i just did a intake gasket on my 3.1l firebird. and i just got it all back together and she wont fire???? she cranks but wont start. i was told the rockers are wrench down. and i think i tighten them to tight and now i have no compression.

PLEASE HELP. I NEED TO GO TO SCHOOL MONDAY.

 

check that your distributer is timed right. which intake gasket did you replace? you can replace the entire intake without touching rockers.

 

i did the lower intake. so i had to remove the push rods to get the gasket out/on. what do i do with the rockers. do i tighten all the way or are they adjustable rockers?

ill check the timing.

 

did you adjust your valve lash? turn the pushrod in between your fingers w/ the opposite valve of what your doing open (ex: adjusting intake #1 intake #4 should be open.) tighten until you cant turn the pushrod between your fingers then tighten anohter 1.5 turns. its important that the valve your adjusting is completely closed. by turning the pushrod in between your fingers do you know what I mean?

 

If your engine has sort of a whiny crank, you don't have any compression. Proper adjustment of the rockers is to remove all play and then tighten an additional 1/4 turn. Get yourself a 3/8" breaker bar and a 15mm deep socket to go with it so it becomes easier for you to know when you're done. You need to wipe any and all grease/oil off of the pushrods before you can do this, and you have to grip them rather tight to check for play. The INSTANT the play goes away, tighten the bugger 1/4 turn and move onto another one.

BTW, it's easier to install the intake gaskets if you CUT the "DON'T CUT" parts of it. Been running for 3 years without a problem this way. All you have to do is slide the gasket in behind the pushrods and line up the holes, and you're done.
(Yes, I KNOW someone is going to say something about this, but that's the way I did it, and I don't have any problems other than leaking valve guides and 2 bad injectors, and the fact that it takes FOREVER to warm up in the morning without the 700R4 installed... )

 

i said that to my dad and he said no. dont cut them.

ill try the tighten trick. after i get my new pushrods. i bent 9 of the 12 pushrods so. im just gonna get all new ones.

thanks alot guys.

 

ummm did u happen to bend the pushrods while trying to start the motor???

if so i would suspect u have mor eissues then just bent pushrods now

with all the pushrods out do all the valve springs sit at the same hieght?

if any arelower then the other u bent the valves

 

yea i did bend them trying to start it.

ill go check the heads

 

im willing to bet u had just cranked down on the rockers till they got tight.
this will leave the valves open more then far enough to hit the pistons i belive.

if any of the valve springs are down below the others u bent the valves.

if u did this u may get lucky and be able to just put new valves in it since it only happened during cranking, but more then likley it will have damaged the heads as well

 

i checked the valves. and they all seem to be at the same height.

we did tighten the rockers down till they got tight.

so what your saying is more then likly i damaged the valves/heads?

how will i know if i did. i dont wanna take the heads apart and check them.

thanks anymore advice is greatful.

 

only thing u can do is put a set of pushrods in and do a compression or leak down test.
a leakdown test would be easy now that theres no pushrods in it actually

 

thanks ill try it tomorrow.

when we were cranking the car we didnt hear any noise of the pistons hitting the valves.

we called 3 places and said the rockers were just tighten down. so are they? or are they adjustable's just to clairify?

thanks alot guys. really you guy are helping me a ton. and hopfully i can get her to live agian tomorrow. so i got a car for school. lol

 

u have to adjust them ^^ look up a few posts somone was telling u how to do it

 

duh. thanks alot man. god i hope she starts tomorrow.

 

i got her running good now.

thanks alot guys.