Does this sound like Bad Valve Adjusting?
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,032
Likes: 2
From: Newburgh NY
Does this sound like Bad Valve Adjusting?
Got the engine back together in my project car after replacing the head gaskets. Engine is a 93 Lt1 Aluminum heads, roller hydraulic rockers, and converted to a carb from TPI.
The engine was running great before but had a slight water leak out of the heads. I started it up for the first time today and it's running like @#$%. It's blowing a ton of choking smoke, the plugs are fouling bad, and its running real rough. I checked and I am sure the distributor is in correctly. It's not backfiring back up through the carb. Just choking.
Could I have overtightened the valves and maybe one or more are staying open? I set them to where I couldn't turn the push rods any more and then went about 3/4 turn.
Any other suggestions?
It's getting a little discouraging, especially being I see now that there's also a little oil coming out of the back of the manifold. This is really called learning things the hard way. :cry
The engine was running great before but had a slight water leak out of the heads. I started it up for the first time today and it's running like @#$%. It's blowing a ton of choking smoke, the plugs are fouling bad, and its running real rough. I checked and I am sure the distributor is in correctly. It's not backfiring back up through the carb. Just choking.
Could I have overtightened the valves and maybe one or more are staying open? I set them to where I couldn't turn the push rods any more and then went about 3/4 turn.
Any other suggestions?
It's getting a little discouraging, especially being I see now that there's also a little oil coming out of the back of the manifold. This is really called learning things the hard way. :cry 
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 287
Likes: 0
From: Wildwood IL
Re: Does this sound like Bad Valve Adjusting? (78Vette-SA)
I had something similar happen to me. Did you remember to follow the proper sequence for tightening the rocker arms down? You can do half of them at #1 TDC and the other half after rotating the crank 360 to #6TDC. On my 350 at #1tdc, you can adjust exhaust 1,3,4,8 and intake 1,2,5,7. At #6tdc, you can do exhaust 2,5,6,7 and intake 3,4,6,8. This is right out of my 77 chevy service manual. The other method is to mark off 90 degree increments on the balancer and starting at #1tdc, do #1, then rotate 90 degrees and do the next in the firing order.
I dunno if this is your problem, but I made this stupid mistake once myself and had all maner of problems until I read the fm.
good luck!
tom
I dunno if this is your problem, but I made this stupid mistake once myself and had all maner of problems until I read the fm.
good luck!
tom
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,341
Likes: 6
". . . and converted to a carb from TPI."
"The engine was running great before . . ."
Is this the first time the engine was fired with the carb in place? If it is, it is quite likely the carb is in need of some tuning.
"The engine was running great before . . ."
Is this the first time the engine was fired with the carb in place? If it is, it is quite likely the carb is in need of some tuning.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,032
Likes: 2
From: Newburgh NY
Re: Does this sound like Bad Valve Adjusting? (78Vette-SA)
Tom - After getting all of them to where they were just snug, starting with the #1 cylinder I clicked the key until one or the other (intake or exhaust) were down, then I adjusted the one that was up. I went all around the engine this way.
I just backed them all off a 1/2 turn and restarted it. Same thing.
45ACP - I have had it running with the Carb before and it ran great. Took it apart to fix a tiny water leak from the head (dummy me forgot to put sealer on the head bolts. Antoher hard lesson learned).
I know this is something simple I'm missing. I've been out there staring at it and walking over everything that I did (or didn't do).
Thanks!
I just backed them all off a 1/2 turn and restarted it. Same thing.
45ACP - I have had it running with the Carb before and it ran great. Took it apart to fix a tiny water leak from the head (dummy me forgot to put sealer on the head bolts. Antoher hard lesson learned).
I know this is something simple I'm missing. I've been out there staring at it and walking over everything that I did (or didn't do).
Thanks!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,341
Likes: 6
Ok.
Which plugs are fouling? All of them? Only one?
Are both banks smoking equally?
Is she drinking oil (level in crank case going down) or are you certain that it is excessive fuel?
[Modified by 45ACP, 2:17 PM 2/2/2002]
Which plugs are fouling? All of them? Only one?
Are both banks smoking equally?
Is she drinking oil (level in crank case going down) or are you certain that it is excessive fuel?
[Modified by 45ACP, 2:17 PM 2/2/2002]
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,032
Likes: 2
From: Newburgh NY
Re: (45ACP)
It's all the plugs and both banks smoking. the valves are definately not too tight as I loosened them up. I also went through the sequence and watched them and both intake and exhaust are opening and closing when they should.
It looks and smells like gas on the plugs. I pulled a couple out again and they are wet and shiny. I'm gonna let them sit a few minutes to see if it's gas and evaps off.
This is really @#$%ing me off.
Thanks again.
It looks and smells like gas on the plugs. I pulled a couple out again and they are wet and shiny. I'm gonna let them sit a few minutes to see if it's gas and evaps off.
This is really @#$%ing me off.
Thanks again.
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 3,631
Likes: 14
From: Fountain Hills AZ
Re: Does this sound like Bad Valve Adjusting? (78Vette-SA)
I suspect an oil leak through the intake manifold gasket You're gonna have to pull it anyway to fix the leak at the rear. I doubt that you are eager to do this over again but I don't see another alternative. We learn by our mistakes, or if were lucky, we learn by other's :)
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Every 2027 Corvette Engine Explained
Joe Kucinski
Designer Imagines A Corvette That Looks More Like a Corvette Than the Corvette
Verdad Gallardo
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 7,032
Likes: 2
From: Newburgh NY
Re: Does this sound like Bad Valve Adjusting? (Vetterodder)
Rhys - I played with the choke but lots more seems to be going on than that.
VetteRodder - you may be on to something because there is definately oil leaking out of the back of the manifold. There also seems to be oil running out from the corner of the head which is real strange as I could understand water coming out there as it did before, but not oil. I looked all over the back of the engine though and I don't see how it could run down the back that much.
It's Sunday morning at 9am. I'm about to go out to the garage and strip it down to the block again and start over. This is killing me though as I've now gotten nothing else accomplished in the last 3 weekends.
I really thought I could do a better job at this. I'm depressing myself.
VetteRodder - you may be on to something because there is definately oil leaking out of the back of the manifold. There also seems to be oil running out from the corner of the head which is real strange as I could understand water coming out there as it did before, but not oil. I looked all over the back of the engine though and I don't see how it could run down the back that much.
It's Sunday morning at 9am. I'm about to go out to the garage and strip it down to the block again and start over. This is killing me though as I've now gotten nothing else accomplished in the last 3 weekends.
I really thought I could do a better job at this. I'm depressing myself.
