Itzalive!!!!.. ITS ALIVE....ITS ALIIIIIVVEE!!!
 

Woohoo

2AM and my engine fired up for the first time in 4 months...

Its running...badly...but it is running...

acckk...I've been chasing electrical gremlins for the last 2 weekends...it ended up being too tight of a valve adjustment...no compression...

I think my perfectionist personality made me agonize over the "magnetic" glide of the valves and I tightened on the tight side of the spectrum...

but the engine fired up on the first turn....greatest sound/feeling ever....

hahaha it filled my garage with smoke...I can still smell the burning odor of engine assembly lube, fuel, and carbon deposits embedded in my shirt as I sit in front of the computer typing this

well it was making such a clatter that I didn't want to wake the neighbors...so I am turning in for the night...seems like I have some loose valves too...

revved it up and the noise smoothed out so I ruled out chain tensioners...wasn't the classic chain in a trashcan sound that has been described...just a really loud tapping

(lets hope it is not piston valve :contact....:confused: :eek: :confused: )

gonna get the rest adjusted tomorrow

what a great feeling...I wanted to take her out for a drive, but I might as well wait till the valves are all properly adjusted...

well thanks to all those who posted to my ongoing saga...I'll let you know how the car feels with the 964 cams...minus the A/C...all new vacuum lines...repaired a huge leak in my vacuum system...new plugs...new wires (one measured 42 ohms)...cleaned off about 2 pounds of oily sludge off the engine block...cat bypass pipe...muahahahahaha

I don't know if I am gonna be able to sleep tonight

MJ

Ah I always like to hear a good ending to a nagging problem. Congratulations!

http://www.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat6.gif
Good job sport!

The first time I performed a valve adjustment, I tightened my tappets way to tight. I was so determined to not have valve chatter. Of course too tight made it run barely and like $hit, so I had to do it all over again.

I tighten my valves so I can barely get the feeler guage out - tighter than just the recommended "drag". I do this because I found I could get the most consistent results this way. I make sure I can get the feeler in afterward. If you can get the feeler gauge in, I don't think it is possible to get them too tight.
-Chris

well I started up the engine again this morning...

trying to isolate the tapping noise...it seems to be coming from everywhere...i must have more then one

the engine also isn't very good at holding an idle...and backfired out the pop-off and shut off...

are these all symptoms of loose valves??

I'll be working on putting back my interior for now...till I get a couple replies

MJ

Re: Itzalive!!!!.. ITS ALIVE....ITS ALIIIIIVVEE!!!
 

You're saying you went to a cam with different specs, and *didn't* check the clearances?
:eek:

well I installed 964's so I am assuming no problems with piston/valve clearance...

I overtightened a bunch of the rockers which led to a non-starting engine...

I redid the 1-2-3 bank, and the engine started up...with a loud tapping...and some backfiring

so I am planning on doing the 4-5-6 bank...
(since there were overly tight ones on the 1-2-3, just hoping there aren't any too tight to cause p/v contact on the 4-5-6)

just wondering if I should go back and recheck the timing as well...

the engine turns over without binding so I am not really worried about piston/valve contact (but you never know)

just an update...

I checked my 4-5-6 cam timing and it was way off...

I know when I closed up the housing it was right cuz I checked it 8 or 9 times...

so I think when I stupidly turned the engine CCW it must have skipped a couple teeth...

well I only hope it wasn't so off that there was any piston/valve contact...

turning the car over manually by hand wasn't too bad...I did feel some resistance...but I think that was compression...no total blockage...

well back to the garage...

MJ

Do a compression check on all the cylinders. If you tag a valve you will know right away.