m73m95

Hello, me again.

I swapped out my intake gaskets. No leaks, and the oil and water are keeping to themselves .... but now, on the test drive, I have another problem.

The right (passenger) bank ticks. Sounds like the valve lash needs to be adjusted. I can do that (I searched), but would valves out of adjustment cause low power?

I didn't want to push it to hard on my test drive with all the racket, but I floored it for a few seconds, and nothing happens (well, not like it should). it will accelerate, but very slowly.

Thanks for the help,
Mark

xpeder

did you change oil after you did it

m73m95

yeah, of course. New oil (twice. I ran some sea foam in it for about 20min, then changed it again), and new 50/50 coolant.

Rodehard

possibly have 2 plug wires reversed?

m73m95

I might....

I just came in from adjusting the valves, and now it runs like S%^T lol.

I turned the nut until it stops ticking, then 1 turn more. It ran smoother before I adjusted them.

Its raining, so I'll go check the plug wires in a bit, but does anyone have any other suggestions while I wait?

ristpin

I think 1 turn more after no ticking maybe too much! I would maybe go 1/8 turn and stop.

m73m95

Everything I've read says 1 turn..... is that not right?

cam3439

From what I remember, 1/8 to a 1/4 is what should be done. And are you sure this was the cause of the ticking? When adjusting on the older engines, I thought that AS SOON AS the ticking has stopped you add 1/8 to a 1/4 turn. You should be able to hear the motor running fine versus running like crap if you turned it 1 whole turn after ticking. You HAVE to play it by ear. If it starts running like crap then you have to back it off, but not so much that you'll have ticking. How many rockers did you adjust? And I'm new to your situation, did you rebuild the motor? What have you done to it that it required work?

m73m95

I just bought the truck. It was sold to me as having a blown head gasket (bad milkshake oil), so I got it VERY cheap. I had it towed home, and only started it long enough to know that it ran.

The guy I bought it from just had some work done to it (I actually bought it in the parking lot of the shop lol). Complete tune up, alternator, both radiator hoses, batterys...... Then (his story anyway) is that it just died on the drive from the shop, back to his house. He had it towed back to the shop, and they told him it would need head gaskets... he decided to sell it instead.

After some diagnosis, it had decent compression on all cylinders (high being 170, low being 155ish) and all the plugs looked pretty normal (light tan). Not oily or anything. I took the intake off, and noticed the gaskets were just corroded to death. I think the PO was running straight water (It doesn't freeze very often here in Las Vegas)....

Changed the intake gaskets and everything seemed fine. No more water/oil mixing. Alright oil pressure (30-40lbs)... good. It was ticking from the passenger side valve cover, but I thought maybe just the lifters needed some time to pump up, so I went ahead and took it for a test drive. Had NO power. I didn't really push it, because of the valve noise, but 30-35mph was about all it would do.

So, I came home, and 2 rocker arms were loose.... they took almost 2 full turns to make the ticking stop, then, as I said, I added another turn. Now it runs rough.

I'll go out tomorrow and loosen up the valves and drive it again.

I got the truck thinking I could install some new head gaskets, and have a good truck for no money.... I might have thought wrong lol.

I wonder if the shop he had working on the truck did anything to "guarantee more work".... if they loosened some rocker arms..... It just seems weird to me that 1. all this happens right after he has work done to it.... and 2. why the guy didn't sue the shop for F'ing his truck up?

I feel like there is a scam somewhere, and I wonder if its the shop on the PO, or the PO on me ...

cam3439

Can't really say, but it does seem logical. Not something that I have heard of when a set of rockers come loose all by themselves and can be tightened down fairly easily. Have you replaced the head gasket yet? And if you seriously think that they messed around with the engine then check the head bolts on the side that has/had the blown head gasket.