New, Impulsive, & I pretty much know nothing

I've lurked on here for a few months. I grew fond of the old Buicks, but honestly I don't know much. I purchased a 1972 Skylark Convertible from a guy in Ohio. I've been enjoying it for about 2 months, and now I've got a ticking noise. By doing a little research on here, I took off the valve cover, and noticed the 3rd rocker & pushrod closest to the driver had some play.

I took it to a guy and he listened to it for about 10 seconds and told me I needed a new cam and all new lifters & springs...it would be $1300. He also told me I had an Oldsmobile engine and I shouldn't be driving my car over 65 mph because it's a 3 speed automatic.

I thought to myself, "man, this sucks."...what do you guys think?. Any info will be useful, because I pretty much know nothing. Thanks-

-Vijay from Nashville

 

Go to another mechanic cause your distributor is in the front.. its a Buick.

Olds Pontiac and Chevy had distributors in the back of the engine.

 

Nice color red by the way :beer


as for ticking... could it be an exhaust leak?
Did you check the oil? what weight is the oil?
does it happen cold and hot?

65-70 mph is the most I do in my 72 GS with the 350 and TH350 3 speed. That puts me about 2500 rpm according to my tach
Most times I cruise at 55-60 mph. Im in no hurry. plus I like to watch people as they stare at the car as they pass. Some give you the thumbs-up :laugh: :bglasses:
faster than that and the RPMs will start to scream

 

You really need a different mechanic..that one is an idiot.. don't go over 65 because it is a 3 speed auto?

Boy I have driven a lot of these over the years and have never heard that one.. Uh.. also if I remember correctly these cars were built before the speed limits were dropped to 55 so it was quite common to have 65-70 mph speed limits.

Yes you could have an exhaust leak.. maybe a lifter sticking a bit or something worn out in the valve train.. but don't let that guy touch it.

 

Another idiot that cannot recognize a Buick engine in a Buick. Run as fast as you can from that mechanic. You would think a "professional" would at least recognize which engine is which.

I am worried about the loose rocker. There is preload on the lifter and they should be tight.

First, change the oil and filter. I would try a 14-40W diesel oil. For now don't worry about the ZDDP. Cut open the filter and check for metal particles in the filter material. If you find any try and pull it off with a magnet. Let us know what you find (hopefully nothing.) If you do we can go to the next step.

 

Thats a funny looking oldsomobile engine. Yes, you need a different mechanic. The most common cause of a loose rocker is either the shaft or the rocker arm is worn. I wouldn't rule out a lifter, but the rocker and shaft are pretty easy to check.

 

Its one of those RED OLDS engines, you know.... All the same one like a Chevy!:spank: What a PLANK! Hows the Fluxcapasitor????

 

An Olds engine looks completely different. It is time for a new mechanic. Find someone on here that has a recommendation close to you.

 

Nice...glad to read my car still has her soul. Thanks for the quick & informative replies.

The ticking occurs all the time, cold & hot...it increases as I accelerate. I have not changed the oil since I got her, but I have added a quart of 20-50 b/c that's what the guy I bought her from said he put in; and the oil level was just a little low.

I also have added sea foam about a week ago and have run it close to a hundred miles since.

When I turn on the engine with the valve cover off, all the rockers except the 3rd one closest to the driver go up and down. That 3rd one kind of jiggles left and right and appears to be the cause of the ticking. I've taken a few pics....as I was taking the pics I noticed that the nylon arm retainer of the rocker in question had fallen off. I took a pic of that as well.

Any thoughts? Also, can anyone recommend a good mechanic in Nashville, TN?

Thanks-

 

beautiful ride! Also, seek out another mechanic! :shock:

 

yes there's something wrong with that rocker. I'd bump the engine over with the starter until that rocker is loose enough to slide it to the right and inspect the bottom of the shaft with a mirror. I bet it's worn out. If that's all it is, you can buy new rockers and shafts and install them yourself. If you can pull the valve covers, you can change the rockers and shafts. In fact, the passenger side valve cover with A/C is the worst part of the job.

