How not to fix an engine problem
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
How not to fix an engine problem
How fixed my pushrod issue.
(not in a C4 but know a couple of you get it)
1-Hooked vacuum gauge up saw it fluttered, immediately pulled valvecover
2-Found bent pushrods, lots of them.
Fix? Replace pushrods and drive it. If something was bent youd know. Simple.
My Fix
Tear new motor with 60 miles out of car.
Pull heads off discover nothing was broken bent or had contact to elminiate paranoia.
Realize I had cheap pushrods and the motor was fine.
Build 385 stroker, up the compression more cam more porting
Build it to the point it will be as reliable as a cheap crack ho
So in case that mysterious "race of all races" pops up..kind of like the Phantom car in the Speed Racer cartoon shows up out of nowhere Im ready...lol
Its out there I know it.
Oh yes, Then put new pushrods in it.
The car disease only gets worse
(not in a C4 but know a couple of you get it)
1-Hooked vacuum gauge up saw it fluttered, immediately pulled valvecover
2-Found bent pushrods, lots of them.
Fix? Replace pushrods and drive it. If something was bent youd know. Simple.
My Fix
Tear new motor with 60 miles out of car.
Pull heads off discover nothing was broken bent or had contact to elminiate paranoia.
Realize I had cheap pushrods and the motor was fine.
Build 385 stroker, up the compression more cam more porting
Build it to the point it will be as reliable as a cheap crack ho
So in case that mysterious "race of all races" pops up..kind of like the Phantom car in the Speed Racer cartoon shows up out of nowhere Im ready...lol
Its out there I know it.
Oh yes, Then put new pushrods in it.
The car disease only gets worse
Last edited by cv67; Mar 10, 2011 at 08:40 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 1,642
Likes: 0
From: Suwanee,Ga
How fixed my pushrod issue.
(not in a C4 but know a couple of you get it)
1-Hooked vacuum gauge up saw it fluttered, immediately pulled valvecover
2-Found bent pushrods, lots of them.
Fix? Replace pushrods and drive it. If something was bent youd know. Simple.
My Fix
Tear new motor with 60 miles out of car.
Pull heads off discover nothing was broken bent or had contact to elminiate paranoia.
Realize I had cheap pushrods and the motor was fine.
Build 385 stroker, up the compression more cam more porting
Build it to the point it will be as reliable as a cheap crack ho
So in case that mysterious "race of all races" pops up..kind of like the Phantom car in the Speed Racer cartoon shows up out of nowhere Im ready...lol
Its out there I know it.
Oh yes, Then put new pushrods in it.
The car disease only gets worse
(not in a C4 but know a couple of you get it)
1-Hooked vacuum gauge up saw it fluttered, immediately pulled valvecover
2-Found bent pushrods, lots of them.
Fix? Replace pushrods and drive it. If something was bent youd know. Simple.
My Fix
Tear new motor with 60 miles out of car.
Pull heads off discover nothing was broken bent or had contact to elminiate paranoia.
Realize I had cheap pushrods and the motor was fine.
Build 385 stroker, up the compression more cam more porting
Build it to the point it will be as reliable as a cheap crack ho
So in case that mysterious "race of all races" pops up..kind of like the Phantom car in the Speed Racer cartoon shows up out of nowhere Im ready...lol
Its out there I know it.
Oh yes, Then put new pushrods in it.
The car disease only gets worse
That is a funny story.
I have done worse things,
Like: after putting on those new headers with the P in A locking bolts , looking up [ as I turn the key] and wondering what that exhaust gasket is doing laying on the windshield wipers?
A Sam Kennison moment follows
Ah.. Ah!! AAHH!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
Racer
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: edgerton WI
How about changing opti, getting ready to test start the car and seeing the water pump drive collar sitting on the bench. SON OF A B!!!H!!!
I also learned how to put the harmonic balancer back on with the water pump on the engine .
I also learned how to put the harmonic balancer back on with the water pump on the engine .
Last edited by 84vette96; Mar 10, 2011 at 01:28 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 12,221
Likes: 446
From: Overland Park Kansas
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C4 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
I'm surprised (out of all the parts you installed), you picked "cheap" p-rods. Are you sure that's all it was?
OTOH, my solution to bad injectors was a 383. Seems fair you built one for a p-rod issue!
Are you putting those dart heads back on?
OTOH, my solution to bad injectors was a 383. Seems fair you built one for a p-rod issue!
Are you putting those dart heads back on?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 81,241
Likes: 3,063
From: altered state
St. Jude Donor '05
Didnt intentionally pick "cheap", back then it was what they had, hardened 1 piece .80 thou thick. It was cheap metal with a good heat treat (58 rockwell) on the outside which really doesnt mean anything. The inside you could take a pick to and the metal would practically scoop out.Put one in a vice and just barely pushed on it and it was gone. 
Yes thats all it was. Lobes were a little on the agressive side. IMO maybe that works good with smaller cams/less rpm but perhaps with ones that have a good spring behind them and turn some rpm it may do more harm than good and find weak links quick. Found it lol.
No valve/piston contact. Pushrods were the fusible link, so to speak.
Picked a cam with a genter ramp
-Probably going to reuse the Darts, noone has stepped up and wanted to buy them, would love a set of Comp Port 210s but the Darts will work fine for what Im doing, little big for a 350 though.
Choices were
-Pushrods and run it (cheapest and smartest route)
-AFR C. Port 210 heads, mill heads/shim gasket to up CR and cam it (maybe). Darts were a little big for a 350
-Stroke/cam it, reuse the Darts as noones wanted them. Still available...for a little bit.
Money was just about the same motor was apart anyway so...
Keep the stories coming, misery loves company lol
Yes thats all it was. Lobes were a little on the agressive side. IMO maybe that works good with smaller cams/less rpm but perhaps with ones that have a good spring behind them and turn some rpm it may do more harm than good and find weak links quick. Found it lol.
No valve/piston contact. Pushrods were the fusible link, so to speak.
Picked a cam with a genter ramp
-Probably going to reuse the Darts, noone has stepped up and wanted to buy them, would love a set of Comp Port 210s but the Darts will work fine for what Im doing, little big for a 350 though.
Choices were
-Pushrods and run it (cheapest and smartest route)
-AFR C. Port 210 heads, mill heads/shim gasket to up CR and cam it (maybe). Darts were a little big for a 350
-Stroke/cam it, reuse the Darts as noones wanted them. Still available...for a little bit.
Money was just about the same motor was apart anyway so...
Keep the stories coming, misery loves company lol
Last edited by cv67; Mar 10, 2011 at 03:15 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 5,866
Likes: 60
From: Hellinois
Finalist 2020 C4 of the Year - Modified
When I rebuilt ottawabarbers engine I made a real bonehead move. It was the first one piece rear main seal engine I had ever done. I had the engine back in the car with everything bolted up & very little assembly left to do. I was taking a break when I looked in the gasket box and saw the half circle gasket that was SUPPOSED to be between the seal housing & the block. Ever seen a grown man cry??
