Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
09-26-2006, 01:47 PM
#32
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Other than the rockers hitting something, that engine sounds sweet. Very mean idle. Sounds like a race engine actually all muffled up.
Karl Ellwein
Karl Ellwein
09-26-2006, 08:14 PM
#33
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Originally Posted by HardcoreRM125
Josh reread what I said.
I dont think it is a loose rocker arm. I just said that. It doesnt "Clack" like a loose rocker. I think your rocker is hitting something. It may not be clearing the top of the spring/retainer. Or it may be touching your valve cover.
I would remove all 16 of them, looking for one that has ANY signs of wear, on any part of it. Sides of the Trunion, rocker arm up by the roller tip, but on the bottom side ( Like if it was clipping the retainer ).
Start it with the covers off, its not THAT messy. Nothing cardboard doesnt fix. Then take a stethescope ( Or if your ghetto-engineering, gets the best of you ) or screw driver, and go along the whole head on each side trying to pinpoint where the noise is from.
I dont think it is a loose rocker arm. I just said that. It doesnt "Clack" like a loose rocker. I think your rocker is hitting something. It may not be clearing the top of the spring/retainer. Or it may be touching your valve cover.
I would remove all 16 of them, looking for one that has ANY signs of wear, on any part of it. Sides of the Trunion, rocker arm up by the roller tip, but on the bottom side ( Like if it was clipping the retainer ).
Start it with the covers off, its not THAT messy. Nothing cardboard doesnt fix. Then take a stethescope ( Or if your ghetto-engineering, gets the best of you ) or screw driver, and go along the whole head on each side trying to pinpoint where the noise is from.
At least you believe me 
I think you are correct about the rocker to valve cover problem. I looked closely at all of my rockers. I saw that on one of them the adjusting nut was higher up on the stud than the others. This one rocker is an oddball. It had been replaced, and is a newer style than the other rockers. Its a taller rocker. I found a little mark on the valve cover. I then massaged it out a little
When I ran it it was much quieter. Now I have a slight tapping, but not as loud as before. I think tomorrow Ill massage it a little more, then do the same around every rocker in case one of them is tapping too. Hopefully this takes care of all the noise. Then I may modify a set of polished aluminum valve covers I have. I bought them for the LT1, but they were the type without the notch for the alternator. Ill need something else after I dent out my stockers for clearance. This thing looks too good to have dented valve covers
Last edited by Josh'95Z28conv; 09-26-2006 at 08:17 PM.
09-26-2006, 08:53 PM
#34
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Oh yea, I picked up some of those RR oil hole plug/clips. They suck. The oil hole on these crowers points at an angle toward the stud, and the plug part of these things hits the adjusting nut when the pushrod comes up and rotates the rocker back. I couldnt run it with them.
09-26-2006, 08:56 PM
#35
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Oh yea, I picked up some of those RR oil hole plug/clips. They suck.
09-27-2006, 12:39 AM
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Originally Posted by Josh'95Z28conv
Oh yea, I picked up some of those RR oil hole plug/clips. They suck. The oil hole on these crowers points at an angle toward the stud,
I don't understand why oil would be splattering all over? Are you running a HV pump? I didn't realize the oil hole on your rockers was at an angle or I would've told you not to bother.
Basically if you still want to adjust them while the car is running then have a second person in the driver's seat and only adjust one cylinder at a time and kill the car until you're ready to do the next one. Only takes a few seconds for each cylinder if you know what you're doing.
09-27-2006, 12:43 AM
#37
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Originally Posted by SS RRR
I don't understand why oil would be splattering all over? Are you running a HV pump? I didn't realize the oil hole on your rockers was at an angle or I would've told you not to bother.
09-27-2006, 06:23 AM
#38
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
09-27-2006, 01:47 PM
#39
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Glad to hear you likely have it straightened out. Awesome car btw.
And I just used a pice of cardboard from the head to the fender-well, but mine barely spit any oil out since their PM's and Hi Techs on a stock pump.
Good luck with it.
And I just used a pice of cardboard from the head to the fender-well, but mine barely spit any oil out since their PM's and Hi Techs on a stock pump.
Good luck with it.
09-27-2006, 05:39 PM
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Originally Posted by speedygonzales
10-01-2006, 12:07 AM
#41
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Found the problem. It was a bad rocker arm. I bought those snap on oil retention clips. They looked great, but sucked. They fell off when the engine was running (they fit tight too). Oh well. I finally built a cardboard barrier that went up to the cowl to keep the oil off the exhaust. It worked alright, lol.
With the valve cover off, I went rocker to rocker with a screwdriver listening. I found one making a ton of noise. I adjusted it. It helped, but still made a lot of noise. I swapped it with another. The noise followed the rocker arm. I think its a little worn between the rocker body and the center shaft even though it dont feel that much different than the others. You can see where the previous owner had clearance problems with this rocker arm, and I bet that caused premature wear. I was able to get most of the noise to go away by setting the preload around 1/4 turn.
Now my knock retard is zero at idle compared to 7 degrees before. It comes up to 7 degrees at the most at part throttle when driving, and no more than 5 at wot, although I havnt went wot past 3.5k rpm, lol.
This thing drives great. I cant belive I have this kind of engine, and can cruise at 1.5k rpm in 6th gear, and it will still accelerate when I step on it.
Ill be ordering a new rocker arm asap. Ill then get this thing broken in and strap it to a dyno to let ya all know what kind of power its putting down
With the valve cover off, I went rocker to rocker with a screwdriver listening. I found one making a ton of noise. I adjusted it. It helped, but still made a lot of noise. I swapped it with another. The noise followed the rocker arm. I think its a little worn between the rocker body and the center shaft even though it dont feel that much different than the others. You can see where the previous owner had clearance problems with this rocker arm, and I bet that caused premature wear. I was able to get most of the noise to go away by setting the preload around 1/4 turn.
Now my knock retard is zero at idle compared to 7 degrees before. It comes up to 7 degrees at the most at part throttle when driving, and no more than 5 at wot, although I havnt went wot past 3.5k rpm, lol.
This thing drives great. I cant belive I have this kind of engine, and can cruise at 1.5k rpm in 6th gear, and it will still accelerate when I step on it.
Ill be ordering a new rocker arm asap. Ill then get this thing broken in and strap it to a dyno to let ya all know what kind of power its putting down
10-01-2006, 12:37 AM
#42
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Originally Posted by Josh'95Z28conv
I think you are correct about the rocker to valve cover problem. I looked closely at all of my rockers. I saw that on one of them the adjusting nut was higher up on the stud than the others. This one rocker is an oddball. It had been replaced, and is a newer style than the other rockers. Its a taller rocker. I found a little mark on the valve cover. I then massaged it out a little
When I ran it it was much quieter. Now I have a slight tapping, but not as loud as before. I think tomorrow Ill massage it a little more, then do the same around every rocker in case one of them is tapping too. Hopefully this takes care of all the noise. Then I may modify a set of polished aluminum valve covers I have. I bought them for the LT1, but they were the type without the notch for the alternator. Ill need something else after I dent out my stockers for clearance. This thing looks too good to have dented valve covers
10-01-2006, 11:25 AM
#43
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Originally Posted by 97bowtie
You threw everyone for a loop when you said it made the same tapping sound with the valve covers off. Glad to hear you likely found the noise.
10-01-2006, 12:20 PM
#44
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Re: Help with ticking 383 (brand new engine) VIDEO!
Originally Posted by Josh'95Z28conv
Read my last post. The valve cover was only part of the problem. I have a bad rocker arm.