[Dick Boneske]

I have a '77 Bonneville Coupe with a 400 cu. in. Pontiac Motor. The car has only 65,000 miles on it and the body is mostly rust-free--a really sharp black/black/black Broughm.

The problem is that the engine runs on seven cylinders and is very rough running. Today, I took the rocker covers off to see what the problem was--plugs/wires,etc. were all OK. The woman's son who I bought the car from must have over-revved the engine as I found the #4 intake rocker arm crosswise off the valve and pushrod. Nothing is broken, so I loosened the rocker arm and put it in place. There was still lash after tightening the rocker nut, so I removed it and looked through the pushrod hole at the lifter. You guessed it, the rocker seat is out of the lifter. The retainer must have broken when the valves were floated by over-revving.

Question is this: Will a pushrod seat fit through the pushrod hole so I can avoid removing the intake. I would glue the seat to the pushrod and carefully insert it into the lifter from the top. The retainer is only needed when valve lifters pump up from over-revving.

Has anyone tried this??

[Dick Boneske]

No responses yet, so I pulled the engine apart--needed a new timing chain anyhow at 65,000 miles. I had a '76 motor in storage with a lot of miles--165,000, so I robbed a lifter from it and will use just the pushrod seat and metering disc from it in the lifter in my '77. What a bummer!! The bolt that goes through the timing cover to the intake manifold (compresses the rubber seal) broke with very little wrench pressure. Now, I need to drill the old bolt out and tap a new 5/16" hole for it. Does anyone make a valley cover gasket for Pontiacs yet, or is the procedure still to use RTV gasket maker?

[BVR421]

" Does anyone make a valley cover gasket for Pontiacs yet"

_YET_??? thats a remarkable question, there has never been a problem getting pushrod cover gaskets
first time I ever heard of a cover bolt breaking upon removal. Ordinary bolt from ACE hardware will replace just make sure the new bolt is the same length and no more. GoodLuck

[Dick Boneske]

There was a period of time in the 80's & '90's when there was no valley cover gasket sold for Pontiac V8's. GM said to use RTV gasket maker, instead. I was curious whether others had the same experience. The valley cover, especially on '66 and older engines, is always a challenge to get a good seal with the gasket. Maybe RTV isn't so bad after all instead of a gasket.

The bolt that broke is the long horizontal 5/16' bolt that attaches the timing cover to intake manifold where the round water seal is located. I'm not concerned with finding a bolt, but drilling out the old one. Thank God it's easy to access.

[Dick Boneske]

This car was parked for about seven years, and it seems that everything is failing. Immediately after being started for the first time, the carb kept running out of gas. The fuel filter on the carb was plugged from debris in the gas tank. I replaced the filter and still the pump would not keep up. I replaced it with a new one. Then, the water pump seal started leaking. A new water pump fixed that. Then, the new fuel pump failed again. All the belts stretched when tightened and now squeel and need to be replaced. The first time I tried to move the car, the front steel brake line under the engine broke and was replaced, brakes bled. Then, the right rear brake line broke--replaced all of them and rear brake cylinders and bled system again.

I don't plan to take any long trips--beyond walking distance--until this car gets a little more reliable.

It does not pay to store a car in this climate. I think it's harder on them than driving them.

[Steven S]

Hello Dick B.
We must almost be neighbors, I'm in the Larson, Winchester area, west of Neenah.
Nice to see someone local on this board. You are so right, Wisconsin is very tough
on cars.

[Dick Boneske]

Steven,

Yes, it is a small world. We go to Winchester Kwik-Trip every Wed.,Thurs.,& Fri. to pick up my wife's 1 yr. old grandson to take care of him on those days. We live near the intersection of the new Hwy. 45 and Hwy. 116. It's actually Butte des Morts.

Do you have any old Pontiacs? I have been involved with old Pontiacs since I bought my '64 GTO new at Phil Tolkan Pontiac in Milw. I lost it in a house fire in 1986 in Butte des Morts. I began producing aftermarket Tripower linkage in 1981 for Steve Ames, Year One, etc. Demand outgrew my production, so they went elsewhere. Quality was not a problem--mine is the best I've seen. I also make fuel lines for Tripower Pontiacs and misc. other Tripower-only parts. Occasionally, I buy and sell complete Tripowers and parts as needed.

I now have a '64 in the body shop for new floors, trunk floor, etc. My wife has a nice '64 we drive every summer. We bought an '04 GTO and love it. My wife drives an SSEi, which we also like. This '77 Bonneville seemed like a good idea three years ago, but we have too many cars!

[Steven S]

I hear you loud and clear on the too many cars issue, I'm up to six again. When I was younger I had some fun pontiacs, but then I got married, and had two kids , so I've been out of the hobby for a few years now. About a month ago I picked up a 78 Trans Am that I plan on rebuilding, it took me over a year to find one that the rear frame rails were still solid, its not original or anything and needs a lot of work, but next year the kids start heading off to collage and I needed a project.
Some of Pontiacs I've owned have been a 71 LeMans, a GT-37 can't remember the year, a 74 Grand Am, 77 Trans Am, and the 78 TA that I just got. Also have two (93 and94) Grand Prixs that the kids drive.
Well I just got home from work, 12 night shifts, so talk to you later

[engineer]

push rod cover gasket has never been unavailable. now, there are plenty of people who can't read a felpro catalog and spent all day looking for a valley cover gasket which does not exist in felpro.

[Grandville75]

Hey Dick,
You may be interseted in an NOS front bumper listed on ebay for your 77 Bonne. Ebay number - 8020370707. These items are hard to find. I'd rather see someone, in the hobby, put it to good use. Have a good day.

[Alex]

Pushrod cover gasket Try Fel Pro # ps50045, seems to ring a bell.

[Tin Injun Tom]

Originally Posted by Dick Boneske

This car was parked for about seven years, and it seems that everything is failing. Immediately after being started for the first time, the carb kept running out of gas. The fuel filter on the carb was plugged from debris in the gas tank. I replaced the filter and still the pump would not keep up. I replaced it with a new one. Then, the water pump seal started leaking. A new water pump fixed that. Then, the new fuel pump failed again.

I don't plan to take any long trips--beyond walking distance--until this car gets a little more reliable.

It does not pay to store a car in this climate. I think it's harder on them than driving them.

Dick B. I once had a '78 Grand Am that I thought the fuel pump was going bad on. A short time after I replaced it, I discovered that a section of rubber fuel line near the gas tank had dry rotted from being too close to one of the tail pipes where it bends over the axle housing.
It had been letting the gas drain back from the fuel pump so that it would loose it's prime.
We just picked up a relatives '67 Malibu from LaCrosse. The body is real nice, but the frame and suspension are rusted heavy. This thing's got only 77,000 miles, and has been kept in a garage for most of it's life. Been sitting for most of the last twenty years or so. Now it's going to need a frame off.

[Judge Man]

I would'nt use a gasket I would use hight temp RTV.I've done plenty of pontiac engines and the RTV works the best and I've never had a problem.

[Old Goat Racer]

I silicone the gasket to the pan & no leaks. I've had the pan off several times (swapping cams or heads) & reused the same gasket. No leaks!

[engineer]

just use weatherstrip adhesive on the pan side of the gasket so gasket will stay in place and permatex no. 2 on the block side. never a problem. RTV does not hold up in any service where gasoline is present.