Re: 356 timing sprocket damage

Posted by HH56 On 2022/8/20 13:34:29

It really depends on what caused the valves to stick as to whether you can free them without removing the head. Almost any kind of penetrating solution would need to be administered from the top so it could run down the valve guides. With your description and the possibility that stuck valves was the cause of the gear breaking leaving the head on does not seem likely.

Assuming it is something like rust causing the problem -- and rusted and sticking valves was an issue with the 356 even new because of inadequate crankcase ventilation -- you might luck out. Several prewar improvements were made in the oil fill tube and cap venting configuration to improve air flow in attempts to control the rusting and a light rust deposit should free relatively easily. You might be able to loosen springs enough to squirt some penetrating fluid via a tube nozzle up from below but I doubt there is enough room with a lifter still in place to get much access..

Since yours does not seem to have a light stickiness a bigger issue could be due to old gas. Several who managed to start an engine on old stale gas came out to work on a car again after a few days. They tried another start only to find stuck valves. In a couple of cases a valve or two was stuck so badly it took brute force and resulting damaged valves to get the varnish that had deposited on the stems to break free from the guides.