Wayne's World
My World, My Universe, My Garage
Did you resolve the issue with the adjusters working loose? This could be the root of the issue.
I bought a new set of lifters and also went back to factory type rockers. All factory replacement parts now, rockers and shafts along with a new set of pushrods. Maybe I will see something by just removing the valve covers.Did you resolve the issue with the adjusters working loose? This could be the root of the issue.
I am prepared for a teardown. Maybe I will see something by just removing the valve covers. That would be nice. If not this will be my winter project I guess. I always do something in the winter while the car is stored. I always do a big project, well big for me during the winter. Last year I dropped my trans and had it rebuilt and did a clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing.Maybe hold off on teardown to see if anything can be diagnosed prior to teardown?
My springs are what came on the heads originally. The cam is a stock 68 340 4 speed cam so the springs should not be an issue. Unfortunately I think the damage I find is self inflicted by me playing with the preload instead of leaving things alone. I think when I backed off and had not enough preload is when my issues started. Although I put a new set of lifters in and did a second break in, The car seems to run good but I hear almost like a pinging sound at around 2500 rpm's. Maybe I take it apart and find no issues but I have a sneaky suspicion a few lobes might have been damaged.Do you have enough spring pressures for your lobes?
Cuz if your springs are not able to control the valves, bad things happen.
Sounds like you need to add some thin lock nuts to your adjusters to keep them in place.They have not been modified at all. As far as friction still being present I would say no. Some of them I can turn some by hand. When I put a socket on a few of them to do my 3/4 turn preload there was very little resistance at all. I have probably not helped by backing them out and adjusting as much as I have either.
I actually went back to factory style non adjustable rockersSounds like you need to add some thin lock nuts to your adjusters to keep them in place.
Rhodes lifters are suppose to be a good choice for the sbm's, soak them in oil and push down on the plunger before you install them. I've heard that when breaking in a new cam not to hold the engine at any particular rpm. A friend of mine always runs his engine at between 1,800- 2,500 rpm's for 25-30 minutes and he's never wiped out a cam or lifters.A little history. Replaced cam, lifters and push-rods about 100 miles ago. Broke in by running engine at 2200 for about 20 minutes initially. Have played with timing and valve preload a few times and it has run crappy and great in that time. Motor now has very noisy lifters and at idle does not seem happy.....Engine bounces. Seems to still have good power and runs good while moving. Just noisy. I tried to redo my preload since I have adjustable rockers from a 273, Some of the lifters I can press on the rocker and the lifter has spring and some of the lifters are solid and do not compress. The motor is a 70 340 and the cam I used was a duplicate of a 68 4 speed 340 and the lifters were an off brand supplied by Oregon Cam Grinders. Help???
I did measure. They measured exactly what a factory length pushrod would be using with factory stamped rockers. I am sending the cam back to Ken at Oregon Cam Grinding to make sure its not damaged. If all checks out I am going to get a new set of lifters from him and go back to the adjustable rockers since I don't think there is anything wrong with them although I might look into the locking nut addition to them.It probably needs longer pushrods. Did you measure for the correct length? Since the cam is a regrind, that means longer pushrods will be in order to restore proper geometry.
What? You don't measure the pushrods. You measure the distance between the lifter cup and the rocker arm ball, with the rocker arm in the proper position on the valve tip.I did measure. They measured exactly what a factory length pushrod would be using with factory stamped rockers. I am sending the cam back to Ken at Oregon Cam Grinding to make sure its not damaged. If all checks out I am going to get a new set of lifters from him and go back to the adjustable rockers since I don't think there is anything wrong with them although I might look into the locking nut addition to them.
typed that wrong....I mean I measured using a couple of adjustable pushrods meant for measuring the proper length to use from lifter cup to rocker socket for the non adjustable rockers and I also used the measuring pushrod for proper length cup and ball type pushrods needed for 273 type adjustable rockers. For the adjustable rockers I had a set of pushrods made by Smith Brothers. The factory stamped rockers needed factory length pushrods and I have those as well.What? You don't measure the pushrods. You measure the distance between the lifter cup and the rocker arm ball, with the rocker arm in the proper position on the valve tip.