still have no idea what it could be - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

Lt1_8U · 07-16-2011, 02:57 PM

hey guys i am still at a loss as to what my problem could be still. went outside to start my car it started rough then died started it back up and went maybe 200 ft and the rockers started clacking so i shut it off and pulled the valve covers then started it and saw i had to oil up top. i put cleaners through it, new thinner oil and i have 65 lbs of pressure which i checked on a mechanical guage. i pulled the intake and all my lifters pushrods and rockers are fine as well as the girdle which holds the lifters in. the oil pump shaft is fine that runs off the cam. im about ready to pull the motor and tear it apart. its a 96 lt1 trickflow 21* heads cc306 cam ls7 lifters stock length pushrods 1.55 roller rockers. this motor was freshened up with new everything about 5000 miles ago it was built, it has been running for a year without problem now this. if anyone has any insight on what i should do or has had this problem i would be grateful. i was told by the shop that did it that possibly one of the caps above the cam came out but to check that i will need to pull my whole front of the engine apart and if it isnt that it would suck to waste all that time. thanks in advance guys

greenformula92 · 07-18-2011, 08:01 AM

are the rockers still in proper adjustment, my cousin had a motor built about a year ago for his truck and the rockers keep coming out of adjustment....just a thought

WildBillyT · 07-18-2011, 08:51 AM

Whose rockers are you running?

Pampered-Z · 07-18-2011, 12:43 PM

Can you put the car on Ramps and listenfrom under the car. Make sre its no somethig low in the rotating assembly? I thought I had a bad lifter, tune out my crank wasmaking conact with the scrapper.

If your sure you lifters are getting noisey the nI would pull it apart before you do any real serious damage.

Even if a cam bearing didn't walk, you will want to pull the mains ad make sure the bearings are good. Eating a bearing makes a mess of your inernals - Trust me!

sweetbmxrider · 07-18-2011, 03:06 PM

FYI my ls7's are noisier than ****. I'm going to swap them out at some point.

Blackbirdws6 · 07-20-2011, 02:33 PM

Maybe verify the timing chain didn't skip for whatever reason ?

Lt1_8U · 07-22-2011, 03:12 PM

i have ls7 lifters and comp cams roller rockers, i had checked the rockers and they were all fine. and the lifters hadnt made noise prior to this before. right now i have the intake and all the electric off and im getting ready to pull it and start taking it apart to see what could possibly be the problem. i was told that another possibility is one of the plugs above the cam may have popped out... i will keep this updated, im leaving for a week tomorrow so it will be when i return, gotta love it

thanks for the replies I am just getting frustrated because its a pretty new build and i went new with everything and its been a year and im having problems already

crainholio · 07-22-2011, 08:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweetbmxrider

FYI my ls7's are noisier than ****. I'm going to swap them out at some point.

Melling lifters for relatively low $, Morel link-bar for the higher $ sure thing.

sweetbmxrider · 07-23-2011, 07:17 AM

Yeah, I am most likely going with morel link-bars. Thanks.

Blacdout96 · 07-23-2011, 11:02 AM

Sweet, let me know when you are getting rid of the LS7's, I may be in the market for my engine if the price is good.....

sweetbmxrider · 07-23-2011, 04:25 PM

They will be priced to gtfoutta my life

Lt1_8U · 08-14-2011, 05:46 PM

update pulled everything off the motor and all oil galley plugs are fine and i see nothing wrong, i guess now i will take the pan off and checkthe bearings. this blows, i dont understand how something could have happened off of a bad start. i have 65 lbs of pressure but no oil up top

Lt1_8U · 08-23-2011, 09:29 PM

well i took the motor out and put it on a stand and stripped in all down and today i dropped the pan, boy did i find something wrong. one of my piston rods snapped in two. i suppose i had a misfire and the cylinder detonated and just split the rod

sweetbmxrider · 08-23-2011, 10:32 PM

Snapped a rod?!? Wow! Pics of carnage! I'm guessing factory rods?

Lt1_8U · 08-23-2011, 10:41 PM

yessir, ill take a pic tomorrow when i take it out. it was running fine then i started it one morning and (fart noise) it crapped out on me. yep stock rods

Blackbirdws6 · 08-24-2011, 05:38 AM

Wow that sucks but glad you found the issue. In for pics...

Lt1_8U · 08-24-2011, 06:39 AM

me too, it was bothering me that i didnt know what it was, just means time to upgrade

i should be out around 5ish so ill take the heads off and ill take the piston out and snap some pics for you guys

Blackbirdws6 · 08-24-2011, 07:32 AM

Time to make the wallet hurt!

Lt1_8U · 08-24-2011, 08:23 PM

hahah yes, do you think its possible to keep this build at a solid 2,500? with the rotating assembly im planning on spending around 1,300 on a eagle kit, i dont have the green for compstar and all that. and to bore the block and machine it.

btw Carnage as promised!

Blackbirdws6 · 08-24-2011, 08:56 PM

If you keep the stock crank then it should be doable for $2,500. I believe my pistons were around $800 and the rods a little less. Get the good stuff.

sweetbmxrider · 08-24-2011, 09:18 PM

Nice carnage. Honestly I would want to spend more now than more + more later.

Lt1_8U · 08-24-2011, 11:06 PM

thats true, good point. i might as well wait and build it to handle a lot. you guys think a forged roatating assembly kit from like eagle or scat isnt good? a 383 kit was like 1,800 for forged

WayFast84 · 08-24-2011, 11:28 PM

I've heard mixed reviews about eagle.. since this isn't a racer why not lower the boost and go with the stock crank? do you plan on getting a new rear?

Lt1_8U · 08-24-2011, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WayFast84

I've heard mixed reviews about eagle.. since this isn't a racer why not lower the boost and go with the stock crank? do you plan on getting a new rear?

i already have a moser 12 bolt with 33 spline axles

i want to price everything out and see how much the difference is. i'm reading a lot now into builds and different combinations, im fairly new to this because my last build was just stock bottom end, just arp bolts and trickflow heads and cc306camshaft. i just thought a complete kit would be easier than having to find out all the measurements i need and find things that work together to make the 383. am i over thinking this? lol

Blackbirdws6 · 08-25-2011, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lt1_8U

i already have a moser 12 bolt with 33 spline axles

i want to price everything out and see how much the difference is. i'm reading a lot now into builds and different combinations, im fairly new to this because my last build was just stock bottom end, just arp bolts and trickflow heads and cc306camshaft. i just thought a complete kit would be easier than having to find out all the measurements i need and find things that work together to make the 383. am i over thinking this? lol

The only thing to really be concerned about are bearing clearances and such. A reputable machine/engine shop should be able to mic out everything and recommend what bearings and such to purchase to make everything work well together. Obviously it makes sense to double check this during assembly. Again, the stock crank is known to take some pretty good abuse so I would focus on a good rod and piston. There are plenty of 355s making very good power on boost.