OK, I posted yesterday that I changed the heads on my 283 and now it runs like sh_t. Well I re-stabbed the distributor and re-set the valves and it runs great, except I have two lifters that are not pumping up while idling, so I have to screw it down to 0 lash the cylinder go dead. As soon as a back it off the engine runs smooth, but the rocker arm makes noise. Has anyone heard of this? The lifters only have a few thousand miles on them.
Could be 2 solid lifters in the engine. Are the jam nuts screwed down lower than the rest when noise goes away, if so collapsted hyd. lifter. If not possible solids.
One siple thing to try is to drain 2 quarts of engine oil and add 2 quarts of trans fluid into the engine. Start it up and run it for about 15 to 30 minutes. Trans oil is a wonderful thing to help clean out sticky lifters. Once you get it back to normal, drain the engine oil and put some fresh engine oil in. P.S> from time to time add a half quart of trans oil to your engine oil, and even sometimes to your fuel tank. Like I say it's good stuff. (the conditioners in trans fluid soften up sludge, and if you've ever had your hands soaked in it, it makes them really soft (for awhile anyways))
When you swapped the heads, did you also remove the lifters? If you did, when you put them back in did you get them back on the same lobes they had been run on originally?
X3 - another thing that can happen I didn't see the other tread but if It was that worn wouldn't it have been doing that before the head swap . Edit: just read the other thread here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=585777 What was the problem? Did you have the valve adjustment too tight? Can check the cam by pulling the rocker arms and setting up a dial indicator on the pushrods or directly on the lifter. Are the lifters in question sending oil to the top?
The engine only has a couple of thousand miles on it, so I don't think anything is wore out. The lifters under idle will not pump-up, but when i have the engine under a load (I think they are then pumping up but not sure) so I don't believe the are stuck. No I did not remove the lifters when I changed the heads there was no reason to the engine was running great before the swap. When I back-off the rocker arms on those two lifters it runs fine but makes noise because of lash.
2000 miles, all brand new rebuild? Well you got something screwed up in there, could have wiped a lobe off the cam if it was too tight for too long. Could have screwed up the internals on a lifter if it was adjusted too tight for a few seconds.
Thanks for the advice. The cam is good because when I back off on the rocker arm it runs fine it just makes noise and stops sending oil. I don't back it off so much that the valve won't open just enough so that it runs good. I think I will pull the intake and change the lifters.
I need to get in on this also! I've installed a great running 1957 283 in my 49 shoebox. The first time I drove it the motor purred. put back in the garage, went to start it the next day and its got this dam lifter tic....it sounds like only one. I've heard that putting some "marvel mistery oil" in it sould take care of it.... Anyone have any advice on how to get the lifter to pump back up?
if you turn the rocker nut too much when adjusting you can break the lifter.to adjust turn the nut a 1/4 turn at a time then wait 10 seconds or until the engine smoothes out,then another 1/4 turn and so on until you get one full turn past the point that the lifter clattered and your done.check to see if the rocker studs are fully seated in the heads and not coming out while turning the nut.you should have an even amount of oil coming out of all the pushrods,if more or less is coming out of the rocker in question then change the lifter.
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