curious..why would you buy a new short block if you are going to tear it apart anyway?? you might as well save yours and rebuild it. make sure when you reassemble your new short block that there not so much as a peice of dust in it. you shouldnt have had any problems with your cam only swap but i guess theres alway the risk.i hope all gos well for you.

 

Im getting the shortblock for free. I'd love to rebuild but this is a bad time, expenses have already been used. Just spent 600 on the cam swap.

 

Comp Rs are the way to go. They changed the retainer inside the lifter a few months ago, the new one is a BEEFY piece, and doesnt have the problems the old "wire" retainer did.

 

ok check this out, I had my machinist who looks next door have a listen, he says its valve train, im gonna pull the intake tonight again and check it out.

 

"definitely rod knock",

now... maybe not. I hope you get it figured out.

(I'd still get the free engine)

 

Hrmm, hope you get it figured out. Sounds like a bearing... but im just a newb. :P

 

Definatley, just not going this weekend. Next weekend im getting that short block and stroking that bad boy and beat the hell out of this one until it blows. That is....assuming I can fix it.

 

have you tried running it with the valve covers off yet? I would try starting it up for about 30 seconds with the valve covers off and see what it sounds like. If it's valve train you'll definitely hear it then.

 

Car sounds can be very misleading.
When my opti went I thought it was my transmission at first. Get the opinion of a professional and have it narrowed down to a single part before you spend $. You can waste a lot of money on the trial and error method.

 

They've been off for the whole time. Just found the problem, two bent push rods. I guess the new lifters (their speed pro's) are just too much for the old stock rods, that and the new springs must be putting a lot of load on them. Well, live and learn, i've never been so happy to find a bent pushrod.

Still getting that shortblock for a spare 383 .

 

I got stock pushrods still with speed pro lifters...all my pushrods seem to be doin fine still with 137k miles on them =)

 

Suppose its the new springs for the cam then.