83_camaro_v4

Well this would be my first camaro ever. I just reciently got it off one guy who was selling it and it has a..... well lets just call it a rebuilder....Everything in the car except for the engine is fine. The problem i am having is this when we first fired it up it had a really lould knocking sound coming from the engine. Well when i was going down the list of certain things to look at i went to add oil cause it was a little bit low. well when i went to pour in the oil i noticed that the rocker arm was loose so i took off the cover. The first rocker was loose enough that it rocked side to side and had alot of play in it. I went to tighten them down but the bolts were already torqued to spec and still have alot of play in it. i check the push rods and it was slightly bent well i threw in one that was straight and still didnt fix the problem. I talked to a old timer and he said it was either push rods, lifters, or bent cam shaft. Well push rods are out of the picture now so im leaning toward bent cam shaft lobe. I was going to change the cam shaft out and do new lifters but what else should i do. I was thinking about getting this one kit that was new cam, lifters, timing parts, and gaskets. But i was wondering if there were other things i should be replacing when i take all that apart to do those. So i need to know what else should i do and after doing those things whats the likly hood of that fixing the really lould knocking it has and it being what was wrong in the first place. Thanks.

By the was its a 83 4-banger and still the origional engine
149,000 ish miles on it. Thanks again

83_camaro_v4

Can Some one atleast tell me why my rocker arm is loose and can be moved side to side. The bolt is torqued down. Also isnt a bent push rod.

84firebird

yea i'll tell ya

'and he said it was either pushrods, lifters, or bent cam shaft. Well push rods are out of the picture now so im leaning toward bent cam shaft lobe'

here is an issue, pushrods bend and do that (camshafts shatter, they're cast iron in stock motor, and forged in some applications.... but it would never bend), but pushrods only bend because something nasty happened, usually a piston kissing a valve that's floating at high rpm.

onward, yours was bent.... this is bad, probably was overreved and the stock spring doesnt have the pressure to shut the valve completely anymore, or the stock spring broke and REALLY doesnt have the pressure to shut anymore, i'd check the springs and make sure that they are still sufficient, not broken, and put out close to spec, stock valve spring pressure, (they make tools that check on the head).

now after checking the springs and making sure your valves are gonna function, check that rocker arm, stock lock nuts have a tendency to back off, if that lock nut looks like it's loose, or is higher than the rest, just get a polylock on it and consider it fixed.

the lifter could have been destroyed by the kiss, and if it is you need a new cam, just cuz replacing a lifter and not a cam is a bet you will never see in vegas, if that lobe isnt already wiped, it will be soon after putting that shiny new lifter in.

so replace the cam then, if it aint the pushrods or the nut backing off or a damaged rocker, or a spring, it's all that's left

so... now, you can replace that camshaft, but that's gonna cost about a $180 usually for a decent cam, cheap timing chain (necessary), lifters (even more necessary), gaskets(lol or "the right stuff" gasket maker, hell GM does it) .. and beyond that, you'll probably consider new springs as well, at 23 years old, they probably are breaking if not broken, they were made super cheap in the 80s...

if i were you I'd look at V8 swaps. since that cam change, once you freshen up the rest of the motor so that it doesnt fall apart, is going to cost in the mid $200s, and usually for $300 you can get a running 350 at a junkyard, give it atleast respectable power rather than that old iron duke. now along with the swap comes a lot of time and effort, also you need a transmission, but, it's a thought.

Angelis83LT

this is off topic. but could you get a picture of you windshield wiper motor where the wires connect? Mine is not wired right and the connector on the drivers side of the housing is gone. it is jsut 3 sepereate wires.. it would be very cool if it was the same motor.

84firebird

ya might consider going to the junkyard and finding one with the connector, windshield wiper motors do go once in awhile and it would be a pain to replace it if the connector aint there, plus it helps to pull it out if you want to pull the engine or transmission

Angelis83LT

well. see here is the problem though.. 84+ camaros have a different connector set than the 83... and have not found an 82 yet in order to compare. either way finding an 83 or an 82 camaro sitting in a salvage yard that is not all stripped down already is going to be a might bit hard. I just want to know which whiches connect to wire connector on the wiper motor thing. after that I can make a connector for it.

84firebird

that sux, hmm, i wonder if one of the hanes manuals would have a diagram?

angel71rs

Those years still had flat tappets that can wear out, will leave lash too loose = tapping lifters. If you replace cam, make sure and use an additive with zinc in it (ZDDP) to protect the flat tappets. Oil used to have plenty of zinc in it for this purpose, but the zinc got kicked out in newer spec oils to protect emissions equipment (sensors, cats).

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