It's Alive! It's Alive!

[femurphy77]

The title done in my best mad scientist voice of course. Still waiting on my service manual to arrive so another basic question, Sorry! I just got my recently acquired '92 fired. This is the one I tow dollied home in a PA Snowstorm a week and a half ago. The previous owner had said it had developed a tick in the engine that according to the local Dealer said was due to a spun cam bearing. I had to replace the ignition module to get it to run, YIPEE! Easy, cheap fix. Onto the ticking noise. The whole drive train was rattling when it fired and it was idling very rough so I shut it down and pulled a valve cover off and found every rocker nut loose. There is evidence the heads had been off recently and apparently they didn't replace the rocker locknuts. So the question is the proper way to adjust the rockers, is there a set position or just run them in until they stop making noise, back them off to noise and then back in to just beyond the quiet setting? I appreciate the assistance and while I'm waiting for a reply I'll be out in the garage putting the half shafts back in it. YAHOO! IT RUNS! FM, Indy

 

[lone73]

basket case?

Given what you said about it I believe at this point I'd just pull the heads and start from scratch. It might be worth it though to go ahead and adjust them properly and see if you can do a successful compression check on the cylinders, (a leak down wouldn't hurt either) to get some idea about the bottom end, then pull 'em. Sounds like you have a real project car on your hands. I wonder how long it's been since it ran last.

I'd be real suspicious of it, sounds like someone started on a fix or rebuild or something, got cold feet, slapped it half azzed back together and put it up on e-bay. I don't mean to sound negative but you could end up wasting a lot of time on it chasing down and trying to fix somene elses screw ups. That's about the condition my '73 as in when I bought it. :ugh
At one point in my efforts to solve an intermittent miss I was taking the intake manifold off the original motor, I thought, 'ok, this thing has been on there at least a few years. I'm gonna have to probably pry it off'. I got all the bolts out grabbed it with both hands and gave it a tug just to see how stuck it was. I almost fell over backwards when the thing just lifted right up - wasn't stuck down at all. It had obviously been off VERY recently before I bought it. I never did figure out the miss prob, slapped in a new motor.

good luck bud...
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[femurphy77]

No, a project!

For what I gave for the car I can put in a new GM crate engine, sell it for fair market and still realize a small profit. This is of course considering my labor as free. Good thing I enjoy tinkering. On to what you were saying about doing a leakdown etc., is it a bad thing when you pull the plugs out and they all have small water droplets on them? All except two of them that is, those two were like pulling your finger out of the dike. Kind of what I expected though, after shutting it down earlier to adjust the valves I found a bypass hose split wide open, I replaced it, filled the radiator with water then started the car and immediately filled the garage with clouds of steam. Uh oh. Gotta keep telling myself that it's a good thing that I enjoy tinkering. In keeping up the good karma I am going to pull the intake and hopefully find a poorly installed gasket. Of course even if I do I'll still pull the heads. On a positive note there doesn't appear to be any moisture in the oil. Of course it may be a moot point. Good thing I enjoy tinkering.

 

[lone73]

Since you got the car cheap (and you enjoy tinkering) I suppose you're right, it's a project !! Have fun !!! Sounds like you're going to have lots and lots of it.

You won't be able to do a compression check with the head gaskets blown obviously. Sounds like someone took them off and just set them back on there. Are the head bolts tight? Are they even the correct heads for an LT1 motor??? You definitely need the advising of someone far more experienced than me, say like, Grumpy or someone.

I believe I'd just pull the motor and start with a fresh rebuild. It's sounding more and more that your car is about like my '73 was when I bought it. Keep us posted on your progress and discoveries - I'm interested...
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[G Winter]

steam = water in cyl. or exhaust ports. I would bet you have head gaskets of cracked head problems.