What vacuum can I expect from a TA 288-94H cam?

Well, that is a possibility, but like I say, one whole side didn't do this until after I adjusted the preload again. I can believe that something may be in a lifter, but it can't have gotten buggered up after I adjusted something; it was either there all the time, or it wasn't.

This isn't in just one lifter, and I don't even know if it is IS a lifter. For all I know there's too much preload on some of the lifters, or there's still some end play in some pushrods because I didn't set zero lash somehow. I checked that carefully, but I am not ruling out anything, since this is a system I have never used before

 

I'm not sure I understand. What lifter? The oversized one? 0.010" was the oversize spec

But again, I can't stress enough that this is more than one part making this noise. This is not a case of a lifter or pair of lifters, this is a global sound, multiple taps, both sides. In this case, I really suspect the rocker setup. Since it is adjustable, the odds are that I have not adjusted them properly just yet

 

Do a search . LarryGS posted a real good Valve adjustment paper. I try to find it on my computer ,but I quess my wife hid ot some where. If you can't find it PM him he will E-mail ypu copy.

 

why not undo what you last did ??? see if the global clakking goes away

 

That was plan #1 :TU:

I'm also defintely printing out that pic, Larry. Thanks

 

OK, I played with this a while last night. No real changes.

My vacuum needle is now at 13" Hg at 800 rpm, after this latest round of playing with preload. I haven't really gone as far as I can with restting lash and preload just yet, I only got about halfway through last night.

But the sounds remain the same.

Three thoughts are occuring to me now:

1) Lifters and/or incomplete lifter preload

2) the material of the heads themselevs. the iron heads would muffle sound better than aluminum..at least according to the metallurgist here at work (An engineer).

So I have a new question now:

WHo runs aluminum heads and roller rockers? Is this setup inherently slightly noisy? It is possible that this sound isn't lifters or preload related and I am jumping at shadows

3) Have I put in too much preload somehow? Would too much preload keep the lifter from fully pumping up, and therefore cause noise?

 

Chris,

That's my cam too and my top end has always been noisy.

GSThunder (who REALLY knows his stuff) said that is normal for that cam - with the specs it has. With adjustables and 430 rockers or one-piece pushrods and 455 rockers I still have a noisy top end. I'm going to remeasure the pushrods this winter and make sure Mike at TA suggested the right length for me.

I say not to worry.

 

I could buy that Yardman, but

Chris said it actually got louder after he messed with it. uzzled: o No:

 

????

My last reply is gone....

I am not throwing away any options at this point. If this cam or this head/cam/rocker setup is a little noisier than I am used to, that's OK

It did get louder on one side after I messed with it- the driver's. I am going to return the driver's side to how it was before it got louder- I turned each adjuster in 1/4 turn more.

If I turn them back out 1/4 turn, and my vacuum gauge shows a steady needle, I might get the feeling that it's the cam.

This noise is not an "Omigod" noise. It's a "what the heck?!" noise

Now that I am going ino this with the idea that it might be noiser than I am used to, I can at the very least get a feel for how quiet I can get it. It seems like I am not going to have the silent top end like I used to, no matter what

This is fine with me, now I can at least say, "OK, it got better, or it got worse" and not have the expectation that the noise must go completely away. I'm very used to stock-type stuff; when I rebuilt the engine in 1999, it was so quiet it was hard to beleive it had headers at all, and it idled like an oil painting. I guess I shouldn't expect everything to be as quiet as it was before with the higher lift cam, but I have no experience with that sort of thing until now.

I had to stay late at work, so all I could do today was start it and think about the nature of the sounds. I'll have to wrench on it tomorrow. Now I know it might not be as quiet as I expected, and that's something to work with at least.

Thanks for the heads up, Yards, information on how these things are is just what I need. Even if that scenario you mention isn't the case with me, it's something I need to consider while working this thing out

 

Hey Chris I have the same cam in my new motor listen to JIM I put the cam in at 4*adv 18* initial in the dist. I have jims big cables and swpitch converter.the car idles at 800 easy no hard starting i also have ta lifters they are a little nosiey but my motor has 500 miles on it now and it is a little better this is a great cam plenty of low end and pulls hard all the up to 5500 thats as far as you have to go.From a roll with the sp converter it is a few laughs, sideways thanks jim for all the advice you are right on the money.

