The Cal-look Lounge

Well fired up my motor and had so many problems, Oil pressure for one, but finally built up, then my High Torque Started fell of my motor. What happen there was all my fault, was so much in a hurry, I forgot to put the top engine bolt on, when I kept trying to start it, I guess was to much stress on the starter, the lower part mount broke. The starter still works, but can't mount it. So here I go putting my self supporting starter in, and it was dragging. When I finally started the motor, there was a seems like a valve train knock type of noise. loud! All parts are new, even had the case lifter bore's bushed. Everything seemed just right during assembly. I checked valve lash, its perfect. There is no side play on the rockers either. I'm stumped. SOOO! I'll be at Drag Day watching. Any input on what might be the problem there??  ???

Bring your umbrella! :-\

Oh Ted, man sorry to hear that. I have had those days, trust me. I've tried to teach myself, deadlines aren't worth the stress and chance for mistakes. About 8-9 years ago, I built a very sweet 2332 for my '67, spent mucho $ on parts, machine work, etc. When I was stretching bolts on rods, and writing the stretch down, I had a jabber jaw kid in the garage (now I like NOBODY around when I build motor except glass of ice water and Greateful Dead CDs)....gab gab gab...I was getting impatient, but kept working. Weeks later I finally got motor in car, spun it for oil pressure, bolted up rockers, plugs, carbs, etc...lit if off, and WHACK WHACK WHACK.... shut it off, pulled valve covers, everthing specs out. So I tired again...again the knocking noise, getting worse, shut it off. Pull motor, strip heads off, and big witness mark that piston was hitting head/valves, which made no sense, clayed all that had .120"+. Well come to find, forgot to tighten (stretch) one ROD. It was just hanging there along for the ride. Luckily inside of case only had tiny nick, rod was ok. But all that work, oil, sweat, aches...not to mention valves hitting piston flattened cam lifter on that hole....yes that quickly....$330 hard weld 86C and Web lifters. Gone.

So sorry man, hope it is nothing BAD. Maybe just a pushrod seated in cup after you set valves or a lash cap set down?

It's ok man, tomorrow is another day.

it would but not as severe as it seems like it sounded to you.
no coil bind?
no valve-to-piston hitting?
enough room between backside of lifter @ case?
skirt of piston not hitting crank @ BDC?
nut down intake? :o of course, those don't have a rythym to them
let me know if you need any help, Ted....  and best of luck...been there before,  ::)

well...let us know how it goes, Ted.... best of luck :)

What kind of cam gears? They could be out of round.

Kind of a long shot but could the lifters be hanging up or bottoming??

Can you isolate it to one head or cylinder?

No Problem Ted... sometimes it helps to have several heads working on your problem.  ;)

I still think coil bind or bent valve stuck in guide.

That would be my first guess too Jim,

Valve to piston clearence, coil bind, bearing clearences, rocker geometry, valve pocket radial clearence, etc, are things that should ALWAYS be checked when buliding a motor, You should have a bulid sheet and which should reveal all the above info.
On my motors, i can even tell you the lifter bore clearence on every hole, and the wrist pin clearence!
It just makes it alot easier when you have a problem, you can refer to your bulid sheet, and work your way through it, and resolve it, and learn for next time.

Good idea - I know I kept tabs on jetting, MSD settings, all that sort of stuff when I was racing, but never thought to have a sheet when building. Seems obvious now you say about it! ;)

Take the heads off and have Jeff check that you didn't bend your valves. Personally, beings you ran the thing, I'd check to make sure you didn't bend any rods or the crank.

Better safe is right! That would be a drag to put it back in just to find another problem! Give Jeff a holler so you can run the heads over, then check out the rest while he's checking things on his end . Good luck!!!

Are you using your Ti rods with the new motor?