Okay so my head is at this local machine shop getting some work done. Basically installing valves, springs, retainers, guides, and a mild p&p... well turns out some guy I know got his head done by this same machinist and now his head is giving him problems... well he says problems. He says the valves are making a tapping noise and no matter how much he tries to adjust them it won't go away...now to me this sounds like a error he problably but I dont really know much. The guy is blaming the machinst for the problem... what do you guys think? I mean how much error can a person make while installing a valvetrain? I have done it just to do it on spare single cam head I had laying around just for learning but never put them on a block and ran em to see how they came out... so how much error can a person make assembling a head??? And does this sound like his or the machinist fault? thanks for the input...

 

sounds like hes not setting the valve lash correct.

 

thats what i am thinking... but can it have been put together wrong to cause it to tap or sound like a tap? say a seat was installed wrong.. or spring height was set wrong?

 

seats are cut not installed wrong, did he do a visual check to see if everything was ok and in place?

 

did he put it at tdc and adjust all the valves? or did he turn the crank and do it 1 by 1

 

make sure its not the lost motion assembly's, alot of people mistake those for the valve lash clearance being off. To check the lma's just push down on them and they should spring right back smoothly, w/o delay or in steps

 

i mean how hard would it be for someone to install springs, valves and retainers wrong??? I mean the guy is experienced but with muscle cars... but i dont know.. i trust him i think