 

So your top end is a little noisy too Steve? Hmmm. hearing it gets better after a while in your case is heartening

I retarded the timing a couple degrees, probably to about 17 or 18* (did it by ear, haven't re-checked actual initial advance) , adjusted the carb, and played with the valves just the other day. I now get 13" Hg at 800 rpm, and a good idle at 800 rpm. I was getting 15"Hg, but the retard was definitely called for in my opinion, I'll take the solid 13" Hg with no complaints.

I had a hard time idling at lower than 900 rpm before because of a valve issue, which my vacuum gauge says I've addressed- the needle is as steady as ever, even with a stock cam that gave me 19" Hg

When I start the car up from cold, no problem, it fires right up. If I shut it off and immediately key it again, it starts right up. If it sits for 10 minutes though...hot start city, in my experience. I may need to look at the fusible links I installed a while ago and see if there's a problem- could be a simple case of re-soldering a couple wires. I am using the biggest battery cables I can find, definitely not stock cables. the battery was only giving out just over 12 volts while running the other day, and now it's charging, I get over 14 volts while running, so that too was a factor with hard staring.

I always respect Jim's advice- he does this for a living, right? I do this for fun, and also transportation. He knows his business, he's forgotten more about this engine that I ever knew. However, in my case, the cam stays straight up until spring, case closed. It's cold out, I have no heated garage, and it will snow (again) soon. Plus it's Christmas time and I have other obligations much more important than a cool Buick motor. Sad but true, this thing takes backseat to family. After it's out of winter storage, then I'll degree the cam. I wish I had more time and more daylight and more heat, but I just don't

 

So I got the noise quieted a bit. Not much, a bit. I'm ready to drive it today. the thing is running like a champ, battery charging to over 14 volts while running, plenty of vacuum at 800 rpm, all I need to do is put my oil pressure gauge inside the car and go.

Well, now it will not start. It will catch for a millisecond, and then die. Horrible gas smell.

Needles and seats? Oh yeah, that's what it looks like to me. This thing was starting if you keyed it for an instant just two days ago, now it won't run at all. Now I get to rebuild this piece of junk Edelbrock for the second time in 8 months. I used to think they were great carbs, but in the 5 years I've had it, it has gone from flawless to extremely problematic in increments much too often. One rebuild in 5 years I can live with. This will be the third in 5 years. Once last summer, Once this spring, once this fall. After I get my Q-jet over to John Osborne and back, I am putting on my face sheild, taking the sledgehammer, and pulverizing this sorry excuse for a fuel metering system

I was looking for a person to fight today. The people around here are @#$% lucky nobody cut me off in traffic on my way home. I have maintained a sense of humor and my happy thoughts since September 26th, when I had to pull the engine out, to 4 pm this afternoon. I have reached my limit for this horsemanure

 

I going to try and be nice about this but is it out of GAS?

 

I'm not mad at anyone, Leo, I am just fed up with the car

It has 1/4 tank of gas. There is a very distinct smell of raw gas under the hood, but no fuel leaks.

My diagnosis so far is that the floats have either both sunk, or that there is a problem with the needles and seats. If the car was out of gas, I'd smell no gas under the hood. If it was a clogged filter, I'd smell no gas under the hood, it is was a plugged line, I'd smell no gas under the hood.

Now, it's possible that after 2 months of sitting on this angled driveway, I have a sending unit problem, such as some contaminants have covered the sock, or maybe even water has gotten in the lines. I considered vapor lock breifly, and I may just throw some dry gas in it on general principles. But if this was really the proble, I wouldn't smell so much gas in the engine compartment

I keep on dismissing many possible reasons for this because I can smell a heavy odor of gas under the hood, but have no fuel leaks. To me, that means only one thing: The float bowls are full, but the gas isn't getting into the manifold. It eliminates fuel pump issues, too. I'll have to work on it to see. I used to have a Regal that did this to me, but that was because one of the carb gaskets was deteriorating, and bits settled into the seat

 

Definitely things to look at, Larry. It runs for a split second, but that doesn't mean I don't have more than one problem

 

Could be. I've seen much stranger things on this car

 

Hey Chris.What a pain!! I can relate.I had a lot of bugs to iron out last June with ignition on my fresh 462(Larry can attest to that!).You have come this far with great success,just remember.Crap on the needle & seat can give a flooding condition.How is the gas??Not old??Check those plugs and spark performance though.Good Luck.Later,Tony.