Need help NOW!!! (not any more, I raced)

We've twisted several stock oil pump shafts in FE's. You may want to upgrade the shaft while you got it apart.

D. Sea wrote:We've twisted several stock oil pump shafts in FE's. You may want to upgrade the shaft while you got it apart.

ive never seen them twist into a perfect spiral like that! all my shafts always broke off

I've had it happen in a 302 due to the valve seals disintegrating and clogging the oil pump. I'd upgrade to an ARP shaft. After installing the pump and shaft, turn the pump over with a drill to make sure it turns freely and the oil pump has oil pressure. Make sure you use some moly lube on the distributor gear before you install it.
Gary

Nevs wrote:Roller cams are ground on billet stock. Bronze gear is required, because the billet cam will chew up a steel gear in a hurry.

You need to get that straight in your mind ... a STEEL gear will not get chewed-up with a roller cam billet but, an IRON gear will.

rmcomprandy wrote:

Nevs wrote:Roller cams are ground on billet stock. Bronze gear is required, because the billet cam will chew up an iron gear in a hurry.

You need to get that straight in your mind ... a STEEL gear will not get chewed-up with a roller cam billet but, an IRON gear will.

Corrected my mistake for you, Randy.....

GTmustang wrote:I've had it happen in a 302 due to the valve seals disintegrating and clogging the oil pump. I'd upgrade to an ARP shaft. After installing the pump and shaft, turn the pump over with a drill to make sure it turns freely and the oil pump has oil pressure. Make sure you use some moly lube on the distributor gear before you install it.
Gary

It is going to get oiled pretty good. I see your from Michigan, not trying to use this forum to promote mine, but:
http://michiganmotorheads.forumjonction.com/

Now I need to know this, what way does the oil pump drive shaft go in? With the circle at the top or the bottom? Need to know like yesterday.

The retainer clip goes up against the block right under the distributor. That way when you remove the distributor, the shaft can't fall into the oil pan.

Thanks, I searched the web and started going at it right away. I figured it out but I was way too busy to make another post.

Thank you.

Is the car all ready for the big race now??

Bill

We're planning on breaking it in today. I hope all goes well, I have never raced before. Once I do I can finally talk smack about other people. I've been waiting for this for two years and I'm itchin to go down the track, BAD! Cross your fingers for us, our other car that my brother was going to race started giving us problems as well.

bb429power wrote:We're planning on breaking it in today. I hope all goes well, I have never raced before. Once I do I can finally talk smack about other people. I've been waiting for this for two years and I'm itchin to go down the track, BAD! Cross your fingers for us, our other car that my brother was going to race started giving us problems as well.

Once you do it, you'll be hooked!! If you haven't been down the track before, see if you can find someone to show you where the turn off roads are, time slip booth, etc etc. It makes it easier!!

Bill

Now I got a bigger problem. The number one cylinder has NO compression and it just backfired out of the carb louder than I have ever heard before. Now whats going on? Please help. Is the piston bad and the oil in the crankcase igniting or what? My ears are still ringing.

Sounds like the intake valve is hanging open. Have the valves just been adjusted? Maybe that one got adjusted too tight??


Bill

no, they close and open. I checked. Even at that, why would I have no compression?

If the intake valve isn't closing you won't have any comp. With the lifter on the base circle, you should be able to wiggle the rocker a bit. Are these roller rockers?

Bill

Nope, not roller. But the valve cover is off and I can see that they have closed. We pressurized the No.1 and No.4 cylinders (we know 4 has compression) and they both did the same thing. When we would turn it over the No. 1 cylinder (which is the bad one) would have exhaust come out of the cylinder with the spark plug out. The heck

If you take both rockers off of the #1 cylinder and put some air to the spark plug hole you should be able to hear where the compression is going. If you can hear it from the carb, its intake valve. If its from the exhaust, its the ex valve. If you can hear it coming from the crank case, then its rings/piston issues.

Bill

oKAY, i TOOK THE ROCKERS OFF AND CHECKED IT. It has compression. It was turning the engine over, so now what do I do? Sorry, caps lock was stuck on.

bb429power wrote:oKAY, i TOOK THE ROCKERS OFF AND CHECKED IT. It has compression. It was turning the engine over, so now what do I do? Sorry, caps lock was stuck on.

Maybe the backfire was caused by the timing being way off. If its off very much it can bang pretty good!!

If you put the rockers back on and put your thumb over the #1 spark plug hole while you turn the engine over, you should feel the compression pushing past your thumb. Then bring the balancer up to around 20* BTDC. Set in your dizzy lined up to #1 with the star wheel (reluctor) in the dizzy lined up with the mag pick-up you should be pretty close to start her up!!!

Good luck!!

Bill

The rockers are on and both are CLOSED, its leaking out of both the intake and exhaust. The star wheel isn't on this distributor, its setup with a hall affect pickup. Why is it leaking with the rockers on? the valves look closed. Thats what my problem is, I tried the thumb test a couple of times already and a comp. checker and nothing. But when the rockers are off it has full compression.

Does those two valves sit taller than the other valves when they are closed without the rockers on ?

What type of heads are these? What is the engine combo?

Its a edl-7122 cam. They are stock 4v 302 heads. The valves look the same, just that when its tightened down so far they leak. Like as if the studs were in further than the other ones or something, but they are stock, pressed in and look the same. What baffles me is that both the ex/int valves have the same problem for the same cylinder. I'm bummed out, that race means the world to me and has for two years now. Now I don't think I'll be able to run, but of course, now were able to run the other car. I'm literally crying right now.

If the race is this weekend you have lots of time!!! I've helped my buddy finish putting the engine together, install the engine and break it in on the Friday night before a race!!!

This engine ran before right?? What has changed? You need to start with the basics and work it through....its tough but it should work out. If there is air coming from both valves when the rockers are tightened down, something is too long or not seated right. Were the push rods changed? Lifters? Rockers? Valves?

You'll get it!!

Bill

Well we talked to a guy and he told us to tighten the rockers in a different manner, that worked. So we fired it up, after some backfires and moving the distributor, it ran great. Ten minutes into the break in it stalled, but of course we had a dead battery on our hands so we'll finish it up tomarrow. The #4 wire got melted a little bit so we think that's why it stalled, luckily we had a spare. This engine has been running for a good amount of time now, we just replaced the ca, lifters, timing chain, oil pump and shaft, pickup,and distributor. We also were about 1/8 a tank of gas so we filled it up a bit more with premium. Hope all goes well. Me no cry no more.