I Killed it!

[rsk68]

So my worst fears have been realized, last night I got the stud girdles mounted valves adjusted again and all seemed ok, took it for a spin and it started making that crazy noise again like the flywheel was hitting something, it also started to misfire, when I first heard this at RTTC I thought maybe it was a bent pushrod hitting the head as it was rotating but they have all been replaced, I’m going to pull the engine now and see what’s going on inside, if it’s obvious and a simple fix I will put it back in, if it turns out o be more serious it will be a new motor.



I’m considering an LS3 or all Aluminum BB 522, opinions please! The BB would be much easier to do, not sure on cost differences yet.

Damn I paid for Delmar this weekend!

[THE TECH]

That sucks to hear. Hopefully it is indeed a simple fix.

[gearbanger]

If it sounds like the flywheel hitting something, why did you replace the pushrods and put stud girdles on?

Check the flywheel?

[rsk68]

Because I had bent quite a few pushrods at the last event I was at, it only now sounds to me like the flywheel is hitting something, doesn’t mean the flywheel is hitting something! just a description of the noise I'm hearing, when I pull it apart I will know better.

[Ron.in.SoCal]

The misfiring - along with the other noise - is what concerns me. Hoepfully it's not something serious Rick!

[406 Q-ship]

I hope that is a simple fix Rick. Then again it is a good reason to make changes.......twin turbo LSx anyone.....:D

[CarlC]

Did you do a compression check Rick?

[rsk68]

Carl yes i did roughly 180 on all 8, there is just something very wierd going on, have good oil pressure too!

[CarlC]

Yank the distributor and confirm if the gear is OK.

[LT1Nova]

My brother had the flywheel to torque convertor bolts loosen up once and hit the block edge during rotation. Something like that possibly?

[Rod]

I know this sounds random but did you look at the tops of the valves? The side just under the rocker arm, I have seen them lighty mushroom and that creates back firing

[sam 74]

Sounds like you have a problem in the valve train, you shouldn't be bending pushrods. I just lost a lifter and in turn my cam and the way they went it sounded like something tapping on metal, turned out a lifter bridge broke and the lifter spun in the bore and wiped out the cam lobe.

[Cris@JCG]

Rick- Sorry to here about your engine issues... I have something in the shop that I will give you a smoking deal on if your motor happens to be bad!!

[Vegas69]

With good oil pressure and compression, it SHOULDN'T be a huge cost to fix. Good compression rules out a bent valve or a broken piston or ring.

[SD455]

Sounds like maybe a valve hanging up or a damaged/broken/very weak valve spring? If its misfiring at the same time as its making noise I cant help but think valve trane. Good luck with it...these things can get frustrating, but there is always an explanation. Are you by any chance running a roller?

[Chad-1stGen]

Sorry to hear Rick. Need to get that thing fixed and get you out to Buttonwillow. It'd blow your mind!

[avgasman]

Before you pull it the engine, hook up a timing light to see if the noise is lower end generated or half speed which would indicate upper end problems.

[rsk68]

Long Story!

This is going to be embarasing, so last wenesday I dropped the car off at a friends shop so he he could install the stud girdles for me as i was running out of time before Delmar, the plan was to pick it up thursday night and load it up in the trailer, he called me thursday and told me he was having a hard time adjusting the valves and if i would come down and help him so he could close at a normal time, so i get there and he's got one side done and is finishing up the other side, i start helping by puting on the valve covers, we fire it up and it sounds fine so i start to drive it home, after about 3 miles it starts making all the crazy noises again %^&# i limp it home and make my post about i killed it!
So today i start to tear it apart and see a few loose valves maybe .075 gap and then there is one at around 1/4" i'm thinking the worst, i start pulling it apart and notice the rocker nuts are all chewed up on the end that seats on the rocker arm, the comp rockers have a 9/16 diameter countsunk face around 1/16" deep, the original nuts are .540 diameter, the new nuts that came with the stud girdles are 5/8" diameter and were not seating at all but he shure tried to seat them ^%&*ing unbelievable! this is a case of if you want it done right then do it yourself, so tomorrow i'm going to buy the correct nuts and start over! crazy Huh!

[Chad-1stGen]

Well that's good news right? Sweet

[RSX302]

Long Story!

This is going to be embarasing, so last wenesday I dropped the car off at a friends shop so he he could install the stud girdles for me as i was running out of time before Delmar, the plan was to pick it up thursday night and load it up in the trailer, he called me thursday and told me he was having a hard time adjusting the valves and if i would come down and help him so he could close at a normal time, so i get there and he's got one side done and is finishing up the other side, i start helping by puting on the valve covers, we fire it up and it sounds fine so i start to drive it home, after about 3 miles it starts making all the crazy noises again %^&# i limp it home and make my post about i killed it!
So today i start to tear it apart and see a few loose valves maybe .075 gap and then there is one at around 1/4" i'm thinking the worst, i start pulling it apart and notice the rocker nuts are all chewed up on the end that seats on the rocker arm, the comp rockers have a 9/16 diameter countsunk face around 1/16" deep, the original nuts are .540 diameter, the new nuts that came with the stud girdles are 5/8" diameter and were not seating at all but he shure tried to seat them ^%&*ing unbelievable! this is a case of if you want it done right then do it yourself, so tomorrow i'm going to buy the correct nuts and start over! crazy Huh!

Ouch! on a positive note..glad to hear it wasn't something more serious..

I hear ya on doing it yourself.. although I can screw stuff up just as good as the next person. I just try to keep my screw-ups low in cost. Filed under lessons Learned..