Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Changing lifters

Time for a 4l60e (3.06 1st gear) ... if the rear gears are really numerically low - run the trans in drive and lockup. It'll make a big difference how the car runs. Get a trans out of a '98 ish astro van. The drive shaft "might" need to be shortened. I can supply a simple shift controller from PCS.

Others here may whine about the gear ratios in them but I have run them for >15 years and like them.

I'd really go 2 sizes.

...and I'm still fighting some bugs. I'll post a video shortly.

First is getting the motor right. Then it's time for a trans. It's on my list...

Motor vid: https://youtu.be/YR6RNRjeqKo

George,
Can you idle it down?
Glad to see it is running. Be careful wanting a bigger cam. It is also the head that is holding it back. Once you put a good flowing head on it, the response is about like putting a bigger cam in it.

Your lifters sound really loud. I always adjust with the engine NOT running. I have described it before in other posts.

Also 5w30 is too thin for your engine. It was never designed for that viscosity. I suggest 10w30 or 15w40 rotella.

I'll re-adjust the lifers next week. About beat here...

Eventually I'll do the head. Maybe this spring.

Running 10w30 now.

Yes I turned down the idle a good bit after I took the video

One thing I am curious about. How is the oil pressure? The sound is one I have heard before. Either really bad adjusted lifters or the inner 2 cam bearings are bad and causes a hammering type sound. I have seen the bearing mush out on the bottoms and allow the cam to be unstable and make that noise. One reason that I polish all my cams on the bearing journals. Sometimes loss of oil pressure is a sign of this.
I hope it is the first thing. Much easier to fix!

Oil pressure is about 15 at idle and 30 at 2,000 RPM's. Same as it has been since I got the guage. Maybe a tad higher.

If I go that far it's not going back in the car...

Ordered the umbrella seals. Can you clarify how they install? I assume I just put them over the valve stem gusset. Do I need to put the O-ring back on the valve stem them or just leave them off? Removing them and re-installing them will likely kill them so I'd need new if I need to replace.

Just remove them and install the new Umbrella seals

MBHD

Yes but do I need to re-install the o-rings or not?

"Them" meaning remove the orings, do not buy new orings, do not install orings, install just the new umbrella seals.
MDHD

I agree, just make sure the umbrella seal seat down over the exist cast iron valve guide boss. They should push down over the boss.

Perfect. Thanks, guys. That's what I needed to know.

Well... after getting the rockers properly adjusted she knocks. Sounds like the back of the engine. Could be the oil pan as it's dented. Could be cam bearings.

I'm going to try thicker oil and see if it goes away. If not... might just get an LS.

One thing I forgot to mention: The idle is wandering and if I screw in the idle/air screws all the way the car still runs. Vacuum leak?

Wandering idle can be caused by sticky mechanical ignition advance or too soft springs on the flyweights.

Thanks! Didn't consider that. After adjusting valves the other night and running it a bit I didn't do a whole lot of digging but it did smooth out a bit when I unplugged the vacuum advance and plugged it. Not perfectly smooth but smoother.

I'm thinking you're right. I'll take off the cap, shoot it with carb cleaner, follow that with WD-40 and try it out.

So I started back into it again.

Pull the carb off, drained it, and set it aside for now.

Removed headers and intake.

Popped the cap off the distributor and cleaned it up. It did have some gunk in there.

Discovered my intake had a small leak at numbers 5 and 6.

Unbolted motor mount, got a piece of wood to put under the crank pulley, and jacked up the motor. Discovered my trans mount is shot.

Started removing bolts on the pan. Had to remove starter and bell housing dust guard

Threw in the towel at midnight.

2 am.

Just got it back together. No more knocking!!!

I was able to jack up the engine a bit and put a block under the crank pulley to hold it. Removed the oil pan screws and popped it off. Couldn't get it out though. That said I was able to push the oil pick up down just a hair, RTV'd the pan (couldn't change the seal. Not enough room to scrape the old out.), put it all back together, did a bunch of other while-I'm-in-there's, and fired her up at 1:50am. Ran smooth as silk!

I have to adjust the idle air mix then I'll get a video. She sounds like a new mustang GT with an exhaust. I think that's due to a combination of things in my favor.

We're going to take it for a drive tomorrow. About a 2 hr round trip. If there's any problems left they'll show up tomorrow.

I think you were right. Cleaned the vacuum advance under the cap and no more wandering.

https://youtu.be/Xeib6eoMn8c

Still have some fine tuning to do but she's running well now.

Sounds goood! Idle seems a bit fast...is that cause it drops so far when you put it in gear?

Idle is a bit fast because I still need to adjust the carb and timing. That and it drops a couple hundred rpm's when I go in gear.

All that aside I managed to bend a rim today. Two steps forward, one step back.

Sounds you were trying her out, glad to hear it's up and running.

You did quite a bit this last round. What do you think fixed the knocking sound?

I'm not really sure but I think it was the oil pick up just slightly interfering with the crank.

What valve springs did you go with?

Ian

The one's Comp recommended:
http://www.compperformancegroupstores.co...uct_Code=981-12

They're a double spring. Went right in after winning the battle removing the old.

I haven't driven the car much. Drove it about 60 miles after getting the rockers properly adjusted and setting everything up like it should be then hit a pothole, bent a rim, lost a tire and had to be towed home. I still have some adjusting to do on the choke and carb but it really pulls strong now. Even with my skyscraper tall rear end gears and a powerglide that doesn't shift at WOT until 60mph I can spin the tires. Can't make a cloud of rubber-smoke but she does OK.

Really does well at speed though. Definitely need a 200r4 or 700r4 now. Once I have that then it'll be on to an Eaton posi for a later turbo...

This is an excellent thread for cam /lifter info as well as break in procedures.

I was looking for a link to springs that for sure fit in a stock inline head. Thanks!

Thanks! When I do a major job on a car and I can't find much info I usually do a thread like this to 1) help myself and 2) help others.