I just got a 92 RS, as some of you know through my recent postings (especially that wonderful story of the bad fuel pump that was actually just an empty gas tank). Now, on my way home from work, the valvetrain starts tapping like crazy. The pressure sender is on the fritz but it shows oil pressure, and I check the oil when I get home (valvetrain knocking like crazy) and it's full. What gives? I'm so ****ing annoyed right now after dishing out close to three grand already!

 

Pull the valve covers and see if you are getting oil flow there. Your oil galleys might be clogged. I had a similar problem about a year ago and it turned out that all my lifters were gummed up extremely bad. Just a thought!!!!

 

I can run the engine with the covers off? What did you use to clean the gum off?

 

Are you sure it is the valve train? TBI injectors have a notorious tick to them that can be confused with valve tapping. How many miles does the car have and do you have an open air element or any other type of air intake. I ask that because the stock air cleaner assemlby is actually a resonator that quiets all the wierd noises the TBI unit makes.

 

It's definitely the valve train. It's pretty loud and the car is actually hard to start at the moment. It sounds loud enough to be the bottom end for all I know.

 

I pulled them and put them in a quart jar filled with SIMPLE GREEN degreaser. It took three soakings like this over a period of three days to get them clean. They were so gummed up you couldn't even depress the spring in them.

 

As soon as the engine cools down I'll tear open the top end and see what I can find. I already called out of work tomorrow, boy were they thrilled. Don't you love new used cars? :lala:

 

2 things worry me, "The pressure sender is on the fritz but it shows oil pressure" & "It sounds loud enough to be the bottom end for all I know". i hope the pickup hasn't clogged up on you

 

On my 85 LB9, there's a NPT fitting at the front of the motor that a mech oil press ga can be threaded into.
That fitting is fed by the oil passage that goes the length of the block down the center.
It might tell you something if you went out and got a reliable ga and tested your press at both fittings.

 

Well I didn't get the covers off tonight (1 hour of light when I got out there). There's a hard line sitting right on top of one of the driver side valve cover bolts! How annoying. I wasn't about to get too involved and I don't even have the right tools at the moment.

So I opened the oil cap, fired it up (it strained to fire) and had a listen. A lot of the noise is the driver's side valve train it seems, with some noise on the passenger side. I'm hearing some real unpleasant noises, as well, like squeaking, and I shut it down. After checking the condition of the oil, I have a feeling it very well could be a clogged pickup. *** only knows when the last time this oil was changed. Damnit, I knew I should've changed it last weekend. I was planning to go TODAY!

With some luck, I will have the brakes done on my SC this weekend so I have something to drive; then I can just say screw it and trash this whole motor. A 350 out of the junkyard sounds like a good starting platform...

 

If you're lucky, your state doesn't require a visual inspection. Then you can put your new engine together without all that wonderful spagetti that the factory threw in there.

 

I have a way around visuals.

 

I envy you guys.