I should not have blinked . . .

[AZJeepNut]

Because a couple of weeks later a couple of unidentified parts have joined the bag of known parts awaiting the return of my engine from the shop. I had a mechanic over to my garage to tear down the engine while I watched and took notes. But I must have blinked and missed something. These were in with valve train parts... tappets, valve springs, retainers and locks. The unidentified parts are in the first pic alongside a valve spring retainer for scale.

I'm going to be reassembling the engine myself, so a couple of unidentified parts are not welcome. There are eight each of the washer and "nut", suggesting that they belong with the valves, but some info about how they are used and assembled, and in what order, would be greatly appreciated. Funny thing is, I can't find them in the CJ-2A and CJ-3A Parts List and I've had no luck searching for them in online parts vendors catalogs.

Help!

[1955CJ-5]

The nut looks like a "pal" nut and i can't imagine why it would be in there..

But, this is a guess...when the machinist took my engine apart he found that someone along the way had added washers under the valve springs. He said that this is not uncommon in old engines as when the springs got weak they just shimmed them up with a washer...or maybe in your case, two washers...

Are the washers the same diameter as the valve springs and would they fit between the springs and the block or keeper?

That is my guess....next time I'm down at the shop I'll see if he still has the washers and I'll clean one up and see if there is anything stamped on it...

[AZJeepNut]

The diameter of the washer is a millimeter or so smaller than the retainer, so effectively the same dia. as the spring and would fit as you suggested.

The inside diameter of the nut is very close to the dia. of the valve shank, but the old valves don't look as if they've ever been intimate with these mysterious nuts.

Using the washers as shims seems a reasonable explanation for their presence. But, my rebuilt engine will have new valves, springs, and tappets so even if the washers are explainable and the nuts remain mysterious, I think I'll feel comfortable leaving them in the odd bits box. Would be interesting if your washers were the same, however. Guess I'll check the parts list for shims, just in case.

[RedWilly]

The Pal Nuts look the same as you would find on the Rod Bearing Caps. Any chance they were put with the valve train items by mistake?

[AZJeepNut]

That's it, Red. Thanks!

[1955CJ-5]

I asked the machinist and he said just what Red said. He said they don't use them anymore too much because they can come off and cause trouble...Since now they use Loctite the pal nuts really aren't necessary anymore..

So look at this picture! Pretty funny...

They are called Valve Spring Inserts..V.S.I for short..he had a whole rack of them for different motors...

I guess if you did a valve job and didn't replace the springs, this was a common way to increase the spring tension...

[AZJeepNut]

OK, you guys are great! Mysteries solved. I'm putting these parts into the "interesting bits" box. I enjoy the history of Jeeps and Jeep parts as much as working on them. Thanks for the help and info.

[1955CJ-5]

So, AZ...I have a question...

Did your engine have an oil slinger between the crank timing gear and the timing cover?  From the gear forward there should be a spacer, the slinger, the oil seal then the cover, pulley and nut...as far as I know...my engine may not have had the slinger...it looks like a large flat washer with a indentation that form fits against the gear/spacer..I think...

In this picture there is just a piece of tubing to take up the slack..

[AZJeepNut]

There was no oil slinger on the shaft, just another mystery washer where the slinger should have been. The washer, as I recall, is not in the parts list or crankshaft illustrations and is split.

I picked up explanations for this from various posts. The two most popular are: 1. it's there to "sling" oil onto the gears, and 2. it's there to sling oil away from the old style front oil seal that was not very effective, thus minimizing the usual oil leak.

I tend to go with #2, if only because most posters agreed that the slinger usually was discarded when the old style seal was replaced with the more effective "modern" seal.

In either case, it is probably better to install an oil slinger and discard the mystery washer or whatever else was used to compensate for the loss of its thickness.

I bought an old slinger and will use it when this all goes back together. Here are some pics...

[1955CJ-5]

Thanks for the explanation and the pictures...

I'll see if the machinist can find one, he has quite a collection of parts...

Otherwise I may find one on ebay..

Even with the new seal the slinger sure wouldn't hurt anything..

[1955CJ-5]

The machinist found one in his back room....I'm beginning to think he has an entire jeep back there...maybe two...

So, like you, I'll have a slinger and a new seal...you can't be too careful...!