis of the fuel delivery system. Only one system at a time or you'll always be chasing your own tail.

So far I have only replaced parts that needed to be replaced. I decided after purchasing the point set that electronic ignition would be a better way to go hence the purchase of the kit. How much gas into the carb for a short run time? Before I do that I'll make sure I'm getting spark at 10 degrees on number one cylinder. The last time I tried gas in the carb I blew up a muffler. 😞