Kdclem

I'm working on a SBF 1968 J code engine. Had all the machine work done and built the motor. Cranked motor up and it ran pretty good after timing set although engine wanted to stall in drive after setting idle speed at around 750rpm. Went ahead and broke in motor 2500 rpm for 25 minutes. motor ran good. Decided to chk. valve lash again to make sure and reset tightening almost all about 1/3 more turns. (looked normal). Transmission was pulled and taken for rebuild. waited . started motor once a week and ran until warm 10 to 15 minutes. After about 5 weeks. Heard wrapping from left side of motor. Pulled valve covers to find grooving on pushrods where they ride against guide plates. Some grey powder looking material streaming down and on the guide plate. ( I assume this was metal fines) Pushrods are from COMP but not HD .08 wall. COMP sent the HD pushrods and a new magnum roller rocker and (1) new lifter because one exhaust valve location had the tip of the pushrod smashed in and some metal in the oil runs of the head. Cleaned it all up and Drained oil but found no metal in lower end (apparently). Now we have new oil, debress in oil pathway of heads cleaned, A new magnetic oil pan bolt, all new HD pushrods. coated lifters with oil and re-installed. Some of the lifter plungers can be hand tightened and the spring allows it to come back to the top when polylock in loosened, and some are at the bottom and when I tighten the polylock the valve side starts to move. I know this is not right. Some say to NOT pump up lifters prior to setting valve lash, but if the lifter is at the bottom of it's travel it seems impossible to set lash. It will no doubt be to tight. If the valves and rocker with polylock are set loose, can you turn motor over with soleniod long enough to put oil back into lifters and bring a plunger cups to the top for proper 0 lash + 1/2 turn. This is a COMP 31-414-3. We measured the lift on random lobes (especially the one that munched the top of the pushrod) and they all measured out to be right. No cupping of bottom of lifters - look flat with no swirls. I assume there was too much friction on pushrods at guide plate locations ( wearing the groove). I had switched the guide plates to (adjustable) because the roller tips on some of the valves were not centered, but off to one side or the other. I moved the roller tip using the two piece guide plates as leverage to center roller rocker tip in vale stem... This must be my mistake.

If you have some info. to help - much appreciated

Allow me to add some info. so that someone might be able to help. The valve train is going back together and what's happening is the lifter cups (just under the retaining clip are not at the top. Some of them are but some aren't. So when the cam is on it's base circle and as you start to turn down the polylock. it gets tight and hard and doesn't depress. All it does is start pushing the valve down. Do I need to pull the dizzy put a drill on there and pump up the lifters so ALL the cups are up?

Thanks again

drewsky

had this happen in my motor before I rebuilt it recently. went to the comp cams hardened steel black ones and problem solved.