Cranks but won't start.

[Schurkey]

You're holding in your hand the perfect reason to switch to a roller cam/lifters. I bet you could get the entire system from a Treasure Yard for a hundred dollars--cam, lifters, dogbones, spider, thrust plate, timing set, pushrods, and all the screws and fasteners needed.

MAYBE you'd need to buy the timing set new, and you'd want to pull the lifters apart one at a time for cleaning.

Yes, you "should" pull the entire engine apart for cleaning of the metal debris.

"I" would look at the remaining fifteen lifters. If you've got a small number with excess wear...I might slam a roller cam in the thing, flush the oil pan, and screw on a new filter. Don't get me started on Frantz a_sswipe "bypass" oil filters bought used off of eBay. If all the lifter bottoms are wiped...yeah, it's teardown time.





For the record, I ruined my first engine, too. '66 283.
A. I had lots of "help" assembling the thing. In a friend's father's dirt-floor shop. (I discovered years later that the floor was concrete, it had just never ever been swept-out.)
B. Got put together with no distributor-to-oil pump driveshaft. Had to pull the pan in-the-car to jam in the driveshaft.
C. The rods and caps weren't matched, or even in the right holes. I've blamed the Ford guy for that.

Engine ran for something less than a year. Tossed the torsional damper inertia weight off the hub--which should have been a clue that the crank was unhappy. Crammed-on another torsional damper. Spun a rod bearing a couple of months later.

 

[fancyTBI]

My RCSB, however, didn't come stock with a V8. This is MY swap, so dropping someone else's wrench time under the hood wasn't going to fit the bill here

I did something similar, I guess. My ‘92 was a 4.3 truck and I dropped a roller-cam 5.7 from a caprice into it. Granted I had my father working with me and more-or-less teaching by example throughout the process. But it was a running take out. We re-sealed it and installed it - no head/cam changes or headers. We did this all in an old cattle barn stuffed with antique garbage and uneven concrete.

In some ways, I understand what you’re saying. In others, well, I think many others have stated something similar to how I feel.

Really wish you the best of luck on this.

 

[DerekTheGreat]

I was going to do that originally. My budget was supposed to be $3500. Built and running, with a warranty. Drop right the Hell in and turn the key.

So what happened? My stubborn ego happened. If I didn't build it, it isn't mine. Tell me not ONE of you doesn't feel that same way?...

I don't feel that way. If I've got a receipt or the title is in my name, it IS mine. The rest is just machismo bullschit designed to inflate egos or keep people running in circles.

 

[Hipster]

I don't feel that way. If I've got a receipt or the title is in my name, it IS mine. The rest is just machismo bullschit designed to inflate egos or keep people running in circles.

Pretty much. I built many engines and when I did my BB Mopar stroker I had an engine shop familiar with them do it. I still had plenty of input in the build. I wanted more than slapping parts together in the garage on that one. They checked everything down to and corrected/indexed lifter bores. Alot of machine shops wouldn't have the equipment or expertise to do that. In this case, telling people this or that is perfect, or you've measured/checked when clearly neither was done lacks honesty even with oneself. Sometimes better off with a pro, once and done. If he listened to the advice given maybe this would have ended differently. Sad day indeed. Sometimes we are our own worst enemies.

 

[Hipster]

Ok one more update here and I may have found the problem. These Hedman headers are causing more problems than they were worth. There's a wiring harness going from behind the engine to underneath the master cylinder. It was laying right on the drivers side header at cyl #7. The header burned right through that 30 year old heat shield and the plastic mesh behind it. I caught it just in time to stop it from burning through the wires, but oh man there's some crispiness back there lol!

Also, found this on #7 plug wire...

You must be registered for see images attach

Guess what caused that. Yep, it was touching the header on the passenger side.

Lastly: I think I need a better solution for a distributor, cap, and rotor. I'm guessing most of us have the type of distributor cap that is held on with just those two little screws on either side? Well, one of mine has completely stripped out and the cap wiggles freely, even with the other screw as tight as it will go. That can't be good.

Also, the Wife and I played the "bump the key" game as I held my thumb over the #1 cylinder and watched the intake valve open and close, then felt compression... and watched the distributor AND the timing mark on the harmonic balancer. SO much easier with two people.

Stabbed the dizzy.... the rotor seems to point towards either the #3 cylinder or the upper radiator hose. There is no in between, which would be pointing at the #1 cylinder. I kept it pointing towards #3 cylinder and it seemed to like that better.

