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Found engine knock [message #250125] Mon, 19 May 2014 15:02 Go to next message
Francois is currently offline  Francois   United States
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The other day my perfect running 66,000 mi. 403 MH started running really badly with backfires and a loud knock.

Noticing that the knock seemed to be not in sync with the crankshaft but less regular, I started by taking off the valve covers. On the right side, there it was, about a half inch of space between a rocker arm and a pushrod. The rocker arm was tight, and the valve spring was intact and all the way up. So I started the process of removing the carb and the intake manifold.

I am, of course, hoping that it is a blown lifter. I figure, if it is, I'll replace them all and rebuild the carb while it's out. I am pretty sure I will have the answer by next weekend.

Does anyone have any comments on what I should look for? I would appreciate it.
Re: Found engine knock [message #250165 is a reply to message #250125] Mon, 19 May 2014 22:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jerry Sitzlar is currently offline  Jerry Sitzlar   United States
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My guess is a bent/stuck/warped valve with the push rod being the weakest link when something had to give, it may have broke. Just a guess. Sad

Jerry Sitzlar..... 77 Eleganza II, Twin bed, dry bath...... Lenoir City, TN (near Knoxville)
Re: Found engine knock [message #250173 is a reply to message #250165] Mon, 19 May 2014 23:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Francois is currently offline  Francois   United States
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sitzwaffen wrote on Mon, 19 May 2014 20:41
My guess is a bent/stuck/warped valve with the push rod being the weakest link when something had to give, it may have broke. Just a guess. Sad


Ugh. Hope not.Although your suggestion moves me to unbolt the rocker arm so I can pull out the pushrod and see. If it's broken I will have to rethink the rebuild strategy
Re: Found engine knock [message #250606 is a reply to message #250125] Sun, 25 May 2014 14:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Francois is currently offline  Francois   United States
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Just an update. I have spent most of the last two weekends taking off the carburetor and intake manifold. When I finally lifted that monster off, there it was - one of the lifters was essentially broken. The top of it had essentially disconnected and the pushrod was sitting a half inch below where it was supposed to.

I went out and got a set of 16 new lifters and gaskets and goop. I threw in valve cover gaskets and a new thermostat for good measure.

Anyway, the intake manifold is back on and torqued down now, and I should know in a few hours if I fixed it
Re: Found engine knock [message #250607 is a reply to message #250125] Sun, 25 May 2014 14:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
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You need to add some extra ZDDP to your oil and then do the standard cam break-in. A soon as the engine starts, immediately bring the motor up to 2500RPM and hold it there for 15-20 minutes stopping the motor only if there are major oil or water leaks. This will break-in the lifters to the old cam. Failure to do this may find you with a round cam on one or more lobes. You should then change the oil at something around 500 mi or so. JWID

Odd that you should have found a "broken" lifter. Can't say I've ever seen that before. Any chance you could post some pics of that lifter.


Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: [GMCnet] Found engine knock [message #250620 is a reply to message #250606] Sun, 25 May 2014 18:24 Go to previous messageGo to next message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
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Did you block the crossover while you had the manifold off?

Regards,
Rob M.

-----Original Message-----
From: gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org [mailto:gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Sigmund Frankenfelter

Just an update. I have spent most of the last two weekends taking off the carburetor and intake manifold. When I finally lifted
that monster off, there it was - one of the lifters was essentially broken. The top of it had essentially disconnected and the
pushrod was sitting a half inch below where it was supposed to.

I went out and got a set of 16 new lifters and gaskets and goop. I threw in valve cover gaskets and a new thermostat for good
measure.

Anyway, the intake manifold is back on and torqued down now, and I should know in a few hours if I fixed it

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Re: Found engine knock [message #250621 is a reply to message #250607] Sun, 25 May 2014 18:49 Go to previous messageGo to next message
WD0AFQ is currently offline  WD0AFQ   United States
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Larry wrote on Sun, 25 May 2014 14:59


Odd that you should have found a "broken" lifter. Can't say I've ever seen that before. Any chance you could post some pics of that lifter.



Wow, I am with Larry, never heard of that, just collapsed lifter. Wonder how it broke and do hope you will post pictures for us. Glad you found it, like you did, before real damage occurred. This was real but you know what I mean.
Dan


3 In Stainless Exhaust Headers One Ton All Discs/Reaction Arm 355 FD/Quad Bag/Alum Radiator Manny Tran/New eng. Holley EFI/10 Tire Air Monitoring System Solarized Coach/Upgraded Windows Satelite TV/On Demand Hot Water/3Way Refer
Re: Found engine knock [message #250639 is a reply to message #250621] Mon, 26 May 2014 08:04 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bill Freeman is currently offline  Bill Freeman   United States
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I have had the snap ring pop out of an Olds lifter. Just replaced the one bad lifter.

