? tell if lash adjusters are bad with cams in ?

Blackone51

Member
Oct 30, 2008
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I was wondering if you can tell if any of the lash adjusters are bad while the cams are still in place? One of them looks a little more compressed than all the rest of them. Also was wondering if the different colored link on the timing chains should line up with the raised mark on the cam sprockets every time it comes around? I took the valve covers off today and the different colored links don't line up with the mark on the cam sprocket. Thanks much!
 
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Well, if one does look different (compressed more) then it is most likely bad. If you get that lobe so that the base circle of the cam is on the follower can you push the lash adjuster up and down? It should be solid.

The links will NOT line up every time. If you start with the links lined up it will take 42 turns of the motor for them to line back up again. So, if you want to check alignment you will have to turn the motor over between 1 and 42 times. :p I would suggest you remove the spark plugs before doing this. Makes it much easier.

Riley
 
I was wondering if you can tell if any of the lash adjusters are bad while the cams are still in place? One of them looks a little more compressed than all the rest of them.

Lash adjusters virtually never go "bad." They're hydraulic devices. Some have slightly larger clearances than others and bleed down a bit faster, especially when subjected to spring pressure and no oil pressure. Once the engine starts and the oil pressure comes up, they'll almost always recover. It helps to "prime" them by putting them in oil for 24 hours if they've bled down but they'll pump up on their own too. If the engine's been badly neglected, if the top end was starved for oil or is very dirty and sludgy, then yes, some HLAs might get stuck or fouled. But generally, they're very simple, very reliable parts.

Also was wondering if the different colored link on the timing chains should line up with the raised mark on the cam sprockets every time it comes around? I took the valve covers off today and the different colored links don't line up with the mark on the cam sprocket. Thanks much!

No, this won't happen on every cycle. It will take many turns for the links to line up again. See my post here in another thread on this issue.
 
No, this won't happen on every cycle. It will take many turns for the links to line up again. See my post here in another thread on this issue.

Going from your link you have it would seem to be that it takes 116 turns for the chains to line up again and you proved it with cold hard math. However, when I did my first set of cams I know I rotated the motor until they lined up again and I'm pretty sure it took much less than 116 time..

Maybe I spaced out and missed a couple of turns.. :)

Riley
 
I'm trying to find this gosh darn ticking noise I have so I can install my D1sc. It only starts ticking when the car is warm, not at all at idle, starts with light load past 2000 rpms, if I hit it goes away and comes back when you let off the pedal. It gets a little worst the longer you drive it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! I don't want to wait till my MMR 800 with all the extras to come in, that means no blower till next summer:(
 
I'm trying to find this gosh darn ticking noise I have so I can install my D1sc. It only starts ticking when the car is warm, not at all at idle, starts with light load past 2000 rpms, if I hit it goes away and comes back when you let off the pedal. It gets a little worst the longer you drive it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! I don't want to wait till my MMR 800 with all the extras to come in, that means no blower till next summer:(

We should start a club and get jackets. I have the same problem, I have done everything short of tearing into the short block.

Theres a video of mine in this thread, sound like yours?

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/788931-help-unknown-knock-driving-me-crazy.html
 
We should start a club and get jackets. I have the same problem, I have done everything short of tearing into the short block.

There's a video of mine in this thread, sound like yours?

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/788931-help-unknown-knock-driving-me-crazy.html

Symptoms are the same put mine is alot more faint than your vid. Some other forum I went to, a guy had the same stuff going on and his turned out to be a bad rod bearing. You would think mechanical failures wouldn't change with the temperature of the engine but in his case it did so I'm at a loss. Should I just throw the blower on and see what happens? :shrug: I don't know what to do it's hard to have a blower sitting looking at you every night.:mad: Might have to just suck it up and wait for the new block.
 
I'm trying to find this gosh darn ticking noise I have so I can install my D1sc. It only starts ticking when the car is warm, not at all at idle, starts with light load past 2000 rpms, if I hit it goes away and comes back when you let off the pedal. It gets a little worst the longer you drive it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! I don't want to wait till my MMR 800 with all the extras to come in, that means no blower till next summer:(

A lash adjuster noise would not be sensitive to engine load. Sounds like you may have a rod bearing or piston skirt issue.
 
Going from your link you have it would seem to be that it takes 116 turns for the chains to line up again and you proved it with cold hard math. However, when I did my first set of cams I know I rotated the motor until they lined up again and I'm pretty sure it took much less than 116 time..

Maybe I spaced out and missed a couple of turns.. :)

Riley

My math was probably screwed up :) Can't beat your empirical observation.

Anyway, the point is that it'll take lots of rotations before the chain links line back up again. :nice:
 
A bent valve stem can cause a ticking noise also. They get bent from not installing them right. Pull the valve cover off and use the correct valve spring compression tool to compress them. You will know when one is bent as it will be hard to compress. Just make sure the piston is down in the hole before compressing it.
 
A bent valve stem can cause a ticking noise also. They get bent from not installing them right. Pull the valve cover off and use the correct valve spring compression tool to compress them. You will know when one is bent as it will be hard to compress. Just make sure the piston is down in the hole before compressing it.

This is true but you would see a performance loss and possible blue smoke, both not the case for me. I put in some thicker oil and a quart of mystery oil yesterday and now it ticks a lot less.:D I also used a stethoscope and pinpointed it to the front cover. I guess maybe a bad tensioner, I'm tearing into it tomorrow and than hoping to install the procharger.:) I can't wait to hear the new Dial BOV 50mm I'm going to get.:nice:
This is what it will sound like but better with a V-8.:nice: A buddy at work had a procharged Z-28 with the Tial BOV and it sounded awesome.

YouTube - Turbo IS300 testing Tial BOV...in car and drive by