Barely started. This whole time, I've been testing for spark on JUST THE #1 CYLINDER. I guess that doesn't mean that THE REST of the ignition system is ok.

So, with that, does anyone have suggestions on a better distributor? I'm currently running Rock Auto chinesium (because it was cheap at the time).

I don't know who or what talked You into angle plug head, but while they may maybe worth a few hp at the track often they're a nightmare on the street even with headers that are supposedly made for them. Sometimes you gotta ask and pay attention.

 

[DeCaff2007]

I don't know who or what talked You into angle plug head, but while they may maybe worth a few hp at the track often they're a nightmare on the street even with headers that are supposedly made for them. Sometimes you gotta ask and pay attention.

No one talked me into them. They were ordered by mistake out of ignorance. When Summit Racing refused to return them, I had to take what I had and make it work.

 

[DeCaff2007]

Ok I finally have something informative/useful to post. After a semi-extensive tear down and rebuild, I'm finally at the point where I'm adjusting the valve lash. I've done things a little differently this time.

I did not soak the lifters at all last time. I did this time. Also, I may have forgotten a critical step in the first rebuild. I made SURE not to forget that step this time. I'm just going to let you all use your imaginations as to what I may have forgotten last time.

Anyway, someone had posted that it looked like the amount of visible threads on the rocker studs - after valve lash adjustment - looked non uniform across each cylinder head. I took that advice to heart and MEASURED how much thread was visible, after adjustment.

You must be registered for see images attach

190 to 220 thousandths was about the average amount of threads showing. I know.. this is overkill and perhaps paranoia after the last incident.

I have something else that may be a problem, though. I marked this rocker for a reason.

You must be registered for see images attach

The nut on this rocker can be spun by hand (not easily, but possible), even after adjusting the valve lash and measuring the amount of visible threads. NO other nut can be spun by hand. I guess I have to replace just that nut and re-adjust the lash, yes?

 

[Hipster]

Brother, I hope you dismantled this engine to get the grit out it, I usually use the the "threads exposed " as a quick visual verification and not as a replacement for proper procedure.

Don't get over-complicated in it, Zero lash plus 1/2 turn or whatever the specification for the cam /lifters you are using. Stock per GM is not always what You want to use.

 

[Hipster]

Brother, I hope you dismantled this engine to get the grit out it, I usually use the the "threads exposed " as a quick visual verification and not as a replacement for proper procedure.

Ok I finally have something informative/useful to post. After a semi-extensive tear down and rebuild, I'm finally at the point where I'm adjusting the valve lash. I've done things a little differently this time.

I did not soak the lifters at all last time. I did this time. Also, I may have forgotten a critical step in the first rebuild. I made SURE not to forget that step this time. I'm just going to let you all use your imaginations as to what I may have forgotten last time.

Anyway, someone had posted that it looked like the amount of visible threads on the rocker studs - after valve lash adjustment - looked non uniform across each cylinder head. I took that advice to heart and MEASURED how much thread was visible, after adjustment.

You must be registered for see images attach

190 to 220 thousandths was about the average amount of threads showing. I know.. this is overkill and perhaps paranoia after the last incident.

I have something else that may be a problem, though. I marked this rocker for a reason.

You must be registered for see images attach

The nut on this rocker can be spun by hand (not easily, but possible), even after adjusting the valve lash and measuring the amount of visible threads. NO other nut can be spun by hand. I guess I have to replace just that nut and re-adjust the lash, yes?

adjusting too many times, an impact gun/ratchet etc. If it is not holding tension,replace it, or if there is something you don't understand about valve adjustment now is the time to speak up instead of assuming you already know. There are multiple threads already on this site, either way someone can point you in the right direction.

 

[DeCaff2007]

adjusting too many times, an impact gun/ratchet etc. If it is not holding tension,replace it, or if there is something you don't understand about valve adjustment now is the time to speak up instead of assuming you already know. There are multiple threads already on this site, either way someone can point you in the right direction.

Adjusting too many times... I see.

Here's my video reference of how to adjust valve lash.

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Also, ok, yeah I'll ask it (even though I'll get roasted): WHY SPIN THE PUSH RODS? Wiggling them up and down until zero lash is felt seems 100% more effective to me.

So, let's focus on (any) one cylinder. The lifters are on the base circle of the cam, piston at TDC, push rods at zero lash... now rotate the crank until one of the lifters is at full lift. The push rod for that lifter is now UNABLE to spin. I hope that's normal.