Pure frustration

Topic: Pure frustration (Read 1743 times) previous topic - next topic

Pure frustration

May 21, 2007, 09:08:31 AM

This isn't meant to be a pity post by any means but I have about had it.

Once again, I will be making an appearance in Carlisle as an onlooker as opposed to a partint. I have just spent the last five weeks working on the '88. I replaced the lifters, gaskets, engine harness, various broken connectors including the tfi plug not to mention other hoses and minor stuff of that sort. So I put the car back together, fill her up with antifreeze and low and behold, my radiator was leaking. Thankfully I got one from Jim (thundr306) a while back so I didn't have to hunt down. I get the thing installed and all seems good. I fire up the car and it sounds beautiful. I double checked everything, reset the timing (I had to pull the distributor- another long story) and headed out on the road.

When what do my ears hear when I get back? The wonderful tone of a rod knock.

First thing you'll all say is "It took you 5 weeks to do all that!"
Keep these in mind...
1. Full time work and school
2. I rareley if ever get home before dark
3. I don't have a garage
4. I only have every other weekend off of work.

I give up. I have two weeks before Carlisle, a registration in, a hotel reserved and no car to take.
My '86 you ask? Well that needs too much work for the time and money I have left.

I could just drive the car. It might be alright but then again it might not. Besides, I have no desire to be coasting around with the audible knocking to let everyone know where I am.

Unless I manage to pull a rabbit out of my hind side, There's a pretty good bet the show's off for me. I will be walking through like last year. Might just go one day as opposed to all three but I'll be there.

Pure frustration

Reply #1 – May 21, 2007, 10:11:52 AM

Hate to hear it Fred.

Did you have oil pressure during this drive?

Pure frustration

Reply #2 – May 21, 2007, 10:18:19 AM

Yeah, everything was fine.

I've had a knock/tap for a little while and everyone I went to for opinions told me it had to be the lifters. Apparently not. My lifters were bad when I pulled them so I was hoping they were right. When I first fired the car up, all the knocking was gone so I thought that was it. It just took a while before the motor warmed up fully to be clearly audible.

I'm starting a second job in a couple weeks so over the next year I'll either rebuild this block or I'm getting a crate motor.

Pure frustration

Reply #3 – May 21, 2007, 01:29:39 PM

When we first started up my HO, it was knocking and it sounded like that too, but after we ran the engine a couple of times, it went away; probably just bubbles in the oil gettin through.

Pure frustration

Reply #4 – May 21, 2007, 01:37:54 PM

are you sure its a rod knock?

Pure frustration

Reply #5 – May 21, 2007, 03:12:09 PM

I'm not 100% sure it's a rod knock but it's all I can think of. If its not, its something else internal. The heads were reworked a couple years back so I don't think anything broke in them. I know the bottom end hasn't had a terrific life so thats where I'm shooting the problem to be.

I'll give it an oil change and see if that helps but I doubt it will. I'm just going to have to live with it until I can afford to fix it.

I'm not so frustrated that it has an issue, I was just really looking forward to taking it to Carlisle.

Pure frustration

Reply #6 – May 21, 2007, 04:35:51 PM

a cracked flexplate can almost sound like a rod knock. check all the engine accessories. i've heard some horrid noises come out of smog pumps. is there possibly a dent in the oil pan? or the flexplate cover can make noises if bent. just a shot in the dark. take off your serp belt and see if the noise goes away. also did you ever lose oil pressure?

Pure frustration

Reply #7 – May 21, 2007, 04:46:00 PM

when you change the oil use 20w50 and add some lucas oil stabilizer.

Pure frustration

Reply #8 – May 21, 2007, 05:09:51 PM

The oil pressure was okay. I'll pick up a mechanical gauge and check it that way though. I know I shouldn't go by the digi gauge on the cluster...

I always use 20W50 in there but haven't messed with stabilizer. Maybe I'll try that.

I'm sure it's nothing with the acessories but I can double check that. I tried the ole wooden stick technique and pinpointed the sound around the #7 cylinder.

Pure frustration

Reply #9 – May 21, 2007, 06:09:54 PM

pull off one plug wire at a time. if the knock goes away then its that cylinder. noises can travel what sounds like #7 can be #3. also pull the valve covers and physically look at the rocker arms. they can get pretty loud if loose.

Pure frustration

Reply #10 – May 23, 2007, 07:47:43 PM

did you get a chance to check it out?

Pure frustration

Reply #11 – May 24, 2007, 04:28:10 PM

Haven't had the time yet. All I managed to get done so far was an oil change. I'll look into it this weekend.

Pure frustration

Reply #12 – May 28, 2007, 01:17:28 PM

how'd it turn out? did you find anything?

Pure frustration

Reply #13 – May 28, 2007, 01:28:34 PM

Fred I once had a loose rocker nut on the 350 (gasp) in my Monte Carlo. It made enough noise to make me think it was a rod nock.

Pure frustration

Reply #14 – May 29, 2007, 09:41:43 AM

Oil pressure is fine. Everything that I can do on the outside checks out. Right now the plan is to start tearing into it later this summer. I'll begin by pulling the heads and having them checked and if all that comes out fine, I'll tear into the block. Plus I'll have an extra cash flow coming in starting in a couple weeks to fund it all.

At this moment, I'm just trying to get the car out to Carlisle at the end of the week.

Thanks for the input guys.