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Followup To
Question -
I totaly agree with you that todays remove and replace industry doesn't take much skill, however changing anything now a days is like playing twister! I have a question for you Rodger if you please. Now it is a Ford one and I know you are a shibby man but I hope for the love of engines you could enlighten me. I recently rebuilt a 351 windsor in my automotive class at college, I put all new parts on it mostly performance. The problem started with the Blue Racer cam and lifters I installed. The valves wouldn't close! Now this stumped the teachers at the school as they know nothing about performance anything, wierd huh!? So left to my own devices I read about shims that you put under the rocker arm (pedistal mount) to lift the rocker, therefore close the valve. Now do you think this is an acceptable way to solve this? The engine does run! But now six months later I'm hearing a ticking noise that sounds like a lifter! Do you think it is in anyway related to my quik fix?
With no professional help and or capable instructors I'm at a loss. I really love hot rodding and engines but I cant do it myself.
In short
Was there anything wrong with my choice of solution for the open valves?
How do I check the lifters to see if they are collapsed, or find a tick in the valve train?
What else could the noise be? it is not a thud like a rod but a tick that speeds up when the engine is rev'ed.
In your oppinion why won't any of the repair shops around here touch this? I mean litterally turn me away? They don't want anything to do with performance stuff,and my small 30 000 people town has no performance shop!
Answer -
hi
Bryan. where do you live ?
also yes to shim the springs is a way to do it but there is a way to also use a certian size so the spring lift will be at a height for best performance. but it sounds as you did it close enough and the noise you say is the valves are in need of a adj. as that is a std. thing and if you put in solid lifters yes adj. them but what at I do not know what cam you have in it. Also the teachers must be ( DUM ) as with a new race type or h.d. cam you could have had a lift that was too much for that engines pistons and you would have put the valves threw each piston head BOOM and they did not know of this? can you e-mail me your address and I will try to find you some data to help you
ok
roger
bigw45@aol.com I found a site you will enjoy at -
www.steveschmidtracing.com / ok check it out ford 351 windsor cobra
Follow up!
Thanks for your fast response Rodger, I'm glad that the rocker arm shims are an acceptable fix. However my lifters are not solid but hydrolic so i'm sure there must be somthing wrong. The bolts on the rocker arm are nice and snug to the torque specs, so what do you think that the clicking is?
On a different note I would like to tell you a little story about how dumb my teachers are! Supriseingly they did know that a cam with extreme lift can hit the pistons. One thing they didn't know is that some double roller timing chains need the block ground to fit. To make a long story short the timing chain rubbed on the block and the cam bolt backed out. This caused the cam to slide back and forth absolutely shredding the lifters and the cam as well. Like we said before they are remove and replace mechanics.
P.s I live in Brandon Manitoba Canada!
AnswerBrandon'
Hea, you should check the valve springs as there could be a broken one ? and also if you have the engine running and valve covers off 1 at a time at a idle feel each push rod and see if it feels right as if you have a colapsed lifter you will feel the differnce or see if the push rods look ok or if there is a bent one , if you have hyd. lifters you should have no loud noise or klack noise from the valves so check each rocker and valve spring for any excess noise and or play,etc. and you can also pull the plug on any cyld. that you think it might be the valve noise comming from and look at the plug to see if it is fouled. if you have something wrong with a valve or lifter you should find it this way ok.
let me know
Roger .....also I typed in on the web (351 ford windsor) and hit go and I found a lot of stuff on them.try it.
