Bingo!

Just make sure it is indeed a loose rocker.
Hydraulic systems should never need adjusting. I have already tightened my headers twice, check yours out, because a slight header leak can sound very similar to a loose rocker!

If it is the rocker, try to pin point the rocker before removing the rocker cover.

When adjusting to zero lash, I would pull up and down on the rod instead of to turning/twisting the rod, once it stops moving up or down, you have found zero lash, go from there.

 

I would use POR-15 and apply with a foam brush. I used a bristle brush, and have a couple bristles entombed in the paint, and a couple brush strokes here and there.
Its really easy and covers well with the brush, but I think foam would work even better.

Its much easier with a bare engine bay I was gonna do it with the steering box, brakes booster/MC, and heater box in the car, but it only took an extra hour to pull them out...


POR-15 is AWESOME. You will never scratch it banging tools around in there and stuff. I HIGHLY recommend it.

 

Thanks for advice! If it is indeed a loose rocker is it bad to drive on for alittle while? Want to test the converter out

UPDATE:
Played hooky today , picked the converter up, cost me a 30 cans of bud lol Put everything back in the car solo today, ya it sucked hardcore. Trans only weighs double of me lol Total of about 3.5 hrs, and i wasted an hour scratching my head why the torque arm was not lining up to the rear. Then a lightbulb popped on and i lifted the rear with the jack and walla! lol Just need to hook up my trans lines in the engine bay and pray vibration is not there. If it stop raining here soon the tires might hit the driveway

 

Very slight vibration at 1900rpm. Not nearly as bad, am not sure if its because its stil on all 4 jacks, also didnt hook up the tv cable. Suppose ill wait untill tomorrow and get it on its tires and go for a quick spin to actually tell.

 

Your are going to hook up the TV cable before you take it for a spin,right??.I know you know about that,just being a buddy reminding you.

 

yes i had a 20 minute window to hook up my trans lines and charge the battery before the next storm came through Ill update tomorrow night when i take it for a cruise

 

drum roll........................................



wasted $350 for nothing. problem still there.....

back to step one.

Also gonna post this in transmission spot.


There has been controversals about what flexplate is suppose to be on the motor. Iv'e read internal 350 motors get neutral balance, some said the L31 was internal but needs external balance plate. NOW, i installed the original flexplate off the tahoe, It IS on correctly. If anyone is familiar with the plate, around 1 of the bolt holes there a C shape that looks to me is a balancer. Its about 4 inches long.

So please, what is the story of the flexplates

 

The only person that can answer that is the shop that built it. You need to find out EXACTLY what crank was used. External balance flexplates would suffice on most stock type sbc cranks, but the builder would know, and should be able to tell you if and what it needs.

Yes, the c shape fixture is the weight.

Can't remember, but does it shake in park, or only when moving? I was thinking driveshaft?

 

Does it in park so its not driveshadt, suspension, tires etc.

Eagle crank was installed, internal/nuetral balance.


Wondering if its worth me just knocking off the weight on the flexplate and trying that. Either way i have to re-pull the trans back out. If the price isnt too bad for a shop to look at it, am pretty sure it will cost a few hundred for them to just pull it.

Engine builder is no help when it comes to the flexplate issue.

 

Call up eagle. They will know for sure. You know the PN for your crank right? IIRC when I visited eagle's site the last time when this question came up, it said it was internally balanced. Which means a nuetral balance flexplate should be used (no weight).

Didn't you run it with no converter and had no vibration?

 

Just a gut instinct,but something bothers me abit with that small of a H/B on a stroker crank.In my build with making the Howards crank a internal balance the plan is to use a 7" and some H/B.I can't use my OEM flexplate because of the two pc to one pc rear seal adapter and need to get the early style.

Those H/B'ers really don't come into play until there is a load on the rotating assemble to remove the harmonics.So in theory I guess it is possible to spin over the assemble free of the t/c to have no vibs.

 

H/B?

Eagle confirmed it was internal balance.
You guys think its worth me knocking off the balancer?

 

What parts did Eagle suggest you use??.

 

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...-balanced.html

confirmed, the one piece RMS flexplate has a weight on the outside, 2 piece RMS has no weight on flexplate.

Guessing now am pushing for internal trans issues?

 

Eagle said the stock flexplate should work fine

 

Read this:



https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...-question.html

 

Yeah-I saw on some of their package stuff,they sell the F/plate and H/B as part of the package.

