Cam replacement

Ok everyone thanks again for the info. So how noticeable would metal be in the oil. Because I drained the oil just to see and I put it under my big florescent lights and shined my work light in to the oil and really couldnt see anything significant. would it be like flakes of metal?

 

Is it popping back thru intake or exhaust? Usually if it is a cam lobe you will get popping out of 1 or the other depending on intake lobe or exhaust lobe...maybe a lifter lost its prime or bad?

 

Popping How like a back fire through the carb?

 

Yes, it will pop back thru the carb on most cases if it is a intake lobe or thru exhaust if exhaust lobe...since it is performing good but tapping sounds like it may be the lifter, just my opinion but in any case hope it works out for you.

 

If he is getting noise from under the valve covers, there might be nothing wrong but rockers out adjustment, which will cause hard starting and loss in power because the valves are not opening as the should. I he is not seeing any metal in the oil, I bet that is the exact case and the cam and lifters are fine, just need adjusted.

Pull a valve cover off one side and start it up, have a rag ready coz you will be squirting oil all over. Start by loosening up the rocker till it starts to clatter, then re-tighten the rocker till the engine bogs and back it off a 1/4 turn. Work your way down one side and then replace the valve cover and repeat on the other side. This will give you a pretty close adjustment of the rockers, enough to run it a damn long time, if done right, longer then the rest of the motor will hold up. I have done so many a motor this same way and this is how I adjusted the 383 stroker in my 87 Gand National Clone that ran deep in the 11's in the 1/4 mile. Tuning by ear, to a trained ear, will be as good, if not better, then any timing light or feeler gauge.

 

Blackfoot - WRONG!! That'll definitly wipe the cam!!

Back it off 'til it clicks, tighten 'til it just stops, and go another 3/4 turn, is the correct way.
Apparently some need to read the books on proper hydraulic lifter adjustment!
To 'bottom them out' and come back maybe .030 leaves the lifter compressed, and all the parts inside able to fly apart, as there's NO preload on the lock ring!
Re-read your way - you've been real lucky!
Find an old lifter, and take it apart - you'll see your error!

 

Well there is the problem. I never run hydro lifters when I replace a cam, I prefer solid lifters and roller rockers for the throttle response. Sure you have to readjust atleast once a year, thats half the fun, getting out in the garage and doing maintenance is what having a car is all about. And my method has always done me well with my solid lifters. Right or wrong, 11's out of a fully dressed 3200lb car with full pipes and hanging the left front tire in the breeze worked good enough for me.

 

Unless your heads are not stock and/or somebody did some work to them they should be sporting non-adjustable pedestal mount rockers as you alluded to earlier. Are the rockers held down by bolting to the head or do they install over a stud in the head and are tightened with a nut?

Is the clicking worse than before the cam change? How much have you run it? Are you getting oil on the top end?

 

If you've solids, there should be a recommended valve lash setting by the cam manufacturer - set them that way, and see how well your car runs!!
BTW - the only thing solids have over hydralics is higher RPM - profiles and ramps have come a long way! Responce is the same!
Your GN came with hydralics from the factory, and with a 'little tweaking' ran 11's - stock!!
Oops - just noticed the SBC in your Pu-ick - had two of those with solids, 45 + yrs. ago! Fuel injection cams! Settings of .012 + .018e and the other @ .030 across.
Want a good cam for your SBC? Get a solid roller!!

To the OP - you could also have a bent pushrod - roll them on a flat surface to check!!

 

That is what I was going to suggest. Pull the valve covers and make sure you don't have a bent pushrod or even a broken valve spring. I've had both happen.

 

Yes that is what my heads have they are Ford 351C heads Had the valves redone on them and cleaned up but nothing more. So as far as adjustment goes thats why I wasnt sure if they could be adjusted. That was my first thought too maybe when the lifters filled with oil they got off some how. But like I said I didnt think they could be adjusted. Although I am still learning thats why my first project like this is on a 78 LTD, So i dont get too sick when somthing like this happened.

 

Ahhh! My eyes! I'm blind!

 

If they did a valve job, and resurfaced the heads, unless they had a problem with a seat, it shouldn't have changed the geometry.
One without the other can be a problem with non-adjustable rockers, if you think about it.
Check if all the valves to see if you've a longer or shorter one on each head, looking down the row!

 

I am going to get back out there and take the covers off and take a look tomorrow. Just been soo cold past few days dont like working in the cold. I will post what I find

 

Ok took off valve Covers first on on passanger side # 4 pistion is loose I can wiggle by hand looks to be at lowest setting. So I guess I have to go through one by one. Can a lifter be replaced if the Cam is OK?