Immortalities First Rescue...

[Immortality]

Finally making some decent progress. Oil pump primed, filter extension housing on and a new filter pre-filled with oil.

Then Got the PS and cooling lines sorted.

Then remembered I was waiting on rocker cover gaskets. 2 steps forward, one backwards!
Remove the rocker covers and fit gaskets. Used a little silastic on the seals so next time they come off the gaskets stay put.

And drained the old milkshake and gave her a fill of Penrite 15w-50 extra 10th full zinc oil.

Time to get the drinkers side buttoned up.

(****, what a **** photo )

Still missing the PCV clean air side hose. Was also missing the purge solenoid hose to TB but found it behind the air filter box.

Filled the cooling system with water, checked over all the connections and hooked up the battery. Still have no spark plugs in the motor and the DFI module is unplugged. Turned it over on the starter and the oil pressure light went out within 30 seconds.

Fitted a new set of Autolite 606 plugs gapped to .050" and turned it over again. Sounds like it has compression. By now it's starting to get dark and decided to clean up but then decided I wanted to make some noise. Found the ignition leads, took a bit of a guess and fitted em and plugged in the DFI module and we are ready to fire, wrapped some electrical tape around the PCV hose fitting on the LPG mixer to stop the vacuum leak. It fired almost straight away and stalled. Fired it up again with a few revs for about 10 seconds and let it settle to idle.

So it runs but it has a lifter tick. The tick is at the front of the motor on the passenger side on the cylinder head that had the heaps cut off the valve seats so I'm certain I've got way to much lifter pre-load and I didn't manage to find the shims I needed for the rockers so that will be the first thing to sort.

Still need to bleed the cooling system, I don't have a thermostat fitted as I had intended to run a cooling system flush first but I'm gonna fit one tomorrow.

As the engine warmed up and I gave it a few revs the lifter tick got less so it's not the end of the world.

I even did a moving picture show, with sound....

 

[Immortality]

With some revs the tick definitely reduces.

 

[Lex]

With some revs the tick definitely reduces.

The ticking sounded worse after the reving.

 

[Immortality]

It's sounds terrible at idle. I guess I'll just have to make sure it never idles.....

I need to shim up the rockers and see what it does. I just need to find the right shims.

 

[Immortality]

No more Bubbles!

So last night i was having a few issues with air in the cooling system and thought maybe I'd stuffed up

Today I dropped the coolant and gave it a flush through the thermostat housing into the block and through the radiator, fitted a thermostat, put all the hoses back, filled it with plain water with the bleed nipple open until water came out. Started her up and turned the heater to full hot and checked the operation of the vacuum valve for the heater circuit. I use one of those funnel buckets to make the job easier.

Ran it for a while and no major bubbling checked the hoses for warmth and noticed the heater hose going back into the water pump was cold and didn't feel like it had any coolant in it at all. So I stopped the engine, pulled the top hose off the stainless pipe and put the garden hose up it to pressure bleed heater circuit and the LPG unit. The way the hoses run up to the LPG unit makes it an ideal air lock scenario. Fired the old girl up and got her up to full temp. Then started getting more air coming out. Eventually it seemed to burp a huge air bubble and then it settled. God damn the cooling system is dirty

With the engine up to full temp the lifter tick is almost non existent, that gives me hope.

Plan now is to let it cool down a bit and drop the coolant again, flush with the garden hose and then go through the above procedure all over again to try and clean out the cooling system so more.

 

[Immortality]

Not having much luck finding shims to go under the rocker guide plates so I might have to bite the bullet and order some shorter push rods. Emailed a few suppliers to see what is available locally (including aussie).

 

[losh1971]

Do you measure the preload on the lifters Mort? I do, since I was advised to by Delcowizzed. Just I've read posts where people say it's not necessary.

 

[Immortality]

Just been sorting that out. I'll have a more detailed explaination in about 30 minutes.

 

[losh1971]

Looking forward to it.

 

[Immortality]

Quickly whipped off the drinkers side rocker cover (after removing the intake ducting and TB) and pulled out a push rod and measured.

Stock pushrods are 7.05" long. These are my stock worn push rods....

I knew when putting it back together the stock pushrods were going to be to long. How much to long was really the question. We took .010 of the heads. The seats were also re-cut which raised the valve tip heights (the worst been about .014" higher). Clearly this needed either shimming of the rockers or shorter push rods unfortunately I haven't managed to find the shims I need.

This is my push rod length checking tool set at zero lash.

I know I can get a 6.95" replacement pushrod, that would give me .0265" pre-load. Need to figure out what these lifters want/like. Or what will suit LS7 lifters...

Looks like there is still some residual moisture in the crankcase. Engine has only really idled up to temp and I'm sure the oil hasn't even been fully heated through yet. Really need to get that hose for the PCV system fitted so it can do it's job.