Ok I'm a noob hoping I haven't done something seriously wrong. I my flathead was leaking water from left rear head I pulled it disassembled it hat the machine shop clean and check it the block had apparently shaved and wasn't level the old man said he would try to true it up and he did he said I would be OK if I didn't have shaved heads. I went threw 6 sets of heads before we had a set that wasn't cracked warped or shaved. (I have stock heads from a truck) bored it 60 over I then built the engine with everything new minus rods and I had a standard crank I turned 10/10 new everything else have a isky 88 full race cam manly valves with all guides retainers clips new have isky springs Rodgers adjustible lifters and reds headers currently running stock distributer with petronics installed and a offy intake with 600 edelbrock 4 barrel (changing both soon was just something I already had at the time) oil pump all gears and timing chain are new water pumps are new style etc hooked up the new aluminum radiator and cranked it in the floor to do the cam break in and make sure all was good she run like a dream. Installed in the car drove to get my smithy mufflers installed picked it up sounds great drove home when I got home all seemed well I asked me dad to take it up the road so I could hear it from a spectators point of view. He only drove a out a country block came back I heard a knocking he pulled in cut it off I said crank it back up it seemed to be gone I reved it up a little held it there and let off as it came to idle it was back it was a fairly slow fairly deep distinct knock reed it up and it went away dropped to idle was back cut off the car waited maybe 2 min cranked it and it wasn't there but about 15sec later it came back kinda quieter and spuratic at first them it got back into rythem yet still a little quieter dad says the noise sounds like a wrist pin sound but it's not consistent and they are all new have 40lbs oil pressure at idle and about 50 when I Rev it up a little sound seems to be coming front the center of the top of the engine I'm frustrated and lost its my first build I have spent 2 1/2yrs replacing all steering suspension fuel system Tranny parts etc etc will be extremely grateful for any advice
Oh and it's my first flathead build not first engine build. Sorry for all the typos I'm using my cell phone and have fat fingers
If I typed all that on a phone with my thumbs I wouldn't be able to pick up a drink for a week. Sorry, it gave me a headache just trying to read it. But, I gather you have a non-consistent knock that could be coming from anywhere. I suggest you use a long extension as a stethoscope (Place end against a spot on engine and other end in a cup made by your hands. Listen in your hands.) and try to find where the knock is coming from. Then report back to us. It could be wrist pins, or it could be a hundred other things. Maybe even in the trans/clutch area. Who knows. >>>>>>> Go up there and edit your first post with some periods, commas, and paragraph spaces. <<<<<<<
I am extremely busy during the week with my job and I have the car at my dad's but I picked up a actual mechanics stethoscope I plan to use it Saturday ty I have done the extension trick before actually haha
Did you check piston dome to head clearance? It could be the piston dome or domes slightly hitting on the head. Some of the aftermarket piston domes do not match up to the heads. Also you must check clearance over the entire dome of the piston BTW you could have just got shim gaskets to compensate for the decked block.
Never can have to much info from ppl that have been there. The flathead is new for me tho I love them and have been buying them up as much as I could for a few years it's my first build
Yes I did it hit when there was no gasket and cleared with a old compressed gasket so I got a good thick gasked
check crankshaft end play and flywheel bolts and clutch bolts being too long...........................
Check plug electrodes being smashed flat Happened to me once Cured it with a different brand of plugs But could also maybe just use an extra washer from an old set of plugs Happened with a stock set of Canadian aluminum heads that had not been milled so it was very surprising.
Have a Brand new centerforce clutch pressure plate and flywheel that is installed with the provided hardware.
New Timing chain? ????? I was going to ask if you had the correct 8BA timing gears... they thrust in the opposite direction to earlier motors . Using the wrong timing gears has been blamed in the past for failing lifters and camshafts. Rodgers lifters? Are they good quality , I have never heard of them ( but that dosen't mean a lot), but I do know there are some "soft" lifters out there which disintegrate after a few miles.
Geez, I missed that. If you added a timing chain that's got to be the source of the noise. Remove that and see if there are any unwanted sounds left.
Theres no chain the gears are new bought all parts from either shoebox central speedway or Dennis carpenter
Ok quick update pulled plugs none was bent checked compression 5 cylinders was 80psi 2 was 70 psi 1 was 60 psi I have only put 60mi on it so far I know that I got to adjust lifters how many miles do yall recommend before I do that also didn't hear the loud noise but didn't have time to drive it more than a couple miles. I know my throw out bearing is making some noise but don't think that was the same thing hopefully I'm wrong will be really working on it this weekend
Note I did one cylinder at a time left other plugs in and didn't touch carb was just checking for variations was in a crunch for time
Make sure the throttle is wide open when doing compression test,otherwise you get a false reading. If the noise occurs at idle go along and short one plug at a time to ground.If the noise goes away when you ground a particular plug and comes back when you dont that is your problem cylinder.
I have centerforce flywheel, clutch, and pressure plate but using a stock throw out bearing. It makes a little noise when I touch the peddle I assumed it was due to the output shafts isn't perfect it shows its age
Check the clearance of the clutch fingers to the trans input snout when fully depressed. Also check that the stock bearing surface covers the fingers on their full travel.
Still on the lift been hammered down all day adjusted clutch installed drop spindles and dropped shocks already had drop springs fixed a gas leak I found when I ran out of gas this morning haha
Exactly , egge is the worst I have found to date. Stock is a 7 in radi and egge is something like 4.5-5 in radi. I had made a cutter to shape the heads to a 5 in radi and cut the heads for a fix . Ross forged are spot on. People are more apt to use a lower cost cast piston if it was to be rebuilt again so the head was the more logical way instead of cutting the piston dome.
The Jalopy Journal
