# Run car without alternator hooked up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** kia, rio\ **Created:** [March 30, 2017, 8:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434 "2017-03-30T20:13:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/21 "2017-04-02T14:20:54Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > Good try… Thank you…I thought so too. ;-] I ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 2:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/22 "2017-04-02T14:53:16Z")
I know you get all your auto knowledge from google. Maybe if you actually ever tore into an engine you’ll know what interference engine means. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/23 "2017-04-02T15:50:22Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > Maybe if you actually ever tore into an engine you’ll know what interference engine means. What makes you think I haven’t and I don’t? ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 12:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/24 "2017-04-03T00:59:04Z")
Many past posts. Including this thread. Interference engine designs can be single or dual cams. I’ve owned both. In fact I’ve turned a Non-interference engine into an interference without modifying the heads one bit. Why don’t you tell me how I did it ---
**Author:** ![buckhorn682](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@buckhorn682](https://community.cartalk.com/u/buckhorn682)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 1:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/25 "2017-04-03T01:18:58Z")
Pulled the head.4 of the exhaust valves were bent(1/2" gap showing). No piston damage thankfully. I “dulled” the edge of a flathead screwdriver and tapped the valves back into position. Did a water test and they do not leak. Yeah I know i should’ve just bought new valves but cash is kinda tight at the moment. Will re-install head tomorrow and keep a close eye on the repairs. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 1:24am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/26 "2017-04-03T01:24:49Z")
That’s risky. Good luck ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 1:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/27 "2017-04-03T01:29:00Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > Including this thread. Do you not understand that my first post in this thread referred specifically to the OP’s Kia Rio? Apparently everyone else does. ;-] ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 1:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/28 "2017-04-03T01:35:34Z")
Good for you for taking a chance you can just “correct” the bent valve with some simple mechanical persuasion. That’s a MacGyver solution if I ever heard one. A cylinder leak down test is usually what is done for suspected valve problems. So that’s something you can MacGyver next, if the engine doesn’t seem to be running correctly after all this. I think you could do one with just a bicycle tire pump and a few adapters. Probably want to measure the valve clearances before starting the engine. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 2:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/29 "2017-04-03T02:02:42Z")
> [@buckhorn682](#): > > Did a water test and they do not leak. Did you then push open those valves to see if they re-seat correctly? Agree this is risky. ---
**Author:** ![buckhorn682](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@buckhorn682](https://community.cartalk.com/u/buckhorn682)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 3:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/30 "2017-04-03T03:15:27Z")
Having second thoughts about the “straightened” valves.They hold water when closed but still dont quite look right when wide open,or maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me. Gonna just order new ones. Too much work taking the head off and putting it back on. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 3:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/31 "2017-04-03T03:50:29Z")
That seems like a good decision. I recall a 1957 Ford F-500 my boss drove for furniture delivery that bent pushrods due to oil starvation. We used to pull out the bent pushrods and pound them straight with rocks on the pavement. That would get us going again but it happened with increasing frequency. Back in those days you has your choice of one time use valve cover gaskets (cork or composition) or reusable neoprene. Of course those old Y-blocks had road draft tubes so no crankcase pressure. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434/32 "2017-04-03T04:00:26Z")
> [@GeorgeSanJose](#): > > Good for you for taking a chance you can just “correct” the bent valve with some simple mechanical persuasion. Will you have encouraging words should one of the valves breaks off and destroys the engine? Straightening bent valves carries too much risk. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/run-car-without-alternator-hooked-up/102434.md?page=1)