picture of a part I broke on my 2.8L and pictures of an older 2.8L manifold

[4x4prepper]

I took off my valve cover hoping the reseal would stop a leak and found a broken wave washer sitting on the head, never had that happen before. It looks like the pedestal has moved, it appears the washer/spacer folds around the cotter pin and provides tension is the pedestal does not turn and move back and forth. Here is a picture of one for a FE 390. Since I can not find out the part number, I have no way of trying to find NOS or a replacement.

Someone asked how did I block the EGR hole, I guess I just bolted a piece of scrap metal over the hole.

Here is a picture of a 1974/1975 intake manifold on a 2.8L I rebuilt, for reference.

In the carb picture you can see a port blocked off by the accel pump. After reading the posts about the power valve port I decided to test it just to make sure it was not a power valve port because I thought it was internal on this carb. So, at idle it makes 0 and when you hit the throttle it pulls about 10 Hg. So, it is the emissions port to pull from the charcoal canister as far as I can tell. I hooked it up to manifold vacuum and went for a quick spin. The B2 drove better. I think with however the internals are set up in the carb, if that port does not pull air in, it upsets the metering by having it blocked off. I need to tow my trailer under load up hill to be sure it just was not my imagination that it felt like more power. Maybe with just a fuel filter attached to the port and see how it does.

 

[Uncle Gump]

The broken spring washer for your rocker shaft.

While I don't have a part number... a trick we use to do with VW rocker shafts was to use valve spring shims. Being that rocker arm is between fixed points (roll pin and rocker shaft stand) adding shims to take out the free play will work to keep the rocker aligned over the valve tip. Don't shim it tight... leave 0.002 -0.003 "free float". Finding valve spring shims should be easy enough if you know the shaft diameter.

 

[AndyB.]

Also, it should be a split roll pin, not a cotter pin.

 

[JoshT]

Also, it should be a split roll pin, not a cotter pin.

That cotter pin you're seeing is on the FE rocker shaft that he posted for reference. Those do use a cotter pin instead of a split/roll pin.

4x4prepper, if you haven't found a solution or a replacement with the P/N that Andy provided, I'll check around here this weekend and see if I have an old 2.8L Rocker assembly. I imagine that the 2.9L and 4.0L would use that same spring washer, so probably still available new. Given the choice I'd rather use a new one, but in case you can't find one let me know. If I do and can get it apart I'll be happy to send you that spring off one of them. I think might have some 4.0L parts laying around at dad's house too, but it'd take me a bit longer to get to it.

 

[4x4prepper]

Thank you every one, I was planning on taking it for a 100 mile trip, so, I might see what NAPA has tomorrow.

I did drive it about three miles yesterday with the emissions port hooked up to manifold, it does drive better and does not have spark knock at higher revs. I am going to find a charcoal canister and hook up the fuel bowl vent and emissions port to it, and see how it does. I now think blocking off the ports is a mistake on the 2150.

The reason I had the valve cover off was to fix an oil leak I could not find, it seems I have fixed it. It seemed to me the valve cover lip might be bottoming out against the ground connection on the rear of the driver's side head. So, I removed the valve cover and bend the washer/connector backwards with channel locks. Then reattached the valve cover, I think that solved it. I need to park over some clean cardboard to be sure.

 

[JoshT]

I didn't get a chance to check today, but I'll make a note to see what I can find tomorrow.

 

[4x4prepper]

Thank you for the kind offer and the various advice. I needed to use the B2 to pick up some stuff from various auctions and it was either use the B2 or rent a U-Haul van for $170.00, so, I punted.

Taking the advice here, I made a spacer that just barely clears the pedestal. Someone mentioned cotter pins, well, the rear only has a single cotter pin, no washer, or anything else, as pictured.

So, I took a round metal slug left over from making front radiator mounts from plate steel, I think it was 11 gauge, that was roughly 1.25 inches diameter, then I used the original pilot hole for the hole saw, to use anotehr hole saw to make the washer. It looks oblong because it was not totally on center. Then I filed it down a bit (grind) so it barely cleared from rubbing the pedestal and cotter pin, small enough diameter to clear the oil baffle.

The original cotter pin was placed so if the legs broke off, the cotter pin would fall into the engine, I reversed it.

I found one of my oil leaks for which I have been searching over a year, by accident when the dipstick exited the tube. I guess at the bend, from the dipstick constantly hitting the tube when checking the oil, it wore a hole through the tube. Finally the hole was big enough that the stick exited the tube and hit the outside of the block. The rip was about 1.5" long and obviously about 1/4" wide.

Even though the engine has good compression, there is a bit of oscillation on the vacuum gauge, and I have taken the dip stick tube as a sign I need to get my rebuilt engine into the vehicle ASAP along with the 4.0L clutch upgrade. I probably will not rebuild this one unless I go new cam, lifters, intake, timing gears, etc.