What did i do wrong

[tstang429]

Allright guys im stumped. I did a lower intake gasket put it all back together and now i got a knock. you think a misadjusted valve could do that???
Its a 2001 Olds alero 3400

[3400-95-Modified]

did you get all the pushrods back in the correct spot?? Exhaust is longer than the intakes.

[tstang429]

I belive I did I stuck them through a box lid as i took them out. If you think this could give me a knock do you have a diagram of the location I can pull them out one at a time and check.

[3400-95-Modified]

Going across back of motor

Passenger side--------Drivers side
long, short, long, short, short, long

Front of motor
Passenger side--------Drivers side
long, short, short, long, short, long

and if you did get one wrong, then a exhaust rocker would be very loose... and i think you can possibly bend the long one if its in a intake spot.

Also did the motor sit long enough to possibly pump down the lifters??? they may just need to get oil back in them. Bottom line is the valvetrain on these motors is not adjustable at all.

How long did you let it run?

[tstang429]

Thanks for the location

Engine sat for 3 days

let it run for not even a minute sounded like someone wes beating the block whith a hammer was to scared to let it run longer

[3400-95-Modified]

check the rods and then if they are all right I would let it run for maybe a little longer... the lifters may have drained out.

I had my existing 3400 out for 1 day upside down doing a pan gasket and main seals, and when I put it back in it sounded like HELL... I had to rev it up for about 30-40 sec to get it to get oil in there and shut up. It then ran for 60k miles before I blew two head gaskets at the strip and put my 3400/3500 hybrid in.

[tstang429]

ok so you had a knock not a tick from a dry lifter. how would you adjust the valves? the old tried and trued till no slop or 89inlbs and 30 degrees.
Ive built small blocks before and never had this so it kinda freaking me out, just pulled spark plugs out to see if maybe some freak accident something made its way down into the cylinder dont see any damage on the plugs either. We did have a socket break when we lossend the rockers, wondeirng if my tourqe wrench has had it. rotated the engine by hand with valves at 75in lbs to see if i felt anything and feels smooth but ocsionaly hear a click maybe from the timing chain? car has 120k on it so some slop is understandable and we did have a lifter tick before. thanks for your help.

[3400-95-Modified]

well it sounded like a valve hitting a piston for me.. it wasnt a soft tick.

And you can't adjust the valves, its just tighten the rockers down till they are tight... No adjustment possible.

[tstang429]

Ok knocks gone

We retorqued the rockers down closed up and started it nock was gone dont know why and dont realy care glad its not knocking now.

Now its got anoter problem we have what seems like a dead cylinder going to get the codes pulled in the morning. Wish us luck.

Well pulled codes this morning cylinder 3 miss fire. but the car is running perfect and the light went out on its own. car is running better then in years.

[3400-95-Modified]

might have been related to the knock in some way... Clear the codes and be sure they dont come back.

Glad to hear its mostly sorted out.

[n0rt0npr0]

were they too tight?

Okay cool so you retorqued the rockers to solve the knock....

Anyone think they were TOO tight and retorqueing them made em right?

Ok knocks gone

We retorqued the rockers down closed up and started it nock was gone dont know why and dont realy care glad its not knocking now.

Now its got anoter problem we have what seems like a dead cylinder going to get the codes pulled in the morning. Wish us luck.

Well pulled codes this morning cylinder 3 miss fire. but the car is running perfect and the light went out on its own. car is running better then in years.

[tstang429]

very possible one was to tight thats why we went back over it all. I do have a lifter going bad in the car, it ticks early morning, started after the first intake gasket blew and mixed oil and antifeeze. Hoping it will hold out for a while till i can afford to rebuild the engine. Thanks for everyones help.

[3400-95-Modified]

Early morning tick is piston slap... Very common on stock 3100's My moms had that noise I replaced all the lifters and the LIMG at the same time and it was still there.

[tstang429]

no im sure its a lifter tick had a car with piston slap big differnce in sound. and its not a 3100 its a 3400

[3400-95-Modified]

3100 3400... same thing