Jokes on me, and my engine still taps

[ccz145a]

Hey guys, I have been browsing the site for a few months now and I finally have something to post.

I am rebuilding a rust-free truck to accept my '75 C10 454 driveline. It is going slow and I am getting good practice on bodywork. This method also lets me keep using the other truck. At the begining of the year I replaced the stock intake and carb on my running truck with a weiand action plus and a street avenger 770cfm. I also installed a set of new lifters to get rid of an anoying tap in in the valvetrain. Winter hit around mid-January here in Alabama and I didn't get out to finish the install.

When I got back to my project, all I could get it to do was cough thru the carb. To find tdc on #1 cylinder I used a compression gauge and sure enough, the dist was 180deg out. I picked up the dist and dropped it back in took out the compression gauge out and screwed in the spark plug. The engine fired right up.

Memorial Day weekend, I took the family on a camping trip in the truck and it was sucking gas like crazy. We did the camping thing and got home Monday. I had some time last night and I decided to check spark plugs a look for signs of a misfire, surely this thing can't normally get 7.7mpg, right? So I take out #1 and out comes a spark plug attached to the adapter of my compression gauge, a small threaded piece about an inch and a half long with a small hole to read pressure. The spark plug was screwed into this thing and there was no way it was going to fire that way. Took me about 5min to find it, after my 200mi trip and an extra $30 in gas!

My only excuse is that it is real hard to tell if a mildly cammed big block is missing, I mean it still barked 2nd gear for crying out loud! I wish I had more time to work on the truck and keep my skills up. This sort of thing would have never happened 20 years ago, before the wife and kids, when all I did was fix and rebuild my old heaps. I always had them running tops. Oh well...

Engine still has the tap, btw. Starts after about 45sec after starting the engine.

[VileZambonie]

Readjust your valve lash. you don't need to install a compression gauge to determine if you are on TDCC. Rotate the crank and watch #1 intake valve open and when it starts closing you are coming up on TDCC#1. Adjust your valve lash with the engine off.

[ccz145a]

Should I adjust preload (hydraulic lifters) by going through the firing order, turning the crank until each intake is off the lobe of the cam and tighten the rocker until no play, then give it a quarter turn then go through the exaust in the same manner? I think this is how I did it back in January. I have slept a few times since then

Thanks for the help.

[VileZambonie]

Well there are several methods but if you don't have a stock cam then yes rotate the engine until you are on the base circle of the cam. you can observe the rocker arm closing. Tighten the rocker arm nut until there is no lash up and down (note: remove the socket from the nut when checking. spinning the pushrod is not checking the lash.) Once you have zero lash go approximately 3/4 to one full turn additional. Do this for each valve.

[Captkaos]

This is pretty much how I do it:
http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/drivetrain/valvlash.htm

[ccz145a]

Well, mystery solved... the tapping noise got louder so I decided it was time to take a look. I should have torn this down a long time ago.

Going back with 9.5/1 and a stout RV cam 218/228 summit # 1301. Crank need .010/.010 cut and cylinders .030.

[Captkaos]

All I can say it WOW!