Got a bit of valvetrain noise in the Trans-Am

TransAmDan · 13 Apr 2013

Well I've started doing the car, out there just before 10. Looking for a bolt I dropped on Thursday. Wasn't on the floor, after searching for about 30mins, its needed as it hold in the lifter trays. Wobbling the exhaust I heard it fall finally. However its right under the transmission. Cant get to it with a broom, so had to wheels the car out of the garage just to get to this one bolt. Next was the task of finding the torque wrench, so it was quite handy the car wasn't in the garage. well it wasn't in the garage, not in the spare room. I remember it at the old house before moving. So i asked a friend if he had one, he said yes, and go round there to collect it. Well I was without a car, so I cycled it. I not have the torque wrench. Had to clean out the bolt holes the head bolts go into, as they have a little bit of water in them, this took a while to do as well.
Had a little panic with the head gaskets, there are single head gaskets not sold as a pair like the originals. At one end of the gasket has 'Front' stamped on it. Which would mean one would be upside down to the other. After further reading the new gaskets replace both parts numbers that were on the old gaskets. So all okay. Pheww.
So at lunch time, one gasket on, and head laying there, not bolted down yet. Just gonna finish my crackers, then I'm back out there.

TransAmDan · 13 Apr 2013

Well I'm back, and all cleaned up.
Installed heads, and torqued down to 22ft/lb in sequence, then turned 90 degree. darn was that touch with a 1.5ft long bar. I could see the stress in the bar, thought it was gonna snap around the join. Knowing I have another 90 degrees to go after that. It was knackering, and got a few cuts from where it slipped. Eventually got them all done. The next thing to do was pop in the push rods. Cleaned them all up, and put them in the same way up they were originally.
Tightened the rockers and had thread lock on the threads, also put some on the head bolts too. So they are all done now and torqued to sped. Turned the engine manually and rechecked the torque of the bolts .
Originally when my car stopped working, the starter wouldn't turn the engine. So as everything is lubed up, and I want to turn it over a few more turns, then why not try it on the starter. It whizzed very well. So the started is good.

saleen 192 · 14 Apr 2013

TransAmDan;bt140 said:
Well I'm back, and all cleaned up.
Installed heads, and torqued down to 22ft/lb in sequence, then turned 90 degree. darn was that touch with a 1.5ft long bar. I could see the stress in the bar, thought it was gonna snap around the join. Knowing I have another 90 degrees to go after that. It was knackering, and got a few cuts from where it slipped. Eventually got them all done. The next thing to do was pop in the push rods. Cleaned them all up, and put them in the same way up they were originally.
Tightened the rockers and had thread lock on the threads, also put some on the head bolts too. So they are all done now and torqued to sped. Turned the engine manually and rechecked the torque of the bolts .
Originally when my car stopped working, the starter wouldn't turn the engine. So as everything is lubed up, and I want to turn it over a few more turns, then why not try it on the starter. It whizzed very well. So the started is good.

Good write up Dan you should be fine for sunday

TransAmDan · 14 Apr 2013

Made more progress. rocker covers on, coil packs, spark plugs, leads, power steering pump, intake manifold, fuel rails, fuel connection.
All that's left is the radiator, and power steering fluid cooler. So I really wanted to know if it would fire up. With no radiator, more than few seconds would be bad. It fired right up, idled around 1500, revs were coming down before I shut it off. Sounds very smooth, bloomin loud in the garage. Awesome. Not long now until the rest it all together.
Then I can get some road tax ready for Sunday.

TransAmDan · 17 Apr 2013

Intake manifold had to come off, as had to fit coolant pop blocker at the back and cross over bit at the front. Now thats all on. Radiator goes in, and reconnected power steering coolant pipes. Toped up radiator/ changed oil, topped up power steering. Just changing the oil was a task, jacking the car up isn''t easy. Have to take a run up pushing the car onto some wooden blocks, then i could get the jack under.\n\nFired the car up, ran smooth, was a bit smokey in the engine bay, where I had touched the exhaust headers, I guess its burning off any grease. gauges working well. Let it get up to temperature and rechecked the gauges. Topped up fluids. All looking good.\n\nNext hurdle, this is gonna be the headache. Taxing the vehicle that is sorn at the moment, I cant use the tax reminder form, and for the life of me I cant find my V5, I dont think it was ever sent from the change of address. Looks like a trip to the DVLA orifice.

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TransAmDan · 17 Apr 2013

Nipped home at lunch time. Jump started the trans-am was checking fluid as the next door neighbour locked herself out. She said the back door was open but i need to leap over the garage. so I did, and went to the front to open the front door. good job I was there as I dont think she would have made it over with the zummer frame.Anyway back to the Trans-Am
Had it running for a few mins. Put the fiesta back on the road, and drive the Trans-Am back to work. It ran well, although running a little lean on light throttle. I have told it to ignore sensors, so its running in open loop so just minor tunning to be done. As I got to work many people came out, as they hasn't seen the car, and some not seen it at all. Took the battery out and popped it on charge at work, and left the roof off for some ventilation.
Well its my Birthday today, and mum has got me a cake, she really loves the car, so I thought it would be a nice treat to take the car up there for her, as she hasn't seen it for about 4 months.

TransAmDan · 22 Dec 2020

Wow 8 years ago I took the heads off the engine for investigagin value train noise. This was in the old narrow garage.

This thread was a blog with photos, but after migrating to this forum the photos didn't come across. However I do have some here.