Almost destroyed my engine today...

[Mrturner1]

Well I got pretty lucky today, it looks like I may just need gaskets and a pushrod.

I was checking lash today and everything seemed fine, I had heard a loose one and found it in the #4 cylinder exhaust valve. Tightened it up and reassembled and went for a test drive. Opened her right up turning on to the main road and felt really weird like it was misfiring. Turned around and went straight home, pulled the valve covers and the #6 intake pushrod had dropped all the way down, just barely showing enough to grab with some tiny needle nose pliers and pull it out. My Comp polylocks are not holding for some reason. It's the little Allen head screw inside the polylock, they keep stripping out even when I'm givin. Them the 8 #'s of torque the book says to use. Are there better polylocks? Anyway, grabbed a new pushrod out of my stash and tried to set it on the lifter and kept dropping it in....I thought it was an easy fix, but after shining a flashlight down the hole I can see the cam lobe where the lifter should be, so apperently the cam lobe kicked the lifter out of its hole, and now I have to tear the top end apart AGAIN and find my lifter, replace, reassemble with a new pushrod, and then get back to roasting some tire.

I set a new personal record though lol 1 month of driving the truck and no wrenching

Thank goodness it's not worse because I'm sure it could've been expensive

[68bowtie]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

Well I got pretty lucky today, it looks like I may just need gaskets and a pushrod.

I was checking lash today and everything seemed fine, I had heard a loose one and found it in the #4 cylinder exhaust valve. Tightened it up and reassembled and went for a test drive. Opened her right up turning on to the main road and felt really weird like it was misfiring. Turned around and went straight home, pulled the valve covers and the #6 intake pushrod had dropped all the way down, just barely showing enough to grab with some tiny needle nose pliers and pull it out. My Comp polylocks are not holding for some reason. It's the little Allen head screw inside the polylock, they keep stripping out even when I'm givin. Them the 8 #'s of torque the book says to use. Are there better polylocks? Anyway, grabbed a new pushrod out of my stash and tried to set it on the lifter and kept dropping it in....I thought it was an easy fix, but after shining a flashlight down the hole I can see the cam lobe where the lifter should be, so apperently the cam lobe kicked the lifter out of its hole, and now I have to tear the top end apart AGAIN and find my lifter, replace, reassemble with a new pushrod, and then get back to roasting some tire.

I set a new personal record though lol 1 month of driving the truck and no wrenching

Thank goodness it's not worse because I'm sure it could've been expensive

yikes! hope everything's ok inside there. ha that's funny, a month without wrenching and now this...

[cypressbog]

I know the feeling of after spending hard earned money on something important and it turns out bad. Glad you saved a total catastrophy.

[Mrturner1]

I was trying to think of some kind of magnet on a flexible stick to fish around in there and grab the lifter, and see if I could finagle it back in the lifter bore to avoid pulling the intake manifold, but I don't have any experience like that so it's questionable whether it would work or not

[LockDoc]

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If you could find someone with a bore scope or automotive inspection camera you could insert it into the pushrod hole to see where it is at....

LockDoc

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

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If you could find someone with a bore scope or automotive inspection camera you could insert it into the pushrod hole to see where it is at....

LockDoc

That's a good idea, if J can figure out a way I'll take a video

[Grumpy old man]

Agh, what wicked webs we weave when we have the need for speed ! I wonder if you can get a discount on intake gaskets by the dozen ? Haha , Having fun yet ?
Posted via Mobile Device

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

Agh, what wicked webs we weave when we have the need for speed ! I wonder if you can get a discount on intake gaskets by the dozen ? Haha , Having fun yet ?
Posted via Mobile Device

I've used 5 sets in the last year lol

Now I'm wondering if there are better polylocks though. These Comp ones seemed to strip out easily.

[BugzC10]

Is it 8 foot pounds of torque or inch pounds? I understand the studs must be flat on top for the polylocks to stay tight.

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by BugzC10

Is it 8 foot pounds of torque or inch pounds? I understand the studs must be flat on top for the polylocks to stay tight.

I think it's inch pounds.

[randy500]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

I've used 5 sets in the last year lol

Now I'm wondering if there are better polylocks though. These Comp ones seemed to strip out easily.

I used to buy those intake gaskets, sets of 10 for about $4 each, there was a chevy parts supplier from one of the hot rod magazine ads, you could get mcchord or felpro, came in a plastic bag without the box, good gaskets.

[Mrturner1]

The Edelbrock gaskets work great, it's the polylocks that are failing.

[Mrturner1]

Anybody know of a tool with a magnet on the end I could fish the lifter back into the bore with?

[68is4me]

Not sure about the poly locks (are they plastic?) and it has been about 10 years since I have worked on locks. When I used play around with that kind of stuff I would put blue Loctite on the allen screw for a little extra protection. I would also take a wrench and wiggle the wrench while I tighten the screw. Never torqued them just kind of guessed and never had one loosen up.

