<VV> Latest Update - was Back to Engine Shop

[Byron Comp]

>
>Message: 5
>Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:40:16 -0500
>From: "Carlton Smith" <carlton55 at comcast.net>
>Subject: Re: <VV> Fwd:  Back to Engine Shop
>To: "'Vair Views'" <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
>Message-ID: <000d01cce026$3ff917d0$bfeb4770$@net>
>Content-Type: text/plain;    charset="us-ascii"
>
>Just what does the noise sound like? Is it a faint ticking or a really loud
>ticking? That could be valve seat or it could be a rocker nut backed out. I
>am mentioning this because the new rocker nuts Clark's is selling ( which do
>not look like the stock shaped nuts) did that to me last year right after a
>fresh engine rebuild. The first time was in March 2011 within the first 30
>minutes I drove on the new engine rebuild, the second time was in June while
>I was on a trip. I emailed Clarks about the problem and they searched their
>inventory and said they found quite a few that were defective. Clarks sent
>me a new set which was nice of them, but I was too leery of that style nut
>by then so I threw them in a box and bought a standard shaped set from Comp
>Cams and replace the whole set on my engine. The Clarks nuts are crimped in
>2 places into a oval on a thin shoulder where the standard nuts are crimped
>in 3 equal places and have a solid shoulder.
>
>Anyway when the first nut backed out the engine had the symptoms mentioned.
>Loss of power and hard to keep running.
>
>Carlton Smith
>Indianapolis, IN    
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org
>[mailto:virtualvairs-bounces at corvair.org] On Behalf Of Ken Pepke
>Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 9:12 AM
>To: Vair Views
>Subject: <VV> Fwd: Back to Engine Shop
>
>
>The compression variation, while being far beyond normal tolerance, could be
>fresh rings not yet thoroughly seated.  Compression test is a pretty good
>indicator that the valve seats are in place ... but there could be a loose
>seat that has not yet dropped.  
>Has the source of the 'strange noise' been determined?
>
>Ken P
>Wyandotte, MI
>Worry looks around; Sorry looks back, Faith looks up.
>
>*********************************
>
>    From:     Byron Comp <byron.comp at yahoo.com>
>    Subject:     Re: <VV> Back to the engine shop
>    Date:     January 30, 2012 10:43:39 PM EST
>    To:     Vair Views <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
>
>OK, I did a compression test an hour ago with the following results: #1 -
>145; #2 - 145; #3 - 155; #4 - 130; #5 - 155; #6 - 125. Looks to me like the
>whole left bank is weak, with #s 2 & 4 being especially bad. Am I right? And
>how bad? What does this say about the symptoms it's now exhibiting: running
>very rough, stalling out at idle, oil pres/temp light on at near idle?
>
>Byron Comp
>'64 Monza Vert.
>Gainesville, FL
>
Took the Monza to the shop yesterday and together the owner and I removed the valve cover from the left bank. Before doing so he expressed certainty that it was all valve clatter and did a test where he removed the oil pressure sender and said the reading there was "super." Two of the rocker arms were loose, one especially so, even though I had double-nutted them after the new nuts from Clark's walked loose shortly after installation. He also opined that maybe the lifters were suspect and couldn't recall if they'd been replaced as part of the rebuild or not.
 
At any event, it now doesn't seem as major a problem as it once looked like. Perhaps I over-reacted to what I was hearing. Thanks to all for your input. I'll continue to keep you posted.
 
Byron Comp
'64 Monza Vert on the mend
Gainesville, FL