UPDATE see post #9

Hey guys, well heres the update. I got my GTA running again from my head swap and now decided to get an afpr and some 1.6 rockers. Well I started the engine and felt minor contact on the valve covers, ran maybe 10-12 seconds. Shut it down and clearanced the covers, fixed the issue. Then installed the AFPR, went from 38 to 47 psi. Instantly noticed that the injectors were clicking louder than they used to, but that was it. Took it out for the first time between the two mods and started to notice a slight squeak. I figured it was my nice el cheapo AC delete pulley and just ignored it.

Now today I go to take the car on a trip to the drag strip and I heard the squeak get louder and louder. I took the car home right away and narrowed down the squeak. It seems to be coming from the cylinder 6 and 8 injector area and it squeaks with the injector pulse.

So anybody ever hear of a squeaky injector?

VID http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-65_jg3vBg

 

Sounds more like one of your rocker arms to me .

 

Reset your valve lash.

 

Well you guys are bonifide smart people. Haha that was it! I tightened up the rocker, but check out the wear after 30 miles in the pics. Seem normal? I looked at the stock rockers and found alot of the same, so I figured it was not a big deal. However I ran the car for 15 seconds to pump up the lifters and I noticed that there was no oil spurting from the hole in ANY of the rockers, but the rockers had oil in them. Should you see spurting oil at idle? or only when you rev (which I did not do)

 

It depends on your oil pressure at idle. Normally you would see some oil flowing. Check the alignment of the oil holes from the pushrods to the rockers. I usually apply some grease or break-in lube to new rockers before running them.

 

Hello F-Body Demon!!

You should see oil flowing at the least out of the hole in the rocker at idle, they need lubrication at all times, not just off idle!!

I rebuilt a 350 SBC on the cheap back in the 1980's, and I had oil spurting out of the holes in the rockers a good two inches at idle!!

Did you use new lifters, with oil restictors?????

 

Okay, heres an update. I had the valve cover off again today, and im getting flow to the rockers for sure haha. Had to clean my fenders off afterwards lol. Just took a second for the oil to start flowing.

BUT

I went through and reset the valve lash...twice...my rockers keep loosening up but the nuts arnt moving. Im worried I have a collapsing lifter. Sound right to anybody? Im going back out again tonight to set the lash all over again from scratch. I will post updates as they come down. Worst case scenario I will put in new lifters which will require me pulling the intake....AND if im into the engine....I will go ahead and port my 113s (which I regret not doing). At least either way something good will come from all of this.

 

It's normal for lifters to collapse after turning the engine over a couple of times without oil pressure. It sounds like you're chasing your tail there.
The oil will get pressed out of the lifter, especially if it is warm & thin.
Starting the engine for few seconds will restore the oil pressure after adjusting some of rockers. If you turn the engine over slowly with a breaker bar you can usually get away with a couple of revolutions before the lifters start collapsing.

 

Okay...now im pissed.

I went through and reset the valve lash by the book. There is ZERO chance I messed it up. Started it up, sounded good...then...5 minutes later the squeek came back. So I got angry ripped off the valve covers and added 1/2 turn to each nut on each side, giving me a full turn each after zero lash. Started it...sounded good....THEN IT CAME BACK!!! Now with the exception of the first time mentioned here, I haven't found anything even closely resembling a loose rocker arm. But hell what can another 1/4 turn hurt...each of the rockers got the treatment...started it up...squeak....squeak....squeak. Im about to loose my mind.

I went in with a stethoscope and I'm pretty sure im hearing the noise coming from the AFPR. I uploaded another vid onto you-tube. Check it out see what you guys think. When under the stethoscope I can hear the washer in the AFPR moving around inside, it sounds a lot like an injector . Anybody else have that experience?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_62Aq9t3Aw

Any help is appreciated.

 

Anybody?

 

I think it's hard to help without actually being there.
I've never heard a FPR squeak personally, but I guess it's possible.
I have heard noisy injectors, but not quite like that.

Is it louder when you pull a valve-cover? I'm just wondering if something is sticky under there, like a spring damper or a valve in guide.
I guess you could also check under the distributor cap for interference there.
Sorry if this isn't helpful. I'm kind of at a loss being at a distance.

 

Hello F-Body Demon!!

If the squeak goes away when you add another 1/4 turn of the rocker nut, but then comes back, what makes you think it's the AFPR????



Are the rockers, and associated hardware new???? If so, did you use assembly lube????



You said it actually started after the AFPR was installed, and you bumped the fuel pressure up from 38 to 47 psi, bump the pressure down to 42 psi, and see what happens?????

 

be careful overtightening your rockers as well. It's my amateur assumption that a little bit of extra lash isn't too harmful, but if you keep crankin' em down your valves wont shut and/or you'll squish a lifter/bend a pushrod/tag a piston or two.


EDIT: If I were you I'd inspect my rockers VERY carefully, it sounds to ME from the video like you've got a rocker bearing riding in it's seat with inadequate lubrication. When you shut the motor off it gets some oil seeping down into it, but while running it's not getting any, hence the squeak coming back after a minute or two.

This is just my guess, it could very well have nothing to do with the valve train and a certain part will just start squeaking after a couple minutes running.

 

Never heard of a squeaky injector or FPR. But there's a first time for everything, I guess.

Are your pushrods riding against the ends of their slots/guideplates (binding)? Some stock heads can't take 1.6 rockers. They get the higher ratio by moving the pushrod cup slightly closer to the flucrum than 1.5s. Some heads you simply run out of room and the pushrod binds against the bottom of the pushrod slot. That might give you a squeaky. Mostly it just chews up pushrods.