bumperkar kid

i have a 1966 427-390h.p. that the number 2 cylinder intake rocker assembly is bone dry. the motor is fresh. the other 15 cylinders are normal. the motor runs fine except after a few hundred miles the lifter on number 2 intake starts to make alot of clatter when hot or cold. i thought the lifter was bad as the push rod and rocker were not plugged. i replaced the lifter, push rod, and rocker. the problem still persists. i tore it down again to inspect the lifter galley and it also is clear. i've allready stumped two mechanics and one engine builder with big block experience. is there anybody out there that can help me. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. thanks!!!!!!! :chevy

pittsaj

I'm not a Big Block guy but

Oil is fed from the galley, I wonder if you could have a spun cam bearing..
Or an incorrect cam bearing..

That oil is being bloced by something...
Sure can't keave it that way

There a re many Big Block experts here I know they will have their finger on the pulse of your problem fast

Good luck

Tony


[Modified by pittsaj, 8:53 PM 6/16/2002]

GregP

Limited expertise but ..

If you've still got the intake off, pull the lifter in question and run an oil primer to see if your getting oil flow from the block passage.

If you see good oil flow, then check the bore for the lifter and the lifter diameter (I don't have the clearance spec but it should be in some rebuild manuals, or you can compare it to the adjacent lifter). If the clearance is too large it may be letting the oild weep past the lifter and not giving enough presure to force it through the lifter.

-Greg

Kid_Again

...good advice here..you say the engine is "fresh"......has the lifter problem been evident ever since you had the engine rebuilt?......your engine requires a cam which has a rear grooved bearing surface to allow adequate oil pressure to the passenger side - and you have a problem on #2, so that's where i'm headed.....had the very same problem with clatter on #2, it was not dry but the previous owner had the wrong cam installed.......


..i agree that you should pull the distributor and run the oil pump manually just so you can be sure of the problem - since you have a dry lifter under normal conditions, this is more for peace of mind than anything else....

...i would not drive that car until you solve the problem......if the wrong cam is installed, you have low oil pressure on the entire right bank and you are running a serious $ risk.....good luck...


...btw, is it a correct block or at least an earlier bb?....the later bb's don't have a grooved cam/bearing - other folks will know the change-over time



[Modified by Kid_Again, 7:23 AM 6/17/2002]

TheOman

Check clearence of that lifter in that lifter bore. I had a SBC with a wrecked lifter bore. Mine was VERY lose and I missed it during the build up because I had sufficient moly on the lifter sides and lifter face to take up the slack. I also had sufficien beer inside me to limit my ability to catch such subtile problems. Once things warmed up tick tick tick. Shut it off let everything cool including the oil. restart and everything was ok till the oil warmed up then tick tick tick.

Not to say yours will behave this way but you should eliminate the lifter bore being warn as a possible source of the problem. No matter what I did to set the lifters I could not stop the ticking. Oil will escape thru the oversize bore and dribble down to the cam instead of being pumped up to the rocker area after going thru the lifter.

As I recall on the SB all lifters down stream of the bad lifter bore got insufficient oil and also ticked. Not sure how the BB lifters are oiled and not sure if the oil moves front to rear or rear to front. Even if I was sure on the direction of oil flow thru the galley on the SB it would not mean that the BB is the same. I know the SB oil flows along from lifter to lifter, a little is sent up top for the rockers and springs. The farthest lifters away from the pump as defined by the direction of the oil flow not just by the distance as the crow flies from the pump to the lifter get the least oil pressure (relatively speaking that is) They get it last on start up. I just can't recall what cyl I had the problem on nor can I recall if lifters to the front ot to the rear of the block got insufficient oil. I do recall tha thte cylinder with the bad lifter bore was 4, 6, 5 or 3

I had to disassemble the motor and have a specialty machine shop sleeve the lifter bore, The General even makes sleeves but the machinist I used made up his own sleeve. cleaned up the shape of the worn bore and pressed in the sleeve.


[Modified by TheOman, 6:59 AM 6/17/2002]


[Modified by TheOman, 2:35 PM 6/17/2002]

bumperkar kid

hey gang, thanks for all the ideas. it's an early big block(10/10/65). i think i might have stumbled on the prob though. after the first time the push rod and rocker were not plugged. i thought the second time was the same so i pulled it apart again and never checked the rocker or push rod. last night out of the clear blue i picked up the new push rod and blew into it and nothing. it was plugged this time. so, i figure the first time the clog was in the lifter galley then moved the second time to the push rod, i hope. i'm still going to get all the ideas i can before i put it back together again. so keep them coming. thanks!!!!!! :chevy

Kid_Again

...as usual, back to basics :rolleyes:

CHRISP

It's strange that I should find this topic today since I ran accross the exact same thing last night in my 62 w/327 while doing a valve adjustment. I pulled the pushrod and was able to blow right through it. My question, if I do find a bad lifter, should I replace just the one or should I do them all? The engine has 12k miles on it's rebuild according to the odometer.

bumperkar kid

i think just do like i did. seeing that the motor is fresh. you can tell when you get inside just by looking at the parts. just replace the one needed. if there is still a problem, you'll have to tear it down again. it's only a couple hour job anyway! hopefully your's will be an easy fix like i'm hoping mine will be when i get time to put it back together. good luck!! :chevy