stupidnoob

Alright, My parents have a 2000, 3500 express van with a 350 (posted in here for more traffic, considering the powertrain is all I am questioning). A couple months ago during a road trip it devloped a terrible knock and lost oil pressure. They towed it to my house and that is when my nightmare began.

My parents are not rich but they have all the money needed to fix whatever was broke and the list began:
-Fresh rebuilt motor (0) miles
-Exhaust manifolds
-Radiator
-Oil cooler lines
-All gaskets and seals
-All plugs wires, cap, rotor, general tune-up items.

Its been an ongoing project, with me going to school, and working I fit time in here and there to work on it. Plus as it was taken apart everything damaged or worn was replaced requiring shipping time...

I have posted before under another name, if there is a problem with this forum mods/admins please message me and I would be happy to explain my name change.

ANYWAY, I got the van started and its been downhill since then. intermittant extended crank, the valves were noisy as hell. So I attempted to adjust the valve clearance. I have got nothing but problems! I followed service information, 0 lash, +1 turn.

Since then It barely runs. (currently not running)

during cranking it sounds like I am down compression in at least one cylinder if not 2.

Using the search function I have found HLA adjustment suggestions such as 1/4 a turn on each valve at a time allowing bleed down of the pumped up HLA. Would have been great to have seen before ha ha.

I got it to where it ran (very rough, down a cylinder or cylinders) and I adjusted the valves while it was running from there. with no noted improvement. It seemed when I loosened up the 7 and 8 cylinder exhaust valves it smoothed out a bit, but me and beating a dead horse I attempted to adjust the rest of the valves. by the time I was done it died and now wont restart. I am SO frusterated. My current adjustment is 0clattering, + 3/4 a turn keeping in mind this is done through the stupid dogbox in tight quarters.

How would you go from here? according to my scantool I am SUPER lean (misfiring cylinders pumping O2 into the exhaust is my assumption). my bank 2 adaptives are at -30 (at the lean limit of what the PCM will see) so I would assume all or most of my misfiring is from bank 2, bank one is at -18 still out from the comefort zone. I tried to do a cylinder balance test by popping off plug wires, but it ran so poorly I couldnt hardly differentiate between a bad cylinder and a good one.

how much room is the valve to piston clearance? is it possible that i bent some valves? the most I ever adjusted the valves was 0lash plus 1 turn.


any help/suggestions are MUCH appreciated!

rubrhammer

Not being a smarta$$ here but are you sure you don't have some plug wires switched? I would take the valves to 0 + 1/4 turn to start with. Then when you get it running, back them off one at a time to clatter, them bring them down 1/4 turn at a time with a 10second pause until you get to 1 full turn.When you did the rebuild how did you align the cam and crank? Some times it is a bit confusing as to whether to put the dots together or have them both at 12o'clock, I believe that that engine wants the dots together on the crank and cam gears. Double check your instructions for that.
Kudos to you for taking on the task and helping out the folks.
Bob

MDTAHOE

Where did you get the engine? Why did you adjust the valves? Every engine we install at work comes with the valves adjusted. Do have a vacuum gauge?

stupidnoob

I got the engine from a local shop. it is a "motorcrate" brand rebuilt engine and the place has been decently nice but they have been a HUGE headache. its been 3 months since I bought the motor and only about 1.5 months ago did they finally ok my core, worse I still have yet to recieve my core refund, constant calls and "oh they havent paid you back yet". The timing was all pre-assembled and I am pretty sure they at least half-assed the valve adjustment.

The reason for the valve adjustment is because while most were ok there were a couple loose rockers tappin away.

as for the sparkler wires, trust me that was one of the first things I double and tripple checked.

I do have a vacuum gauge, but right now the van isnt even running. Tomorrow (my birthday) I will be giving myself the gift of a nightmare ending and getting this stupid thing running. I am going to loosen the valves again and attempt to just get it running then go from there.

stupidnoob

part of my problem that I am having too is that considering this is in an Express Van so to get room to get to the valve I have to pull the a/c compressor accessory bracket off. So I dont have all the time in the world to tinker with this as I have no waterpump movement. seems like it was only like 15 minutes before I was touching 100 degrees celcius on the scantool.

stupidnoob

I freakin give up! so today I attempted setting 0 lash and 1/4 turn. I unplugged the fuel injectors, and left the coil unpluged. cranked it over and got my glorious constant smooth crank. plugged everything back in and it started right up with little to no clatter, i snugged up 2 rockers and it purred like a kitten, I was stoked! it all effin goes down hill when I attempt the stupid remainder 3/4th a turn. I am effin sick of it. I rigged the acc bracket back up and threw the A/C compressor on so I could run the belt and have the stupid waterpump pumping, to give me some extra time. now I am back to where I was, misfiring, and dying out... I watch my short term go lean to -30 and it bogs and nearly dies I am losing cylinders. I am just going to leave it at 1/4 a turn and be done with this stupid pile of crap van!

sorry guys, I do have chevy love, they have grown on me, but this one in peticular wouldnt make me the slightest bit sad if it went off a cliff... I am really tired of this, the valve adjustment is just NOT working, PERIOD!

I dont know what I am doing wrong... Everyone I have talked to, all the videos online make it look SO simple, but this 1 full turn is NOT going to happen. I am leaving it where its not clattering maybe plus some and calling it good.

rubrhammer

That sounds reasonable. If it runs bad with the deeper adjustment then you are better off saying out of that range. You may be getting more adjustment than you think you are and that is throwing you off. Your frustration is to be expected and you've done good to hang in there and not throw in the towel and pass the job off to someone else. Your parents will surely appreciate the work
Bob