Started work on my Acadian 327 tonight

59poncho · Poncho Master!

RE: Started work on my Acadian 327 tonight

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Beaumont4008 wrote:

rod nocks are louder above 2000 if I remember correctly and make a rattling sound when you feather the gas .

-- Edited by Beaumont4008 on Monday 5th of April 2010 11:34:49 PM

Exactly, that is what I am used to seeing when they diagnose them in the shop at work. There is NO hint of bottom end noise tonight but I purposely didn't idle it until it started to shudder. I'm still not 100% convinced but it all measured nice on the bearings, and I know all torquing was done to spec and double checked.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

59poncho wrote:

you should just come here and rebuild my 283 for more practice, they say practice makes perfect!! I hope you figure it out, you did a really nice job on that engine.

I would love to. I had forgotten how much fun it is doing engines, even when I have this trouble.

Maybe if you drop it off at our cabin I can do it on the deck this summer while I'm watching the bald eagles!

rabbit64cs · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I know you put a new harmonic balancer on,,,, but I had a bottom end knock on my 327 that I found was the balancer making me pull my hair out. was on a fresh 327 build like yours ! It was a perodic noise, not constistent with revs or load....

not saying that was the noise?? but sometimes looking elswhere..

I've also had a cracked ring gear cause me grief....

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

My first 65 Canso SD 36 years ago (oops, that's a bit of a giveaway....) cracked the flywheel after about a year with the L79 cam galloping away in it. In this case, I have a 4 speed though so that part is fine. And yes, new balancer. I had thought of that because I was wondering about the timing, so it was nice to know it hasn't slipped at least.

I never heard that noise once tonight, which was kind of nice. If my exhaust was not all just hanging under there by wire, I would have taken it for a drive it ran so nice.

65 SD L79 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Carl, I have not read all of this thread but is there a chance the fuel pump rod was binding?

Beaumont4008 · Uber Guru

Yea you have to make sure you do not put too long of a bolt in the front of the block or it will touch the rod and bind. I wonder Carl if it was you exhaust banging as is loose. When you idle down low the engine would shake. Just a thought.

As a funny note, years ago when my brother in law fired up his 327 for the first time in his Nova I was banging on the the side of the engine with a wrench. He tought it was knocking ,Drove him nuts. He was ready to take the engine out before I told him. He chased me around the garage with that wrench.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

70 SS ACADIAN wrote:

Carl, I have not read all of this thread but is there a chance the fuel pump rod was binding?

No, at least not because of a bolt too long. I have read about that one on some of the forums so I was careful with that bolt!

I remember installing it and I lubed it up good so it should not be causing issues. Also, the lifter noise sounds to be top, center, passenger side.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Beaumont4008 wrote:

Yea you have to make sure you do not put too long of a bolt in the front of the block or it will touch the rod and bind. I wonder Carl if it was you exhaust banging as is loose. When you idle down low the engine would shake. Just a thought.

As a funny note, years ago when my brother in law fired up his 327 for the first time in his Nova I was banging on the the side of the engine with a wrench. He tought it was knocking ,Drove him nuts. He was ready to take the engine out before I told him. He chased me around the garage with that wrench.

I had a friend of mine call me (fake68) after reading this thread and he mentioned the same thing. It just didn't sound like an external banging though. Also, when I ran it last night it was perfect, as far as bottom end noise. Still the lifter noise, but no knocking noise at all. I idled it down to about 500-600, maybe even lower, just enough that it didn't fight to stay running like I made it do the other night.

I think at this point the plan will be to get the exhaust completely finished and then work on the lifter. It's so easy to pull the valve cover and check so that will be next.

I ordered a new gas tank today. Once I install it next week and put on the fuel line from the tank to pump I can drive the car, assuming the exhaust is done by then. I will also dump the break in oil and filter. I think I will add a GM EOS when I do the oil change too. Can't hurt the lifter noise any by adding it.

Also before I pull the valve cover I want to run it and feel on the cover in case it's a rocker arm hitting the cover. I noticed when cleaning them that one of my covers had rocker arm marks on the inside from a previous backwards installation.

It's seems odd that I have a noisy lifter because when I ran the oil pump primer on the engine stand they all oiled through the rocker arm very nicely.

ARCADIAN · Poncho Master!

EOS is good

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I installed my new fuel tank, sending unit and straps tonight. Once I have a spare evening I hope to take it to my brother's shop where the pipe bender is and do some final fitting on the exhaust. When it has it's own fuel supply and proper exhaust then I can focus on the noisy lifter and see what's up.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Maiden voyage today with the new gas tank on. 100 feet in reverse, 100 feet in first!

After I did this, I put the camera down and went the 1000 feet each way up and down the driveway. I like it. With the exhaust open I can't tell any more if it has a noisy lifter or not!

-- Edited by Carl Stevenson on Sunday 18th of April 2010 06:12:15 PM

ARCADIAN · Poncho Master!

Nice lumpy idle!

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Good old faithful L79 cam. It has 1960's written all over it!

jonathanD · Poncho Master!

sounds great carl!
nice job

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

Thanks Jonathon. It's been a long road! You know what I mean with what you have ahead of you.

Very rewarding, even though I still may have some issues to sort out.

gparis7 · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Great progress Carl. Congratulations.

chader · Guru

sounds good! I can hardly wait for some pavement runs..............

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

chader wrote:

sounds good! I can hardly wait for some pavement runs..............

Yeah, I think your neighbour is itchy for that too.... wink

Beaumont4008 · Uber Guru

Sounding good. Good to see it moving. Whats the next step ?

kelico · Poncho Master!

LOVE that sound!!!! I hope to hear that myself real soon.

4SPEED427 · A Poncho Legend!

I'm hoping to get in on the trailer and off to my brother's shop in the next week or two for the final exhaust installation. The system needs a few "tweaks" to fit.

Then it needs an alignment. The front end is way off. I can feel and even see it's way out. I guess going from an all iron big block and air conditioning and cruise control to a small block with aluminum intake and no air conditioning, no cruise is not the answer! I'm guessing it will likely finish up 200-250 pounds lighter than it used to be. Plus right now, no hood, no carpet, no rear seat, no spare tire. Right at this moment it's probably more like 400 pounds lighter till I get all that stuff back in.

Lot's of little stuff to do still but it's getting there...

DANO65 · Poncho Master!

Gotta love that sound! biggrin biggrin One of the nicest sounding small block cams ever.
That'll get the juices flowing to get it all finished and on the road.

davelacourse · Poncho Master!

Congratulations! Sounds great and is on its way! Keep it up, eh!

Dave

-- Edited by davelacourse on Monday 19th of April 2010 01:04:30 PM

since 1983 · Poncho Master!

Carl ......bet you cant wait to dump that clutch @ 4000 rpm biggrin

****......mine has a glide

maybe some day doh