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'93 SC2 ticking noise after rebuilt head :(

Well, we put in a newly rebuilt head and new rings and here's what we found on this thing:

  • Cylinders still have crosshatching at 220,000 miles.
  • 50 ft-lbs is way way way too much for the con rod nuts - Chilton's didnt say that.

  • The studs are torque to yield. But Saturn doesn't sell new ones. The dealer re uses the old ones, says it's ok, 30 ft-lbs.

  • We used 19ft-lbs and 75 degrees (found that on the web somwhere) and red Loktite on the studs. Local bike shop's has a garage pool on when the motor blows up :/

  • The rest went together well, but when we started it:

  • It runs freaking smooth and powerful, but clicks up top.

Boy, with the valve cover off, that thing flings oil everywhere :) Pressure's good, there's circulation.

The clicking got quieter after a few miles, but is still there. We're not sure why - the theory now is it's a dud lifter that won't pump up, though I'm wooried we might have dinged a valve on assembly :( Power's good, it runs smoothly, though. It idles smooth.

Anyone have any ideas (besides not repairing any more cars!)???

Reply to
Philip Nasadowski
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Well, we found it - 2 bad lifters. My dad confirmed one by squeezing the piston on the underside with his fingers and *squirt* oil all over his new sweatshirt :)

Anyway, on two, you could push the little piston in, but the others were all 'solid', though the piston rotated. The sucker's spring loaded, which I wish I would have known BEFORE we pulled the camshafts out :(

Anywa, off to get two from the rebuild guy... >:(

Reply to
Philip Nasadowski

squeezing

Hopefully, you saved enough by doing the R&R that you could buy Dad a new sweatshirt and still come out ahead!

Ken

Reply to
Napalm Heart

Well, the damage so far? Two new lifters from Saturn. The $%&^$%& rebuild guy won't replace them >:(

As far as the sweatshirt? His problem, NOT MINE!!!

I'll be glad if this thing's even running 1,000 miles from now at this rate. My #1 mistake so far was letting my dad have any part of it :/

Well, if I get the noise to go away, at least it drives a lot better now...

Reply to
Philip Nasadowski

"Times Like These" - your feelings as expressed here made me feel like listening to the song by this title by "Foo Fighters".

Hey, after all the work this car may well run a damn long time. My '96 SL2 had a piston bust apart on the way home from picking it up from the seller - "AS IS" sale, of course. Out of a desire to be righteous about it he threw me a few hundred dollars to help with the costs. A good junk yard engine and some skin off my knuckles and it's a good car. Got the wife to go along with the purchase of an engine hoist and an air impact since they were necessary for the job. Too bad the boy's school parking lot fender bender is costing about $1500 to fix. Shit happens.

Foo Fighters are done and Grand Funk's "Some Kind of Wonderful" has got it all in order. If money and time can fix something it's no where near as bad as it could be.

Ken

Reply to
Napalm Heart

Yeah, the shop guys at the Saturn place think it'll be fine.

I got the lifters today (cute packageing, like a little film container for each one :) and a brake light switch, since that's what's been killing my battery while parked at work afterall...

So, in those go next week, then it's off to see what we can do about the radiator leak (though it's got a 'lifetime' warrenty, so we might get lucky...

Reply to
Philip Nasadowski

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