[dazza]

I had one similar to this, just not sure if the magnet will be strong enough. Take an old lifter when shopping to make sure it will pick it up easily.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lisle-Min...g&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by dazza

I had one similar to this, just not sure if the magnet will be strong enough. Take an old lifter when shopping to make sure it will pick it up easily.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lisle-Min...g&gclsrc=aw.ds

That's perfect! I'll be stopping by Home Depot on my way home from work

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by dazza

I had one similar to this, just not sure if the magnet will be strong enough. Take an old lifter when shopping to make sure it will pick it up easily.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Lisle-Min...g&gclsrc=aw.ds

Good call man! I went to Home Depot and got one, and it actually worked. I fished around until I heard a little "clink" noise and felt it grab something, and pulled it slowly up as clear as I could to the head near the guide plates where I was peeking through with a flashlight, finagled it around a bit until the pushrod pocket (grammar?) was facing up, slid it down into the lifter bore, popped a pushrod in there and fired it right up. BUT, I watched it run with the valve cover off, and all the other ones are getting oil up through the pushrods like they're supposed to, but not the one I had to fish for. Is my miracle story not so much of a miracle now??? What do you guys think

[snj8198]

Fix it til ya brake it Matt! We know you can! Root'n for ya.

I think a group vote should be taken. I vote Matt has to wear a video cam every time he picks up a wrench.

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by snj8198

Fix it til ya brake it Matt! We know you can! Root'n for ya.

I think a group vote should be taken. I vote Matt has to wear a video cam every time he picks up a wrench.

Thank you I needed that laugh I don't think I'm gonna be able to fish out the lifter so off comes the intake, and I was right in the middle of being frustrated when I read your post lol so, so true.

PS I "fixed" that old 280H hydraulic cam with a big ole custom ground solid one, bout 10 more degrees of duration and it's on a very street unfriendly 106 LSA, I love it, but don't tell GrumpyOldMan OR Gasoline71 cuz I'll never hear the end of it.

[Grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

Thank you I needed that laugh I don't think I'm gonna be able to fish out the lifter so off comes the intake, and I was right in the middle of being frustrated when I read your post lol so, so true.

PS I "fixed" that old 280H hydraulic cam with a big ole custom ground solid one, bout 10 more degrees of duration and it's on a very street unfriendly 106 LSA, I love it, but don't tell GrumpyOldMan OR Gasoline71 cuz I'll never hear the end of it.

OMG ! Your next new thread will be " New cam Thrashed my engine !" or " Is this normal ?" insert picture of rod thru block . I vote for the "Matt wrenching camera !
Posted via Mobile Device

[snj8198]

Originally Posted by Grumpy old man

OMG ! Your next new thread will be " New cam Thrashed my engine !" or " Is this normal ?" insert picture of rod thru block . I vote for the "Matt wrenching camera !
Posted via Mobile Device

" Is this normal ?" insert picture of rod thru block .

Yep, it's a third motor mount!

Matt, did the threads in the lock give or the threads on the set screw? I run the Comp Cams poly locks on mine too and they always feel secure. They don't need much. You musta He-manned them down thinking that monster cam was going to fling the push rods right out the valve covers!

[GASoline71]

Originally Posted by Mrturner1

Thank you I needed that laugh I don't think I'm gonna be able to fish out the lifter so off comes the intake, and I was right in the middle of being frustrated when I read your post lol so, so true.

PS I "fixed" that old 280H hydraulic cam with a big ole custom ground solid one, bout 10 more degrees of duration and it's on a very street unfriendly 106 LSA, I love it, but don't tell GrumpyOldMan OR Gasoline71 cuz I'll never hear the end of it.

HAHA!

Kid... I've was driving big cammed and over carbed engines with loose converters on the street before you were born.

Someone earlier said... "fix it till ya break it". I would have to agree. I've never seen anyone "fix" stuff more on an engine that could probably just be left alone... well, I do have a buddy with a 1967 Chevelle that does the same thing. Guess what? He can never drive the dang thing because he's always "fixing" it!

If you get this taken care of and get it back on the street... you seriously need to put a lock on the hood and throw away the key!

Gary

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by GASoline71

HAHA!

Kid... I've was driving big cammed and over carbed engines with loose converters on the street before you were born.

Someone earlier said... "fix it till ya break it". I would have to agree. I've never seen anyone "fix" stuff more on an engine that could probably just be left alone... well, I do have a buddy with a 1967 Chevelle that does the same thing. Guess what? He can never drive the dang thing because he's always "fixing" it!

If you get this taken care of and get it back on the street... you seriously need to put a lock on the hood and throw away the key!

Gary

I read up on somethings lately that may change the course of my next build....MAY change lol I was reading about Volumetric Efficiency, man what an eye opener haha

[snj8198]

it's on a very street unfriendly 106 LSA, I love it

ya but your motor isn't loving it, it's spitting lifters out

it's like it's talking to you.

[Mrturner1]

Originally Posted by snj8198

ya but your motor isn't loving it, it's spitting lifters out

it's like it's talking to you.

I broke the cam in last week, drove around a bit after resetting lash, then checked again and it needed tightened, and while I was tightened a few of the Allen nuts that go in the top of the polylocks I was thinking "man that feels like it's on the verge of bein stripped out, maybe I should hold off and order a new set......" but that's NEVER happened lol wait? no way it needs to run now