ShaneBuss2

This is about the 4th thread in the novel i'm writing (how shane got screwed on a 383 stroker).

Motor is a new solid roller 383 stroker, 10.25:1 comp, 244/244 576/576 , dart iron eagle heads.

I put the new motor in and when i first started it i bent the #5 exhaust pushrod.

I removed the intake and roller lifters, and i can clearly see the #5 exhaust lifter wasnt even resting on the cam lobe, it was resting on what I thought was the cylindrical part of the cam. My cousin looked at it and he says it looks like it's resting on the cam bearing... Either way its only about 1/8" too "deep" into the motor.

I have pulled the engine AGAIN, and it is now at a reputable machine shop for inspection/repair.

This has been a nitemare!

p.s. now the engine builer www.furiousracing.com, is refusing to do anything (figures)

TBI305Camaro

That sucks man. My buddies truck just did the same thing. After a cam swap and everything. We started it and heard a pushrod snap...the lifter also jumped from the hole. You can see his bearing to. His is a POS old 350 tho.

RB83L69

So, did you ever look at the cam & timing gear, and figure out if you've got a mismatch of factory roller vs. non-roller stuff up there? That's sure what it sounds like.... specifically, like you have a timing gear for a factory roller motor, but no cam retainer plate; so the cam is into the block too far, by the thickness of the missing plate. I can't really think of any other way that this could happen, barring blatantly defective parts (which is not among the first things I'd be looking for)

ShaneBuss2

I have not removed the timing cover yet. Should this end up going to litigation i want a professional to be the first person to "tear into" the motor.

I am thinking at this point that someone just forced the cam in there, and slightly shifted the bearing. The lifter appears to be resting on a cam bearing, not on the cam itsself.

if this is the case i wonder what kind of damage im looking at..

i guess it could be the timing set, but wouldnt that cause problems on more than one lifter?

the machine shop should be calling me soon.
thanks guys!

ZZ28ZZ

The cam bearing would have to be displaced more that "slightly" for the lifter to rest on it.
If it was done during the cam installation, it should have been caught during valve adj.

I suppose the bearing could have migrated out of place with eng running and the lifter somehow jumped off the cam lobe and rested on the cam bearing. That would hold the valve open and the piston would probably hit the valve bending the pushrod among other things.

If that is the case, the cam bearings were not fitted correctly.

HiTech5

iTrader: (4)

It sounds to me like you have a piston to valve problem. This is not an uncommon problem. Sometimes when a block is decked, the valves do not line up with the reliefs properly.

The best way to check this is to oull one of the heads and put some modeling clay on the top of the piston. Put the head back and secure it with at least a couple of bolts and rotate the engine by hand a few times. Remove the head and check the position of where the valve meets the piston as well as how deep the valve pushes into the clay.

2 years ago, I did a freshen up on my 383. I changed the cam from a Comp 230/236 HR to a 236/242 SR. Withe the solid roller, I had to cut new valve reliefs in the pistons for proper clearance.

Who installed the heads on the motor? The person installing heads is generally the one who would check the piston to valve clearance.

RB83L69

OK... sounds like a set of fundamental questions needs to be answered.

Do you want your car to run? Or do you just want your pound of flesh?

Before you answer that, work on this one: assume that you do go to court, and the verdict is in your favor. What are you going to get out of it? That is, what will you ask for, and what can the court possibly award you? Is it worth whatever you have to go through to get it?

And even before that: can you prove negligence, let alone malice or incompetence? And can you do al of it without taking the timing cover off?

Sounds to me like what's wrong with your motor is quick, cheap, and easy to fix. It certainly would be all of that for me, at least. I would not bother with a bunch of "litigation". All that will do is help pay for some lawyer's kid's orthodontist work. If that's what you want to do, fix the problem yourself, document your costs, and take lots of digital pictures as you tear it down. But personally I don't think it's worth bothering with.

RB83L69

OBTW...

I have torn down alot of motors. I have never seen a cam bearing "migrate".

Piston-to-valve clearance will not cause a cam bearing journal to expose itself to a lifter roller.

Work through the likely possibilities before grasping at "maybe it's this, maybe it's that" straws, especially trying to blame it on rare or unusual things that have never been observed in the course of history before.

I think the solution to the mystery is under the timing cover.

"The simplest explanation that fits all the facts is usually the right one."
— Occam, ancient Greek philosopher, from days before the factory roller setup