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Noisy Valvetrain Concerns

  • Thread starter Thread starter skiwesser11
  • Start date Start date Oct 18, 2015

skiwesser11

5 Year Member
Jun 19, 2012
315
32
59
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Oct 18, 2015
#1
  • Oct 18, 2015
  • #1
I think my mods are in sig...
Q: how much rocker arm noise should I expect with .588 lift on a FTI custom cam. I was breaking rocker studs until I swapped the stock AFR ones with ARP's.
If anything I'd say they're border line too tight as I reset them to quite them down, and it did (3/4 turn from zero lash), 1/4 turn is where I started and they were pretty clackity
I'm just wondering if you guys think that much lift would make an audible clicking, I plan to reset them again soon and Mr Curtis says "higher lift will cause a louder valvetrain" which I get.
Just want some input from you guys who are running close to what I am maybe. Dur. is small- 219/223@.050
it's his "street beast 34xl-hr11" cam with +3* if I'm reading card right.
At any rate I'm going to recheck the rockers but wondered if pretty loud chatter is relatively normal(almost sounds like slight exhaust leak from inside) I have no one to compare to that I know currently.
Thanks guys
 
S

Stang D

Member
Jan 23, 2006
122
6
18
Quad Cities, Iowa
Oct 18, 2015
#2
  • Oct 18, 2015
  • #2
My last combo was virtually identical to your cam with Comp Cams Pro Magnum rockers, It had a sewing machine sound with 1/2 turn reload. My current cam has .600 lift with Scorpion aluminum rockers. It is notably louder. Are you confident in your pushrod length.is correct and they are not touching you rocker body at max lift? I snapped some rocker studs and that was the cause.,
 

skiwesser11

5 Year Member
Jun 19, 2012
315
32
59
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Oct 19, 2015
#3
  • Oct 19, 2015
  • #3
Nice to hear and I did expect some noise, I've had troubles that'd take an hour to type so I'm very skiddish about them. I'll will check for contact in area you described but I believe I'm good. Have good trick flow one piece p rods. Length is perfect on valve as marked when building (sent pics to Ed, he agreed. He supplied springs as well as cam). I've driven it hard for 200 miles or so and no problems since swap to ARP studs. Broke 2 stock studs in first 300 miles.
 

mikestang63

SN Certified Technician
Aug 27, 2012
11,606
8,859
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In the garage
Oct 19, 2015
#4
  • Oct 19, 2015
  • #4
Did you check If the rockers are hitting the stud or the valve cover. Which rockers are you using as some are more prone to noise than others.
 

skiwesser11

5 Year Member
Jun 19, 2012
315
32
59
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Oct 20, 2015
#5
  • Oct 20, 2015
  • #5
I'm ashamed to tell you that they're from a company on eBay that claimed the made on same equipment as "good golds" and ad went on about how they were better. Hopefully I find all the needle bearings and the other half of clip. Lesson learned I suppose
 

mikestang63

SN Certified Technician
Aug 27, 2012
11,606
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In the garage
Oct 20, 2015
#6
  • Oct 20, 2015
  • #6
 
Reactions: stykthyn

skiwesser11

5 Year Member
Jun 19, 2012
315
32
59
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Oct 20, 2015
#7
  • Oct 20, 2015
  • #7
Indeed.....at least they're magnetic.
Any tips on washing debris out without removing oil pan other than the obvious?

I've had some bad luck with Valvetrain from rockers to studs. I'm going 7/16" studs with gold race rockers this time. Ed maintained 3/8 should be sufficient if ARP's studs used but since I'm buying rockers again I'm going to play it safe and move up.
New pickup seems to be keeping stuff out but I've had a locked up pump when a piece of push rod seat of last set of rockers didn't like new cam and strong springs, couldn't find hole in original pickup... So knowing those bearings are in there scares me hard!! I DON'T want to pull this thing again. It's been out 3 times in 18 months
 

mikestang63

SN Certified Technician
Aug 27, 2012
11,606
8,859
214
In the garage
Oct 20, 2015
#8
  • Oct 20, 2015
  • #8
skiwesser11 said:
Indeed.....at least they're magnetic.
Any tips on washing debris out without removing oil pan other than the obvious?

I've had some bad luck with Valvetrain from rockers to studs. I'm going 7/16" studs with gold race rockers this time. Ed maintained 3/8 should be sufficient if ARP's studs used but since I'm buying rockers again I'm going to play it safe and move up.
New pickup seems to be keeping stuff out but I've had a locked up pump when a piece of push rod seat of last set of rockers didn't like new cam and strong springs, couldn't find hole in original pickup... So knowing those bearings are in there scares me hard!! I DON'T want to pull this thing again. It's been out 3 times in 18 months
Click to expand...

You are not going to like what I'm going to say. Unless you can account for every piece of needle bearing, retainer, rocker, and sliver of damage this may have caused- you're pulling the pan. I'd try a vacuum and suck everything out of the heads and then drain the oil. Put a magnet on the bottom of the pan and run fresh oil through that side of the head and draing it again.

But again, you're rolling the dice.
 
Reactions: skiwesser11 and stykthyn

skiwesser11

5 Year Member
Jun 19, 2012
315
32
59
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Oct 21, 2015
#9
  • Oct 21, 2015
  • #9
I'm most certainly going to try everything I can to account for them all but at this point I'm just cringing at thought of pulling it again.
Besides oil pump, what's the next failure they may cause?
Can't get to where they'd block flow to Valvetrain or bearings without going through oil pump, correct?
I'm no mechanic (although I've gotten pretty good at working on THIS motor haha) so any and all info welcome and appreciated.
Thanks!
 

mikestang63

SN Certified Technician
Aug 27, 2012
11,606
8,859
214
In the garage
Oct 21, 2015
#10
  • Oct 21, 2015
  • #10
skiwesser11 said:
I'm most certainly going to try everything I can to account for them all but at this point I'm just cringing at thought of pulling it again.
Besides oil pump, what's the next failure they may cause?
Can't get to where they'd block flow to Valvetrain or bearings without going through oil pump, correct?
I'm no mechanic (although I've gotten pretty good at working on THIS motor haha) so any and all info welcome and appreciated.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
if is siezes your oil pump or snaps the shaft, you could wipe out your bearings, pistons, etc.. If a piece happens to make it past the oil pump, it will likely find itself causing further internal damage. Ever see a set of bearings from some small piece of FM? Imagine a large piece of metal.
 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.
15 Year Member
Jul 6, 2006
5,232
2,652
223
gainesville
Oct 21, 2015
#11
  • Oct 21, 2015
  • #11
I'm with Mike. At the very least you need some rare earth magnets on the pan to try and trap whatever debris is there. If you are lucky they will catch whatever is circulating through.
 

skiwesser11

5 Year Member
Jun 19, 2012
315
32
59
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Oct 21, 2015
#12
  • Oct 21, 2015
  • #12
I plan to (try) to get them all out before I restart the engine.
 
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