Bill Freeman
78 Royale 73 Sequoia
Colerain, North Carolina
Re: Found engine knock [message #250641 is a reply to message #250607] Mon, 26 May 2014 08:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
rjw   United States
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Larry wrote on Sun, 25 May 2014 15:59
You need to add some extra ZDDP to your oil and then do the standard cam break-in. A soon as the engine starts, immediately bring the motor up to 2500RPM and hold it there for 15-20 minutes stopping the motor only if there are major oil or water leaks. This will break-in the lifters to the old cam. Failure to do this may find you with a round cam on one or more lobes. You should then change the oil at something around 500 mi or so. JWID

Odd that you should have found a "broken" lifter. Can't say I've ever seen that before. Any chance you could post some pics of that lifter.


I replaced my engine after it started to "knock", was consuming large amounts of coolant and it had over 175,000 miles. Turned out the knock was caused by a "broken" lifter.

http://www.palmbeachgmc.com/motor/motor_teardown/album/slides/DSCN9272.html

I didn't even try to figure out what was wrong before I decided to pull the motor. After I got it out and the new one in, I decided to take a look. The album of photos I took of the top tear down revealed several problems. I think that even if I had replaced the lifter, it would only have been a short matter of time before something else went.



Richard
76 Palm Beach
SE Michigan
www.PalmBeachGMC.com

Roller Cam 455, TBI+EBL, 3.42 FD, 4 Bag, Macerator, Lenzi (brakes, vacuum system, front end stuff), Manny Tranny, vacuum step, Tankless + OEM water heaters.
Re: Found engine knock [message #250655 is a reply to message #250125] Mon, 26 May 2014 11:25 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Chr$ is currently offline  Chr$   United States
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Hmmm I may rethink my knock. Rockers were ok, didn't think about the lifters. I may go and take a look today.

-Chr$: Perpetual SmartAss
Scottsdale, AZ

77 Ex-Kingsley 455 SOLD!
2010 Nomad 24 Ft TT 390W PV W/MPPT, EV4010 and custom cargo door.
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Re: Found engine knock [message #250768 is a reply to message #250125] Tue, 27 May 2014 18:01 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Francois is currently offline  Francois   United States
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Broken may have not been the right word. The retaining spring had popped out and I actually found it near the lifter it popped out of. The concave top of the lifter had turned sideways and the pushrod was down in there.

I did not block the cross-over, mostly because it wasn't blocked when I pulled off the intake manifold.

Still, the news is not great because it is still backfiring with flames through the carb and it appears to run just as bad as before the lifter replacements.

I am looking for another engine or some heads or some ideas.
Re: Found engine knock [message #250772 is a reply to message #250768] Tue, 27 May 2014 18:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
GMC_LES is currently offline  GMC_LES   United States
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Is the knocking still occurring after lifter replacement? if the noise is gone, then the engine may still be worth diagnosing further.

You didn`t mention if it was an intake or exhaust lifter that came apart. That info might help in further diagnosis.

I wonder if the timing chain might have jumped a tooth? Your symptoms can be caused by bad valve or ignition timing, but could also be caused by bent, sticking, or other intake valve problems.

If the bad lifter was an intake lifter, I also wonder if something caused the piston to contact that intake valve and forcefully collapse the lifter and flip the plunger? This would likely have also bent the intake valve enough to allow the backfiring through the carb. A compression test would provide more data to help diagnosis.


Les Burt Montreal 1975 Eleganza 26ft A work in Progress
Re: [GMCnet] Found engine knock [message #250776 is a reply to message #250772] Tue, 27 May 2014 18:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
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Sigmund,

I second Les's suggestions, compression check followed by pulling the heads and the timing chain cover.

With those two areas exposed you will be able to see what's going on in the engine before you go through all the work or R&R'ing it.

Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia

-----Original Message-----
From: Les Burt

Is the knocking still occurring after lifter replacement? if the noise is gone, then the engine may still be worth diagnosing
further.

You didn`t mention if it was an intake or exhaust lifter that came apart. That info might help in further diagnosis.

I wonder if the timing chain might have jumped a tooth? Your symptoms can be caused by bad valve or ignition timing, but could also
be caused by bent, sticking, or other intake valve problems.

If the bad lifter was an intake lifter, I also wonder if something caused the piston to contact that intake valve and forcefully
collapse the lifter and flip the plunger? This would likely have also bent the intake valve enough to allow the backfiring through
the carb. A compression test would provide more data to help diagnosis.
--
Les

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Re: [GMCnet] Found engine knock [message #250778 is a reply to message #250776] Tue, 27 May 2014 19:06 Go to previous messageGo to next message
A Hamilto is currently offline  A Hamilto   United States
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USAussie wrote on Tue, 27 May 2014 18:56
Sigmund,

I second Les's suggestions, compression check followed by pulling the heads and the timing chain cover.

With those two areas exposed you will be able to see what's going on in the engine before you go through all the work or R&R'ing it.

Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia
Simple stuff first. Make sure the distributor static advance is less than 10 degrees. Manual says set it to 8.
Re: [GMCnet] Found engine knock [message #250781 is a reply to message #250778] Tue, 27 May 2014 19:19 Go to previous messageGo to next message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
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Mark,

Good point, I forgot the intake manifold had been removed; it could be as simple as the timing is off!