I'm fishing here,but have you triple checked the engine mounts/bolts??.

 

yes, there tight. I have a poly trans mount. With that make a difference? Didnt think so seeing its just around low rpm range.

Looks like i wont knock off the weight on flexplate lol

 

You do have me thinking about the trans and the possibility of not a bad bearing,but it having a real fast chatter.From what I gather you bought this,but really never had it torn down.

 

Maybe the rpm is a added interesting factor to looking at the trans too.Either way you have to take the issue of a trans problem out of consideration by having it checked out.

 

just talked to the trans shop, he also used to be in the racing business. He wants me to contact eagle again and tell them what i have, crankshaft, H/B, flexplate and go from there. Before i rip this thing out he suggested i put another trans in just to see if the vibration goes away, rather then waste more money having him rip everything apart and it indeed be a motor problem.

Ill call eagle on monday, my friend has a rebuilt jasper tranny that is confirmed to be good shape, running wise. Maybe ill throw that in to see if it still vibrates....Its a free step so i guess it wont hurt

 

Sure sounds like a good idea if you can get a free ride off a buddies trans.Not that it doesn't suck you got to tear it apart again.Sorry about that one.

 

Interesting read on the engine balancing gbay. Its all a little bit counterintuitive, and you have the manufacturers adding to the confusion! My Scat crank is described as Internal/External balance (meaning internal front, external rear), and his eagle crank is described as internal balance, yet both use the same flexplate!

 

Lol, it is confusing. I also have th same Scat with internal front, external rear, I also have the weighted flex plate.

Ls4gxp will be a pro at pulling 700r4's when this is all sad and done!

 

Years ago working at the Chevy engine plant I in Tonn,NY as a engine tester,part of the test was the final balance where we used to pound in pins to the H/B'ers.Of course we where no where near what race shops where doing at that time.I do kind of remember f/plates without wt's had holes punched into them on the line.Yep-it is tons easier when the parts are closely matched.

 

Not a big fan of the Scat/Eagle cranks,but I don't want to imply the Howards crank only purchase is a free pass on the balance.Because that is just not true.The thing is on the box they have a sticker saying if you balance it,you own it.They just don't take as much to get them to come into balance.

 

Called eagle and they told me the flexplate is wrong. I need a neutral balance.

Little confused because u guys are running weights on yours

 

There you go, I hope that fixes it for you.
I have a wieghted f-plate, but I also have an external balance at back crank.
Its all wierd, but so long as someone knows what there're doing, lol.

 

Think I have enough room to removed plate with tranny still in? Or anyway to remove balance with flexplate still bolted?

 

You may be able to grind the welds off? I don't know if it would be wiser to suck it up and pull the trans!

 

I would "try" to buy the longest trans bolts I could find and then try to slip the trans back on them to get clearance to remove the F/plate.I don't think to remove wt's from what you have on there now is the same thing as getting the F/plate you need.

 

Want to remind you either way to pull the dizzy cap.

 

Well hopefully this time you got it figured out. I kinda thought it sounded like a out of balance condition from the beginning. I like the idea of the longer bell housing bolts. You prolly wouldn't even have to pull the driveshaft.

 

One other thing I have done in the past is get the longest starter bolts,cut off the head,slot the end,use that as a guide pin to get the trans on the dowel pins and then bolt it to the engine with other trans bolts,remove those bolts with a screw driver.I have sets of that in my tool box.

BTW-you can do the same thing with stick shift trannies which helps line up the pilot bearing using the top bellhousing bolt locations.Just got to get longer bolts the same size.

Everytime I think of tranny work,it reminds me of the last time I saw a great deal on a two poster lift in Craigslist.

 

Can't I just use a jack under the trans and pull it out? Seems taking bolts out and adding other bolts in to just take them out is alot of work. Prop it up with the jack and move it back.

Either way seeing I have to take torque arm back off, which means put the car on all 4 jack stands, am gonna wait until am ready to swap it and do it then. Depending how the weather is looking next week I might do it wensday and thursday

 

Sure sure can.The point of the longer bolts is you don't muscle the tranny completely out and just enough room to remove the F/plate bolts and F/plate.Then replace in the reverse order sliding it back on the dowel pins,bolt it back on the engine with the other bolts.I have tried god I don't know how many times with a trans jack(never having enough room for the trans jack) and just with a wood on the pan,never find a good balance point.

