Ok so I put new cams in my motor, and set the valve lash to .006 in and .008 exhaust. (JUN III's that maybe be a tight lash)

So now when i started the car, up it was tapping loudly from the head, and it is smoking. The motor was fine before i parked it for winter. Did a compression test on the motor immediately.

Reads 270 psi on all for cylinders literally no more than a 1-2 psi difference.

Sounds like I am having a valve problem but I cant be sure and i dont want to tear the head off with out knowing. I can't see how the motor is smoking, and running shitty but the compression is totally straight in each cyl.

I am thinking that when i pulled the Crane II cams out of the head to sell them I may have forgot to put the motor in TDC on cyl #1 (carelessness and rushing because I overlooked a simple step) would that cause some damage depending?

I dont trust anyone around here to look at it really cuz I know more about this motor (ls/vtec) then the hillbilly shops around here. I just dont feel like pulling the head if there is a chance its something else. Basically just looking for thoughts and ideas.

 

I'm thinking that i took a set of cams out without being at tdc and that might have done the trick.

 

hmmm. **scratches head**

 

Question:

Did you put the motor @ TDC when you installed the new cams? If so, I don't "think" it makes a difference if you did when you were removing the Cranes.

I would recommend you do a leak down test.

 

leak down test

what color is the smoke???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chillinit &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Question:

Did you put the motor @ TDC when you installed the new cams? If so, I don't "think" it makes a difference if you did when you were removing the Cranes.

I would recommend you do a leak down test. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah wheni put the new cams in i had already had the motor set to TDC. I am about to tear the head off today this is driving me nuts.

 

It sucks I am not capable of doing a leakdown test here at my house and I would have to tow it somewhere just to pay to get it done. So i think taking off the head is the best bet.

 

I havent checked the prices lately, but for the price of a tow you could prolly buy a leakdown tester. Just a thought.

 

haha yeah very true.. but in the time it takes to go out, find a leakdown tester, buy it, bring it home and do the test I could prolly already have the head off and at the machine shop. heh

Its half off now.

 

could a valve seal cause the motor to smoke and miss but still have good compression? I dont really think so but not sure

 

Did you do a valve adjustment after running the motor? From my experience, valves often become loose after breaking in (or even reusing) a cam. And readjustment is required. Try this before doing ANYTHING else. In fact, I just got my brother's motor together last night. And guess what? There was a loud ticking from the head. The reason? Several valves were loose (despite having adjusted them before starting the motor). A valve adjustment did the trick.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Used2beAb16 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I'm thinking that i took a set of cams out without being at tdc and that might have done the trick.</TD></TR></TABLE>

As for removing and replacing cams with the motor out of TDC, I do this all the time. In fact, I DON'T like to have the motor at TDC when installing cams. I like to have it at around 90 degrees BTDC or ATDC so that there is no danger whatsoever of bending a valve. I then take the cams to the TDC position and bring the crank to TDC by hand to ensure that nothing hits. I do things the same way if I am installing a head with the cam and rocker arm assembly installed. The way I see it, it is a dirtly little myth that everything should be done at TDC. I feel that this is just asking for trouble.

 

heres the deal before i even started the motor with the new cams i set the valve lash to the specs listed in the original post. Also i have double checked and triple checked the lash.

Swapped A set of OEM cams in, checked lash again, and still the noise, (and smoke and poor power)

 

if you have a compressor in your garage, go rent a leakdown tester, see if those valves are bent...you say that you changed out the cams with oem shafts, but still hear noise? could it be that one or more of your rocker arms are out of whack? Check cam caps for scarring.. Where is the smoke coming from? valve cover or tailpipe? smoke from the valve cover = blowby or friction. maybe you accidentally dropped a socket/tool in the head? It happens, Good Luck...

 

Valve seat or guide? Thats my guess.

 

no scarring on the cam caps. Rockers seem to be ok but its a chance somethings screwed up there. Either way its something to do with the head so its coming off. I will keep you guys posted on the results but def keep the suggestions coming its giving me things to look into.

 

So what the update on this? I have been curious for a few weeks now, did you get time to rip er apart?

 

man i am so busy and the thing is just sittin in my garage. I am starting my new career this monday. I been busy with gettin a new apartment and all this and still working 40 some hours heh.

I do have it to the point where the head was gonna be off but then i couldnt find my wrench to taked the oil line of the head (lsvtec) and i had to go buy one! So now it literally has 15 min of work to be totally off and im gonna take it to the machine shop. Im gonna try to do that by the weekedn.

Its very frustrating im driving around my winter beater and my car is sittin in my garage not running and i cant find the time to do anything with it.

On top of that i just bought an 06 kx250F and whenever i have had to make a couple trips for that thing and finally got to ride last night so thats taking up some time too

I will be posting the results soon though if all goes as planned right now its a very tight schedule.