 

Is the pushrod there? Hard to tell from the picture.

 

VJ , go and get you a new pushrod and a new rockar arm and button and install them. Then start the engine up and see how it runs, before you start spending big bucks. like all the others said dump that grease monkey. If the engine doesnt run right you are going to have to pull that lifter out and ck the cam and if it is alright then just replace the lifter only. $1300 huh. That guy thinks you are really stupid......tell him just where to kiss.
There is a mechanic here is Lawrenceburg that will fix it for less than that. He is right down the street from me.

 

VJ, Did you know that Goodguys Rod & Custom has a show this weekend at the stadium where the Titans play? Should be plenty of muscle cars there. If the weather holds out, I'll be there friday & saturday. Stratomist blue/white 1970 GS 455 convertible. Look me up if you get there. Scott

 

Never let that mechanic near your car again.

If you start at the cam, it could be that it is flat on that lobe. It seems rather strange that this would happen all of a sudden though. It could be that something is wrong with the lifter that it's not pumping up with oil. If either were the case, then you wouldn't get much movement from the pushrod to 'rock' the rocker arm. It would just jiggle a little. There could be something wrong with the rocker, although I'm not sure what.

Is that cylinder pushing the same volume of oil through the rocker (they're oiled through the pushrod) as the other ones? If not, it could be something in the lifter that's not getting oil. Thus it's not pumping up, thus it's not pushing the pushrod, thus it's not working the rocker arm or the valve.

I don't think it would be a flat cam, but it may need a new lifter. That would require removing the intake manifold to get at it in the valley.

 

Thanks again, guys.

So I noticed that I could spin all the pushrods in a full circle with my index finger & thumb, except for the one in question. I could only spin that one about half way. I started the car, and noticed all the pushrods were going up and down, including the one in question...only it wasn't really in the center of the hole.

I stopped the car and started fiddling with that bad rocker & it fell off the rod. I looked at the rod and it was seriously bent. I've attached pictures. I hope I didn't mess anything up. Please keep in mind I know very little, but I am learning every day.

I plan on changing the pushrod & rocker. Am I supposed to be able to just pull that rod out?...it's stuck. I am pretty sure I just take out the 4 bolts which hold the shaft down and swap out the bad rocker right?....then am I supposed to calibrate something with regards to the springs. So sorry if I sound like an idiot.

Scott, I'll try to hit up that show at the LP Field...and Doc, I appreciate the mechanic reccommendation.

On a side note...in that last picture...is it weird that a key is holding that spring down?

Thanks-

 

Yes the pushrod is supposed to pull right out. The bend is causing interference. Grab it with vise grips and pull it out. There are no adjustments or calibrations to make on your valves. Changing the one rocker means pulling the other two rockers to the right. The plastic plugs almost always snap so you'll need new ones. I'd be sure to inspect the shaft of the bottom and also the rockers themselves. If there was any wear, I'd replace it all with new parts.

I don't see the key you're talking about?

 

$1300 and it is a bent pushrod........... amazing. Yep , grab the bent rod with vice grips and pull it out , and then ck the rest of it out, and replace the damaged parts. then bolt it back together and it will work, unless the cam is messed up. But most likely all that is wrong is the bent pushrod. Some times when an engine is revved up too high a pushrod will bend.

 

The push rod is extremely bent. I put some vice grips on it, and it won't budge. I'm afraid it's about to break in half and the other half is going to fall in. Please see the pics. It's about half way out.

Thanks-

Oh, and 70aqua_custom, that key I was talking about in the picture is an upside down key attached to the bolt where the spring is connected from the air filter.

 

Well Vijay, if you break the pushrod, the intake manifold will have to come off. If you're afraid the pushrod will break and you want to pull it out from the bottom, the intake manifold will have to come off. I'd try to bend it straight as I pulled it out and hope for the best. If it won't cooperate, you know what has to be done.