rocker noise

[BigAl285]

Hi. I bought a 383 stroker from a guy last year. brand new never ran. The guy needed money, I got screwed on it big time. Motor is nothing but trouble. Bottom end seems fine. Too much top end noise. Motor came with 488 lift comp cam, screw in studs, aluminum heads. Locking nuts with the set screws on them for valve adjusting. Its a hydrolic cam with roller rockers too. I had a loud rocker noise like they are loose. I adjusted them over an over. I talked to a engine guy said maybe wrong lifters for the cam with wrong valve springs. I pulled the cam checked it with a mic every lobe was in spec, heads sent out and put new lifters in maybe the guy messed up putting the motor together. Put it all back together same thing. I called Comp cams, the said a cam with that lift is noisy. I went and got a Luniti cam. Still has the noise. I heard they where quieter and get more power too. No matter how I adjust the rockers they still make noise. I've done it motor running the old school way, zero preload then tighten down 1/2 turn then went 3/4 turn. Any ideas? push rod lenght to short, am I adjusting the rockers wrong? Please help. Thanks

 

[Guardian]

First off ,what lifters are you running? What is the oil pressure? What valves are in the heads? It could be a push rod length issue but you would have contact between the rocker and spring near the rocker arm or near the keeper it was. Most of the time a geometry problem gets ugly real fast. Have you been driving this truck ?

 

[bucket]

What oil do you run?

 

[BigAl285]

I don't know exactly what lifters. They are matched for the cam. I bought the cam and lifters as a package. I will look tomorrow for all my info on the cam / lifters. The valves brand are a unknown. Oil psi 60- 75. I was running Brad Penn Oil but now I'm running Valvoline VR-1 oil 15w40. Local guy at a engine shop says he runs that. The roller part of the rocker it onthe bottom third of the valve if that makes sense to you. Not exactly in the center of the valve. I have been driving it. I was told its just the roller rockers. If everything is adjusted it will be fine. at a idle they tick a little. get going 55mph and let off then you really hear them till you get to a idle. Id say around 2-2500 rpms they are really loud. Seems to get worse when motor gets to operating temp. Most I drive it is across town and home 10 minutes prolly. Doesnt help when the motor guys wont listen or can't hear anything too. I ask a question like to listen and they wont they want me to pull the motor so they can disassemble it.

 

[Guardian]

First off, the motor guy are not going to be willing to listen if they didn't build the engine. Usually a builder doesn't unless they know the person well. It is not right but it is the way the business goes. I would be leary of a builder that wants to tear down an engine without diagnosing it first. Next thing is the lift on the cam you installed. How much does it have? If it is around .500 then it is possible the valve spring retainer is contacting the valve guide unless it was built for it. The position of the rocker tip sounds good from what you are descibing.

Can you post a video of the problem? being able to see and hear would be helpful.

 

[skysurfer]

Roller rockers are just noisy. The shop that built my engine stopped using them because the knock sensors pick up the noise and issue false knock counts. I spent a couple of months searching for a quiet full roller rocker and finally realized there's no such thing.

 

[wildcatjason]

I never thought my roller rockers were noisy. Are they 1.6 or 1.7's? That will add to the lift of the cam profile. .488 is getting close to .500. Do you know the max lift your valve springs can handle? It been awhile since I built a sbc, but I remember valve springs going in .050 increments. If those springs are designed for only a .500 lift and your rockers are taking your lift over that you could be slapping a piston with your valve. I actually did that once and snapped a ring.

 

[wildcatjason]

You have guide plates in it too I assume.

 

[BigAl285]

I have the comp 1.6 ultra pro mag rockers. the motor was all together when I bought it and I thought it was good to go. I don't think the piston is hitting the valve. It runs fine just makes a ton of rocker noise. I'll take a video and pictures of it for you guys tomorrow, don't feel like working on it haha. Hope to get this figured out.

 

[wildcatjason]

You'd have bigger problems with a valve slap just wondering it there is some binding. Kinda tossing ideas.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Switch in a set of factory non-roller 1.6 rockers and see if the noise is gone. If so, you know what it is. If not, you know what it aint.

 

[Guardian]

Yeah the lfit is close to the limit for a sbc heads unless a shop cut the guides down or went to longer valves and pushrods. I don't remember any of the roller rockers being noisy enough to sound like loose rockers. I have seen a couple of people install restrictors and cause the lifter to not pressure up fully.

 

[BigAl285]

I went through and adjusted the drivers side tonight. I got home late couldn't do both. My neighbors have a little baby and I can't be running my truck at 8pm, its kinda loud. I adjusted them by adjusting the rotating the motor till the exhaust valves begins to open then adjust the intake. Rotated it till intake valve fully opens then adjusted the exhaust. Did it the way the LUNATI procudure said too. After I adjusted them I rotated the motor came back and they move pretty easily. I don't really want to buy some stock rockers just to try them out. Below is a picture of the motor running, I revved it up a little. I was at 70 psi for oil pressure.

http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l587/bigal285/IMAG0719.jpg
http://i1125.photobucket.com/albums/l587/bigal285/IMAG0120.jpg
http://s1125.photobucket.com/albums/l587/bigal285/?action=view&current=VIDEO0003.mp4

 

[swagger]

Have you taken one of the rockers off and looked at the bottom of it for wear? (hitting on the spring retainer) If there not hitting sell them and get a set of roller tip rockers from comp. I had good luck with them. What heads are on the motor?
While you have the rocker off see where the wear marks are on the tops of the valve stem. What ever oil you use make sure it is CJ-4 or slimlar, and use a good oil filter. Dont need that filter bursting with all that pressure.
I dont like my oil pressure that high 70 cold/warm?
I use stock pumps and install washers behind the spring to raise the pressure just a tad.

How does it run? Broke in yet?
Have ya thrashed it good yet? Make sure the oils up to temp first. (Water 190*)

 

[Jims86]

First off, the motor guy are not going to be willing to listen if they didn't build the engine. Usually a builder doesn't unless they know the person well. It is not right but it is the way the business goes. I would be leary of a builder that wants to tear down an engine without diagnosing it first. Next thing is the lift on the cam you installed. How much does it have? If it is around .500 then it is possible the valve spring retainer is contacting the valve guide unless it was built for it. The position of the rocker tip sounds good from what you are descibing.

Can you post a video of the problem? being able to see and hear would be helpful.

Especially if they are Vortec heads.....smack!