I have a 1991 camaro z28 tpi 5.7 fresh rebuild. Stock roller cam/lifters, New pistons (40 over), all new bearings and gaskets, AFPR 24 pound injectors,custom chip. It has a midrange noise like a lifter. Can a noisey lifter cause the knock sensor to freak out and retard the timing? I know the timing is adjusted right 6* BTDC with est unplugged. It pops out the ehaust like its low in time. Also fouls all 8 plugs.

 

Who did your tune?

Fouls them with what? Rich mix?

 

Fouls them with gas not oil, very rich. The chip was a custom burn in my hometown by a engine builder and programmer and did fine for the past 25 years, I had the car running before I rebuilt the engine and it didnt run rich or foul the plugs( after sitting for 20 years). It had a bad miss which is why I rebuilt it ( 4 busted pistons). But another engine builder ( his every day job) had me to put the roller lifters in a c clamp and compress them and I have never heard of that before so I'm thinking that the knock sensor is picking it up and retarding the timing. Are you supposed to do that to the lifters? He is the kind of person to savatage somebody but I just want to be sure if it could be a lifter or not before I tear into the engine for the 5000 time... it's getting old lol, also it's not leaking injectors because I took them out cleaned them and ohmed them.

 

Anybody?

 

 

I pulled

 

 

Have you ever heard of putting the lifters in a c clamp and compressing them prior to installation, becuase I haven't and we have never done it before..

 

I was going to say that I pulled the rail and primed the system and injectors didnt leak

 

 

Could that have damaged them? And cause the noise, because it does not sound like a spark knock at all

 

 

what injectors are you running? Bosch-III's?