i have asked before in the 94/95 forum, but more people use this one. this is the last time i'm going to bother everyone.....
i have a new engine in my car. i used a 2000 explorer block and internals, documented 6k miles. i put the engine together over the summer, on a stand, and installed it in october.
i installed a steeda #19 cam, thumper heads, stock valve sizes, springs rated for .550" lift.
i have valvetrain noise, a general loudish sewing-machine grumbling, plus a tapping noise that sounds like a bad lifter, sort of around cylinder #3.
i have used 1.7 crane cobra roller rockers. i have used stock stamped rockers.
i have used pushrod lengths from the stock 6.250 to 6.300 to 6.350 with every possible shim size in between. the stockers are noisey with either set of rockers. the 6.300's tighten down right 3/4 to torque at 25lb/ft., but are still noisey, and same tapping. the 6.350's are waaay too long, but just for kicks, i tried them anyway. no difference in noise.
i have tried different valve covers. fox bodies were actually noisier, maybe due to the larger area under aluminum covers. swapped back to stockers. no reason for taller valve covers with stock rockers and only .480" out of the steeda cam.
rio (andy) gave me two lifters to swap out of cylinder #3. i did so, no change.
the kicker came when i swapped out a perfectly good full set of lifters, with only 8k on them, for a BRAND NEW full set of fms lifters, only to have the EXACT same noise level. i did this because i thought i may have been mistaken, and it may be #4 or #3, so just to be sure, i changed all of them. i even took the time to change the positioning of every rocker, so as not to have them working on the same valves. everything is new, so it isn't bloody likely to have much wear time.
the tapping seems to come from cylinder #3, but there are no signs of anything different in that area, i.e., no difference in the way #3 tightens down, no excessive wear on the valve tip, rocker, or pushrod, and no difference in the lifters when i took them out.
the rockers do not hit the springs. they do not hit the valve covers. the valves are adjusted within spec. hell, i have adjusted them waaaay out of spec just to see a change. nothing. i have taken the top end apart 24 times, and taken the lower intake off 3 times, even to the point of replacing the explorer lifter-holddowns and spider with the typical 5.0 dogbones. nothing.
i have great oil pressure. 43lbs. at idle, moving up very quickly with rpm.
before i take the engine out, sell it part by part, and blow $4k on a crate engine, someone PLEASE TELL ME I'M NOT F'ING CRAZY. i need a fresh take on this.
i have a new engine in my car. i used a 2000 explorer block and internals, documented 6k miles. i put the engine together over the summer, on a stand, and installed it in october.
i installed a steeda #19 cam, thumper heads, stock valve sizes, springs rated for .550" lift.
i have valvetrain noise, a general loudish sewing-machine grumbling, plus a tapping noise that sounds like a bad lifter, sort of around cylinder #3.
i have used 1.7 crane cobra roller rockers. i have used stock stamped rockers.
i have used pushrod lengths from the stock 6.250 to 6.300 to 6.350 with every possible shim size in between. the stockers are noisey with either set of rockers. the 6.300's tighten down right 3/4 to torque at 25lb/ft., but are still noisey, and same tapping. the 6.350's are waaay too long, but just for kicks, i tried them anyway. no difference in noise.
i have tried different valve covers. fox bodies were actually noisier, maybe due to the larger area under aluminum covers. swapped back to stockers. no reason for taller valve covers with stock rockers and only .480" out of the steeda cam.
rio (andy) gave me two lifters to swap out of cylinder #3. i did so, no change.
the kicker came when i swapped out a perfectly good full set of lifters, with only 8k on them, for a BRAND NEW full set of fms lifters, only to have the EXACT same noise level. i did this because i thought i may have been mistaken, and it may be #4 or #3, so just to be sure, i changed all of them. i even took the time to change the positioning of every rocker, so as not to have them working on the same valves. everything is new, so it isn't bloody likely to have much wear time.
the tapping seems to come from cylinder #3, but there are no signs of anything different in that area, i.e., no difference in the way #3 tightens down, no excessive wear on the valve tip, rocker, or pushrod, and no difference in the lifters when i took them out.
the rockers do not hit the springs. they do not hit the valve covers. the valves are adjusted within spec. hell, i have adjusted them waaaay out of spec just to see a change. nothing. i have taken the top end apart 24 times, and taken the lower intake off 3 times, even to the point of replacing the explorer lifter-holddowns and spider with the typical 5.0 dogbones. nothing.
i have great oil pressure. 43lbs. at idle, moving up very quickly with rpm.
before i take the engine out, sell it part by part, and blow $4k on a crate engine, someone PLEASE TELL ME I'M NOT F'ING CRAZY. i need a fresh take on this.