Scuncio Chevelle ex-L78

[TomN]

I have taken the engine out of the car. I never could get the valve train noise stopped. I did check the valve lash the other day, doing a go - no go. Lash was right where I put it as a 0.002 larger feeler gauge wouldn't go in any of them. But still the valve train noise.
Then a whole new noise started - I feel it was something deeper in the engine. What little I ran the engine, not over 10 mins., the next 2 days the engine made the noise. Then, on the third day, the new noise went away and I was left with the valve train noise.
So the engine is out and I will start trying to figure out what the issue/issues are.
The oil has been drained - and I didn't/don't see any metal at all in it

[L72Chevelle]

Tom cut the oil filter open and have a look inside. Might find material stuck in the filter pleats.

[TomN]

I will L72Chevelle .... I am going to look in the bottom of the oil pan too when I get it off

[SS427]

I just had one go down on me a couple weeks ago. 1st one in over 40 years.

[SuperNovaSS]

Tom,

This may be a silly question but can you explain what the valve train noise sounds like? Solid lifter cams are known for being noisy. I’m sorry to hear there was another noise and you had to pull the engine. I’m sure you will get to the bottom of it.

Jason

[Schonyenko2]

Rick, the Comp we put in my Chevelle project went bad at break in. Motor builder been doing it for 40+ years. He had another one go bad in a 350 right after that. Issue could be bad cores (cams made in China) or lifters with bad angles. I went with a Clay Smith (Made in USA) cam. Really like it.

[the427king]

Glad to see the posts about this , the next step for me was putting the block in a cc machine and relocate the lifter bores/bush at a ridiculous cost. But the motor ran all its life w no problem Spring pressure good. Just had two motors in a row wipe cams outdone of the motors two times in a row !!!!!!!!. Second time went with lifters w holes in bottom. run of the mill 327s. has to be bad parts. Lifters were scalloped out like nothing the shop ever saw before . Most vendors wont sell lifters wo cams due to the shortage right now .Elgin cam and comp products lifters. Junk parts. Rollers from now on. You'd think it wouldn't be parts 3 times , but it seems like everyone else is having the same problem too.

[Billohio]

My engine builder is about 70 years old and does mostly performance engines, drag cars, pulling tractors and stuff. He has pretty much quit using non roller cams. Had several Comp failures. Lately he is using howards cams and they have billet ones that are reasonable

[TomN]

Testing

[TomN]

Well after taking the engine apart I cannot find anything wrong but I do know what's in it now. Cast nodular iron crank turned 20 on the mains and 10 on the rods. Factory rods with up graded bolts (marked with an "R" on top). From the pads on the bottom of the rods, it looks like the engine was balanced. It has what looks to be Sealed Power cast piston that are 40 over with about a 0.200 dome. And a Comp cam L/78 solid lifter cam and lifters.
I cut the oil filter open and found nothing. Oil pan has some moly in the bottom, probably from the cam break in lube.
SuperNovaSS (Jason) ask what it sounded like ... well it sounded like a lifter that was a little out of adjustment, a ticking sound. The second sound that I heard (the one that went away) was more like a rod bearing (a knock).
But all I have found is where the header gaskets were leaking on several of the exhaust ports. I'm thinking that may have been the problem or problems.
Some of my friends that heard it think that can't be right but are starting to think it is because there is just nothing wrong with the engine.
I hate to think I pulled the engine for exhaust gaskets but I can't find anything else.
I have gotten the pipe plug out of the cylinder head where the temp. sending unit go while the engine is apart - so there that.
I guess the laughs on me but I couldn't run the engine not knowing after what I thought I heard (and others heard).