New motor, sounds awful?

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Valvebounce

Valvebounce

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Last night we tried to give a new motor her first fire up.
After the obligatory problems that always seem to go with a new engine, it burst into life.
Oil pressure came up instantly. But the motor made a horrible clacking sound. (I wish I'd taken a video)
It has a remote oil filter. Our RHD cars all had them to clear the steering box. But the factory one was in a dumb place. So this has a custom one, mounted in a better spot. The manual was checked, and the hoses are plumbed up the right way around.
But thinking about it since, I wonder if the lifters weren't pumping up?
Anything that might cause that?
The engine is a 340. 4.08 bore, 4' crank, indy RHS X heads, and PRW roller rockers. Comp cam. The heads, can, followers, and rocker gear were all supplied by Brian.
The other thing that didn't seen right was that while priming the engine with a drill, no oil seemed to show at the rockers. The stud in the supply hole in the head will be removed today, and the engine re-primed to see if oil in indeed making it up top. We're in dire need to get this motor run up and broken in.
Any suggestions?

Bart
 
Check oil for metallic looking sparkles. Prime until you get oil pressure, if nothing use a better drill. I would have NOT started it had I seen I was not getting any oil pressure during prime.
 
The top end oiling is timed by the cam rotation. Rotate the engine slowly while priming. you should see the rockers getting oil.
 
make sure your rotating the shaft the correct way.

small block goes clockwise

big block goes counter clockwise.
 
check and see if your rocker arms are hitting the baffles in the valve covers.
it can take a minute or 2 to pump up hydraulic lifters.
 
On a small block:
Turn the motor to 90* before top dead center coming up on #1 compression. The pass. side rockers should get oil.
Turn the motor to 20* after top dead center just past #6 compression. The drivers side rockers should get oil.
 
When I fired the engine that I just did, even after oil prime, rotate, prime, etc. It fired right away, the valvetrain noise took about 20 seconds or so to quiet down completely. Cam broke in just fine.

x2 on checking pressure manually with an assistant cranking, if you're worried about it.
 
Thanks for the replies guys.
The crank timing thing was bang on. when the sweet spots were found, oil gushed forth on both sides.
Now to fire her up, and prey that noise goes away. It's a bit nerve racking to hear noises on a brand new $7k engine.
 
Are you running solid or hydraulic lifters? If they are hydraulic, give it hell. If they are solid, stop and do a lash adjustment. Be sure to check your valve covers for markings. Sometimes the aftermarkets hit, as suggested above.

You may also want to check for bent pushrods, just to be sure something with the math or clearances aren't an issue.
 
Pushrods are brand new.
No sign of contact between rockers and the baffles.
We fired her up tonight, and held her at decent revs.
The noise didn't go away. I took a vid on my phone, but I'm a cabbage with technology. So I might have to get a mate to help me upload it, and post it online.
It sounds very clacky. Which leads me to believe that it's the lifters not pumping up.
I'll have to try get the video up.
 
I would hold judgment, until you research some more. I would start with a valve cover/valve train inspection. We know you have top end oiling . Pictures might help more. I'm thinking rocker lash adjustment to start.
 
If your getting oiling make sure its not the converter bolts. Its been done before. oops
 
I've asked dad three times if they were tight. I had a mate with a 245 hemi in his Valiant do the same thing. He swears and declares that they are.
The pushrod lash feels right.
I was hoping to go over to another mates house tonight to get some help uploading the video, but I've got in the mrs bad books, so I might not be allowed. lol
 
I've got in the mrs bad books, so I might not be allowed. lol
Click to expand...
Not good but always happens spend too long in the shed trying to sort out problems creates more on the home front.
Hydraulic lifters can take a while to pump up, i know on a forum here some one had some dodgy lifters that were brand new and refused to pump up, hope this is not your case, it sounds like you have plenty of oil pressure, just double check all bolts even if others say they have checked them you double check it is your motor and money
 
Well, it took me a while, but I finally got a mate of mine to upload the vid off my phone to youtube. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTlH2KppTw0&feature=youtu.be"]2013 12 11 16 50 48 580 - YouTube[/ame]
You can hear how clacky it sounds. Never mind the smoke that starts wafting off the engine after a bit. New engines always do that.
The engine hasn't been run since, as there was a little bit (as in not very much at all) of water in the oil. After MUCH testing and elimination, it was traced back to the F-N POS Crosswind manifold. Which not only had to have the bottom milled to fit, but didn't have the correct angle on the intake port faces. So with the manifold tight at the top, had a gap at the bottom. (Hence the leak) As well as the intake retaining bolt holes not being at the same angle as the holes in the head. The piece of junk isn't even remotely fit for purpose. Worst part is, an air gap was requested as part of the engine package ordered. And that piece of sh1t was what we were supplied.
So the old Weiand Xcellerator has been refitted just to break in the engine. (And that's not really the best manifold to use either, but at least it fits the engine, and holds water.
 
Are you sure the lifter pre load is right........It is a hyd lifter, right?

Sure don't sound like it want to pump up at all.

Rocker shafts installed properly............

assuming they are hyd, are the lifts the oil thru push rod tube type. are your using push rods that are hollow?
 
we're staying out at Dad's tomorrow for xmas eve. We'll check the rocker shaft orientation. (If A), the women folk will allow it, and B) we don't get OTP instead)

The rocker oiling is through the shafts via the block deck. We did a test with a drill, and oil is reaching the rocker shaft.
 
Valvebounce said:
we're staying out at Dad's tomorrow for xmas eve. We'll check the rocker shaft orientation. (If A), the women folk will allow it, and B) we don't get OTP instead)

The rocker oiling is through the shafts via the block deck. We did a test with a drill, and oil is reaching the rocker shaft.
Click to expand...

amen to the crosswind being a piece of sh--. I had one on a 406 sbc, and the dist. hole was off, it chewed the dist gear up immidiately. changed back to weiand accelerater, end of problem!:wack:--bob
 
Which RHS heads? There is an LA version and a Magnum version. The LA version oils through the shaft. The Magnum oils the top end through the pushrods. "Normal" mopar pushrods are not hollow so if you have Magnum RHS X heads (used to be know as "MA-X" then you need hollow pushrods and oil-through lifters.
Also - assuming you "had the usual starting problems"... The cam may be wiped anyhow. The cam is not fed pressurized oil - it has to have oil splashed on it from the crank, and dripped on it throught he valley from the top end oiling. So I would not continue starting it or running it until you determine why it's so noisey.
 
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