Regards,
Rob M.

-----Original Message-----
From: A.

Simple stuff first. Make sure the distributor static advance is less than 10 degrees. Manual says set it to 8.

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Re: [GMCnet] Found engine knock [message #250786 is a reply to message #250781] Tue, 27 May 2014 20:50 Go to previous messageGo to next message
A Hamilto is currently offline  A Hamilto   United States
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USAussie wrote on Tue, 27 May 2014 19:19
Mark,

Good point, I forgot the intake manifold had been removed; it could be as simple as the timing is off!

Regards,
Rob M.
And a figure in some versions of the Maintenance Manual depicts the wrong firing order. http://gmcmotorhome.info/engine.html
Re: Found engine knock [message #250789 is a reply to message #250125] Tue, 27 May 2014 21:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Jerry Sitzlar is currently offline  Jerry Sitzlar   United States
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My Jeep engine had the same symptoms as Francois' engine. In my case it was a bent valve with the lifter being stronger than the pushrod and the pushrod broke. Why the valve bent, I don't know. In Francois' case, I would definitely do a compression test before doing anything else. I still think it is a valve problem, but on the bright side, I'm wrong at least 80% of the time.


Jerry Sitzlar..... 77 Eleganza II, Twin bed, dry bath...... Lenoir City, TN (near Knoxville)
Re: [GMCnet] Found engine knock [message #250826 is a reply to message #250778] Wed, 28 May 2014 13:07 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Gary Carlton is currently offline  Gary Carlton   United States
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A Hamilto wrote on Tue, 27 May 2014 19:06
USAussie wrote on Tue, 27 May 2014 18:56
Sigmund,

I second Les's suggestions, compression check followed by pulling the heads and the timing chain cover.

With those two areas exposed you will be able to see what's going on in the engine before you go through all the work or R&R'ing it.

Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia
Simple stuff first. Make sure the distributor static advance is less than 10 degrees. Manual says set it to 8.


Have I missed something? 8 degrees was for the 455. He has a 403. Should that not be set to 12 degrees?


'78 Royale, "Road Grub" Bellingham, WA
Re: [GMCnet] Found engine knock [message #250831 is a reply to message #250826] Wed, 28 May 2014 14:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
A Hamilto is currently offline  A Hamilto   United States
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Gary Carlton wrote on Wed, 28 May 2014 13:07
Have I missed something? 8 degrees was for the 455. He has a 403. Should that not be set to 12 degrees?
Could be. The latest MM I have is for the 1975 model year.
Re: [GMCnet] Found engine knock [message #250838 is a reply to message #250831] Wed, 28 May 2014 17:33 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
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G'day,

Ref: MM-7725 / Section 6Y - Engine Electrical / Page 6y-16 / Paragraph - Timing Procedure

TIMING PROCEDURE

To adjust ignition' timing, proceed as follows: NOTE: Air conditioning controls in instrument panel must be "OFF" when setting
ignition timing.

1. Remove air cleaner and plug manifold vacuum fitting.
2. Disconnect distributor vacuum lines and plug vacuum source fittings.
3. Connect tachometer and adjust engine speed to correct rpm as listed on the vehicle emissions label located either on the engine
rocker cover or on the air cleaner. 1977 model vehicles with 455 cu. in. engine must be set at 1100 rpm with transmission in
"PARK;"1977 and 1978 model vehicles with 403 cu. in. engine must be set as follows: California certified engines at 2,000 rpm with
transmission in "PARK", Federal certified engines at 1,100 m with transmission in "PARK."
4. With the use of a timing light, set timing to 8° BTDC (455 cu. in. engine) or 12° BTDC (403 cu. in. engine) by loosening the
distributor clamp bolt and rotating the distributor until the specification is obtained.

NOTE: The indicator has four "V" slots, each representing 4°.

5. Tighten the distributor clamp bolt and recheck timing to make sure distributor was not moved during tightening of bolt.
6. Remove plug from vacuum source fittings and reconnect hoses to distributor and/or carburetor. Remove plug from manifold fitting,
connect vacuum hose and install air cleaner.

ALSO

FIRING ORDER - Maintenance Manual X-7525 Figure 50 on page 6Y-50 is incorrect! The # 3 and #6 posts in the distributor are reversed.
Note: all other figures in X-7525, X-7625, and X-7725 are correct.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=7034

Regards,
Rob M.
Sydney, Australia

PS - The TIMING PROCEDURE above was copied and pasted from the MM that Bdub has on his website, I don’t know how he did got that to
work as they are PDF! The FIRING ORDER is on Mr ERF's website: http://gmcmotorhome.info/engine.html


-----Original Message-----
From: gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org [mailto:gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of A.

Gary Carlton wrote on Wed, 28 May 2014 13:07
> Have I missed something? 8 degrees was for the 455. He has a 403. Should that not be set to 12 degrees?
Could be. The latest MM I have is for the 1975 model year.

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