56 lifter tap intermittent and irregular? (only 400 miles on 2017 engine rebuild)

[Jim Yergin]

It cost around $1700 for the short block. The heads had been previously been rebuilt.
Jim Yergin

[55blacktie]

This sounds right, certainly better than $6000-$7000. Considering the engine failure, I would still have the heads checked out.

[klogsdonjr]

I so appreciate the sounding board this forum affords.

The bird is back home and running better than I've ever heard it. A little respite to give me time to think and plan out next moves.

So I see a few options

1 continue to drive and wait for next needed repair, but watching the lash and listening for changes

2 replace the cam and anything else in the heads required after inspection

3 pull engine, clean and rebuild

4 replace engine with a 312 already rebuilt if cheaper than a rebuild

5 replace engine and tranny with newer modern ford crate engine

6 replace cam, replace fordomatic tranny with modern aod, run engine to life, then replace with modern ford crate engine.

Thoughts? Keeping in mind my overall intention is that this is my last car and desire to drive daily.

[55blacktie]

If you are considering rebuilding /replacing the engine in the future, I would drive it until it breaks, just as long as you are not left stranded. I would not buy a rebuilt engine from anyone but a reputable builder, who will provide a warranty; it's too big of an investment to do otherwise, and you don't want to go down this road again.

[klogsdonjr]

heres my thought at this point ... it may change after getting some compression testing done after thanksgiving.

1) replace the cam with a hardened cam, and anything else that needs repair while doing that work
2) replace with break-in oil and then change oil again soon so that its flushed well
3) next year sometime - upgrade the fordomatic with AOD tranny (this should get the rpms down in the low 2000s when driving highway and help prolong the engine)
4) drive it and keep watch on the lash adjustments as part of normal maintenance

im thinking if i do that they i should be able to drive this rebuilt engine for a very long time.

thoughts?

[55blacktie]

Hopefully you are going to replace lifters and cam bearings when you replace the cam. If you are going to used a hardened cam, Ted Eaton recommends Engine Tech CC508 cam bearings. Rock Auto has them for the best price. I bought lifters from Scoggin Dickey. They are Comp Cams lifters but actually manufactured by Topline Hylift Johnson, which Ted Eaton also recommends.

[voltron]

There is a shop in Anne Arundel county MD. that does excellent work. They been in business 57 years and done y blocks ,Flatheads ...etc.

Coleman Machine Shop Inc


508 Dogwood Rd
Linthicum Heights, MD 21090


Contact: William Coleman Jr
Title: President
Phone: (410) 799-2906

[klogsdonjr]

Merry Christmas Eve Eve update ....

Turns out replacing the cam pretty much requires an engine pull, then turn upside down to get parts in easily. While this is being done changed power system to alternator with internal regulator. Also adding perfect air ac kit.

So it's been in the shop now for a few weeks ... Missing my baby that won't be home for Christmas .

Wishing you and your family the best in 2021!

[JimCunn]

"So the right side actually had a pushrod out"

Are you saying it was not installed?

[klogsdonjr]

It was installed but something had broken and it was not functioning. They put it back together and reset the lash. I drove it a few miles, found the other shop willing to do the cam work

and by the time he checked the lash again it was significantly out again. This time when pulling engine and checking all parts, the set screws were found to be fairly out of spherical shape. We think due to poor machining on the rods that were used. So rods and set screws replaced along with cam.

It should come out of the shop this week.

[klogsdonjr]

So a month later the baby is out of the shop. Some snippets.

- if you have to replace your cam, the easiest approach seems to be engine pull, turn upside down, and install lifter parts.... Not so easy
- switching from generator to alternator fairly straightforward for the 56 since it's already 12volt. Ease of mind with easily accessible replacement part. Plus lights nice and bright.
- plate needed to fit 600cfm holley card vs the teapot original. This means air filter options have to be checked precisely to see if it will fit under the hood, not all do.
- pushrod machining seems to be critical to keeping the lash adjust screws in tact and useable , this might have been the worst culprit because looseness caused the rocker mechanism etc to move which likely caused the cam issues. See previous images for pics.
- added perfect ac air kit for the 56 while I was at it, now ready for hot summer!

In the end she is running smooth and quiet and peppy. Heres hoping keeping the lash in line and good oil changes with enough zinc will keep me motoring for 100k miles before having to address anything again!

[55blacktie]

You mention Pushrod machining as the probable cause of your engine problems. How did you correct that specific problem? What pushrods were used in the original rebuild, and with what pushods did you replace them to correct the problem?

[klogsdonjr]

If you look at the pic of the rods above you will see the original vs the new. The original seemed to have a sharp, flat edge as the rim of the cup. Whereas the new have rounded edges. My mechanic also took the extra step of using the ball end of the screw as a "bit", lubricated it well, and used it to polish/burnish the new rod openings before putting them into the engine.

He feels it was the combination of tolerance misses between the cam lobes, the rod cups, and the adjuster screw heads. When out of tolerance enough, the adjuster screws just couldn't maintain the lash, and it progressively got worse. At diff rates for the valves.

He consulted with a machine shop he uses here in the DC area (which our backup plan was to have them make new rods), and with the rod manufacturer. ill reach out to him to get the details - its part no 1901543.

ALSO - we ended up needing a new distributor that would work with my Petronix elec kit. the first one he got didnt have vacuum so the tach was out - so anyone changing distributors make sure it supports both centrifugal and vacuum advance. we ended up with Ford Y-block electronic with tach drive (part JM7741FBK).

At this point im watching temp - even in 30 degree weather, after 20-30 minutes of 50-60mph driving the temp warms up to the top of the white cool bar (not yet in the black or H). the temp reading on the gun at the engine is 185-190 which should be ok. we think the addition of the condenser is blocking the radiator - we did add an 18 inch radiator cooling fan with clutch and it provides alot of air ... but still watching. the car did have a 15inch 7 blade on it before and the temp gage never got above just right of center before - so its worth watching. we did notice a little jiggle in the plastic portion of the temp sensor on the engine - so that may need replacing BUT i dont think thats the probable issue here.

Then again if it maintains 190 and never overheats at the radiator (even in the summer) then id be ok with it - any thoughts on that?

[55blacktie]

Gil Baumgartner (CTCI) recommends adding an electric pusher fan in front of the radiator whenever adding air conditioning.

[voltron]

Are you sure the rocker arms are oiling? The one photo looks like the pushrod might have been running dry metal to metal.