All and all I think the key is to get the car as high up as you can to give you enough working room.

 

Ive never tried using a transmission jack, from sounds of it i wont ever buy one lol, i think i did it pretty quick and easy with a regular jack. Either way my situation sucks! lol

 

Well is does and it doesn't.Aleast you got it narrowed down to what is the problem and that is major.I suggest you get the suggested F/plate replacement.End it without a shortcut cutting off any wts.I do think I remember the wt-less F/plates still have other holes punched into them for balance.I don't think given the little cost of a replacement F/plate is worth taking a chance by cutting off wts and ending up doing this all over again.Also remind yourself what you got tied up in this build and all this isn't good for it.Right part to do the job right.

 

If the problem is the flexplate, your one tranny pull away!

I agree, get the new flexplate.

 

so i googled "1 piece RMS Internal Flexplate" and the first thing that popped up was a post on Third gen with someone using a 383 stroker crank from eagle...... To sum it up i read that using Eagle crank you cannot use stock flexplates because of the way they balance there cranks. All the counterweights are in the crank :P Couldnt have read that before i pulled the trans, wasted $350, and 2 months not using my car!!!!

ANYWAYS....

i need to measure the plate before i order as i read most trucks came with 168 tooth plate. Not sure if a tahoe falls in this catagory or not, but ill double check before i order. But this is what i need correct
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/QTI-RM-923/?rtype=10
And is this good enough? or should i bump upto the ATI plate for $160?

 

Nawww-I don't see you hooking the car that hard to need a ATI.

 

so i spent a few hours in the engine bay today with the wife scrubbing, cleaning oil, removing lines on the frame rail, removed the air cowl ( i guess you would call it) getting it ready for paint. I decided to tear apart what looked to be a patch job on the drivers fender. Turned out it rusted through and previous owner took fiberglass and tried to patch it. Kinda sucks, but it will be fixed eventually. Am still sticking to plan on painting come wensday. Will post pics up later in the week!

Its not gonna be a gem so dont plan on outstanding work :P

Also sticking to plan on next weekend to pull drivetrain out of the bird and hooking the camaro up! hopefully, hopefully! ill have a running
car come october

 

Going to be a busy couple weeks for you!
Important thing is getting the engine looking the way you want it to, body can be done at a later date.

Did you get the correct flywheel?

 

Hummm-might want to put the car on a diet with some glass fenders and a hood.Opps,there I go again in the cheap seats spending your money.LOL-sorry about that.

 

Am not sure if the little hood scoop the previous owner put on will clear my carb. I think my friend has a beat up cowl hood laying around i can use until the cars ready for paint next year, then ill buy a new one.

Am ordering the flexplate tonight, my new valve cover gaskets are coming in on friday.

Quick questions

1) oil pan gasket is leaking by the harmonic balancer
2) rear main seal gasket is leaking

i bought a GM 350 rebuild kit for gaskets, apparently they are garbage. Any links to good known gaskets for the pan and rear main seal would be appreciated as i need to get this done before it goes in the camaro. 1 piece

 

Right Stuff gasket maker along with a good one piece felpro oil pan gasket works great!

If its a 87-99 1 piece roller block, then just search Summit for oil pan gaskets, 1 piece rear main, 1 piece gaskets, and for the 89 model year fbody. Should beable to find something.

 

thanks orr!

Now heres the plan for paint

1) engine degreaser ( 2 cans ) and a toilet wand cleaner thingy lol
2) power washer
3) Rust stop ( on rusted areas obviously )
4) Rostoluem Flat black spray paint

Sound good? I cleaned alot of oil up by water and rags, anything else i need or should do. Remember, no show room quality, driveway deal. Dont want to spend gobs of money to paint this thing black.

 

Just want to throw my in and say I'm not a fan of your paint job plans. I know you have your reasons for going this route, but I think the car deserves a little better, even if its just giving it a once over with a DA and taking it to maaco.

 

is that for the engine bay or whole car? lol i dont mind flat black cars as it gives an old hot rod look.

 

Lol, I guess I should have asked that first. Reading up, it looks like its only the engine bay, or at least only temporary?

Anyway, for the exterior, flat black is a B*TCH to spray. I was thinking about doing my hunting truck in flat black, and the painters I was talking to said you almost need two guys to spray it and make it look even. I forget the specifics, but it sounds like a lot of hassle for them to make it look good.


If it is for the engine bay. I still HIGHLY recommend POR-15