Smallfoot's AA

ModAChuck said:

Just looked thru all you posts as I just recently started a 31 Model AA rat rod build. Nice job!! And it gave me some ideas. Hope you don't mind if I u some of your methods as I work thru my build. Awsome Rod!

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Imitation is the highest form of complement. We all borrow shamelessly around here. I'd say you picked a great mentor following Small's lead.

ModAChuck said:

Just looked thru all you posts as I just recently started a 31 Model AA rat rod build. Nice job!! And it gave me some ideas. Hope you don't mind if I u some of your methods as I work thru my build. Awsome Rod!

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Use away Chuck! Hope some of it helps. And thanks guys for the encouraging words.

Just another day for the Nuttin Special

Workin it...

the Nuttin Special, a little rat with the heart of a tractor. [cl

doin work!

Nice. Really nice!

Trouble in paradise

ok, so only about 35000 miles.....I believe the lifter failed, wiped the exhuast lobe on number 8 and bent the intake push rod into an S...jeesh! I'm careful with it too. GM crate motor on the way. I have a new cam, new lifters, new valve springs, and push rods. The block is ok and haven't found any other damage so this 305 will go into my 83 c10. The crate will go into the 31.

That's lovely.

Did you have any warning? I mean, how long does it take to completely round off a lobe like that? Highway speed?

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[P [P [P
Torchie

That sucks , but more power is always good. [P

Dr Crankenstein said:

That's lovely.

Did you have any warning? I mean, how long does it take to completely round off a lobe like that? Highway speed?

.

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Unfortunately, I was getting the warning. Just figured wrong on what was going on. When I first started noticing a problem, it was just a small backfire. Had just installed new carb and thought it was just a tuning issue. Nothing I did seemed to help. I compression checked everything and got 150 psi across all cylinders and figured the valves not the problem,,,my mistake there! With a lobe down some and maybe a bent push rod too. The compression could still look good. I started to run to town two days ago and it was missing so bad, when I got to the highway, I just turned it around and went back home. When I pulled the valve covers I could not see much movement on number 8 and started tearing it down.
This was something I have been considering doing for a while. I didn't want to have to repair it before the swap tho...The old Chevy has been down needing a motor. The little 305 will be roaring next time up tho. Comp Cams 268H wakes them up a bit....

350 going in the 31...

I'm wondering why it bent the push rod? Could it have had a stuck valve that bent the push rod? Then a loose condition hammered the lifter and lobe. Or could the lifter have stuck and the piston hit the valve and pushed the rocker down onto the push rod?[S[S

Kenny, I believe the lifter failed. When it wore it also bradded the bottom of the lifter. Not much but enough to give it drag coming out of the bore. So it might have stuck. On checking the lifter itself, no hydraulic action left. I can push the insides all the way with the tip of my finger. I believe if any of what you asked about occurred, it would not have shown compression on number 8. Outside of what I can see right now with the motor on the stand, I don't see any other issues. Right now, my work is concentrated on getting a vehicle back on the road. I'm stuck out here and have to depend on friends for a ride to town. So I'm stripping what I need for the motor swap on the crate. The 83 C10 has a motor that will give me the required parts to put this one back in there. I'll wait to get this motor back together after the crate motor gets here. With all I've been thru here lately, my time has been stretched thin and I don't like not keeping up.
I don't get caught like this usually. It's never happened in my lifetime until now. 5 trucks on this property and not one running.....
They're saying Tuesday on delivery. Hope so. Maybe if I do go ahead and re-assemble this one, I can put it in the 31 and drive it until the other one arrives. We'll see.

Just thinking out loud...

I've seen round cam lobes twice... both were due to failing lifters and repeated tightening to quiet the offender. (In my mind, you need constant pressure to chew a lobe completely off.)

Are you sure you don't have a stuck exhaust valve? The bent (intake) push rod suggests excessive cylinder pressure. A non-functioning (closed) exhaust valve will give you two "compression" cycles and massive cylinder pressure the push rod cannot overcome.

I'm having trouble believing a collapsed lifter is responsible for the damage you have. No offense or criticism intended, I'm simply curious and intrigued.

Please share your findings and I hope you have running wheels sooner than later!

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I got two words for you Smallfoot, Roller Cam!

[P

I'll let you know Doc! I'm preparing everything for the new motor. The heads are still on this one. I'm slacking I guess! Still August in Florida and only clocked about 5 hours in the barn with temps around 90+...Got to do the important stuff first. Adjustments were made to the valve train trying to better the problem...probably screwed the pooch that way. The rockers appeared to be moving right then but I won't be sure until I pull the heads off. Maybe tomorrow.

Make sure the lifter bore isn't too tight. The lifters have to do little pirouettes [ddd on the cam, while the engine is running, or the same thing will happen again [P

I'm with Doc, it sure sounds like you've got a bent or stuck valve, bending the pushrod like that. Hopefully not, but hopefully you can figure it out quickly.

When I broke a valve spring and bent a valve in my 455, the piston kissed the valve and returned it back into (mostly) closed position.

Got a tapping noise coming from the right front of my 350 crate. I took it out of duty not long after it started. It is next in line to come into the garage and i am going to be changing out the street unfriendly intake anyway. I'm hoping it's just a collapsed lifter. The previous owner liked to do pedal to the metal burnouts for the crowds on the sidewalk at the Phoenix cruise on Central.