bearing job help please

[jayro]

Hello,
I just did my rod bearing for the first time.....everything went smoothly (kinda suprised) but now when I started the car up I am getting a ticking from the oil pan area. I used assembly **** and cranked the car till my oil light went out prior to starting. I am thinking that I need to repeat the procedure since the ticking is atell tale sign that a rod is going to go. I just wanted to make sure before I got another set and tore the oil pan off agian.

Jeremy

 

[Eric VerValin]

Well, how about a little info about your car. From me poking around, you've replaced your clutch, some butterflys, did a valve adjustment. Did you ever check those chain tensioners? You said you had a tick then, wondering if its the same one. Did you use plastiguage when you did your bearings? Also did you ever do anything with your injectors? They can tick if they are going out, and you can usually feel those with a screwdriver. Did you install a new TOB in your tranny? There are a lot of things that could make noise.

My tensioners I suspected to be bad, and I replaced them both. I had a wear mark on the underside of the valve cover and was pretty sure he was loose.

 

[somedude_001]

how long have you run the car since the job? eric mentioned the TOB. when you push the clutch in does the noise change or go away?

plastiguage?

 

[jayro]

I actually haven't done the clutch yet. The ticking that I heard before was very minimal, and I isolated it down to my injectors. I only ran the car for maybe a minute. Long enough to start it up and stick my head under the front end to listen. Prior to replacing the bearings I had no noise from the oil pan. The car is a '94 MTX with 150K on it. Just had a full 60k done last spring (about 6000 miles ago). Also has a new 155lph fuel pump and filter.
I thought about letting it run for a little bit longer to see if it was just because the bearings were brand new, but I didn't want to risk damaging the crank if I was wrong.

Jeremy

 

[Eric VerValin]

Well, I wouldnt think the crank could get damaged, you might chew up the bearings, but if thats the case then you probally already did. If I wasn't so busy today, I'd come up there and take a look for ya. Try to see if it changes with RPM's or the clutch.

Were any of your bearings really bad? (showing copper) And you never said if you used plastiguage. I didnt' on mine, but when I put the standard size bearing in, and torqued the nut, I had some 'vertical play' in one of the bearings, so I knew my crank was toast, and needed turned.

I cant think of anything else that might tick off the top of my head. Did you do anything to your injectors when you did your upper 60k ?

 

[jayro]

Well, I think I may have just been paraniod. I started it up agian and crawled underneath with my auto stethascope....put it on the oil pan and around it and heard nothing. Just the same smooth sound I hear from the valve covers. The gasket between my y-pipe and catbacks isn't there and I found that this was where the sound was coming from. I guess I will wait for my exhaust gasket that I ordered to come in, and then see if the noise is eliminated.
Hopefully I can cancell my order for new bearings and an oil pan gasket...if not I'll just have a head start on collecting parts for maintinance on a 3.2L swap.

Jeremy

 

[Eric VerValin]

Lol yea that exhaust gasket you can get at autozone you know? I just picked up one yesterday .. wonderd why mine didnt seal all the way.. And yea, I was hearing everything on mine too, but now that I go and listen to it again, its just valvetrain noise. Nothing outta the ordinary. Glad to know there are more SHO's around here tho.

 

[jayro]

Autozone had to order my gasket up here. I saw the pics of your engine build this winter....very nice. Maybe some time this spring I could check it out.

Jeremy

 

[Eric VerValin]

Thanks.. its been a long time coming. It was sitting parked for almost 2 years.. Kinda wanted to do it justice, as much as I've always adored these cars. Plus last fall, I was living here in Fort Wayne, and working down in Anderson, and that drive isn't something I wanna do in an F-150 anymore. I was putting $20-$25 a day into my tank, and didnt get paid any mileage for it either. With gas and lunch / snacks, I was spending almost $400 a check on that kinda stuff. Hopefully I'll get back to my 28-30mpg again. I figure the extra 10mpg will pay off pretty soon. The next project I gotta work on is in Wabash, about an hour drive again, so I'll be happy to drive the SHO there, probally have to park on the street tho, as its not as fun off road, and being triple black, it loves to collect dust from all the earthmovers tooling around all day. And its also a good idea to leave the moonroof closed, or you get a tan interior by the end of the day.

If you ever need machine work done tho, I'd sugguest C&P here in Fort Wayne. They were very reasonable, and have done 4-5 SHO heads, I had mine tanked, 3 angle valve job, adjusted my valve lash, new valve seals, pressure tested, all for $310.

But yea, if you come out this spring.. let me know when your coming.. I like to grill, theres some pictures of some chicken floating around here. Already broke it in for this season.

 

[jayro]

Man, 2 years...mines been in the garage for 5 months and I already miss driving it. I'll let you know when I'm down in Ft. Wayne sometime. I may see about contacting the machine shop you mentioned. I had my butterflies machined out up in Angola. He only charged me $60, but afterwards told me not to tell my freinds. I guess it took a bit longer that he thought.

Jeremy

 

[Eric VerValin]

lol.. yea the guys at C&P that actually do the work, are all older guys, and for something like head work, experience is what counts in my book. Plus they were understanding when I had to find tensioners, and valve seals.. I think they had them for 3 weeks, would have been a few days, if I had all the parts ..

 

[jayro]

Okay...I got the gasket that I needed for my exhaust installed. I started it up and crawled underneath. I don't hear anything from the oil pan and can't seem to get anything with my stethascope. Without it I do hear some ticking that sounds like it is coming from up where the y-pipe connects to the exhaust manafold. I was thinking that this could just be valve noise. I should have got under the car and listened prior to the bearing job so I had something to compare it to.
Is there a place to listen with my scope to eliminate the bearing? Also, it is quite possible that I an just being paraniod. You can't hear the noise unless you are under the car. Any thoughts?

Jeremy