66 Fairlane Project

[Steven Harris]

Bored - yes, perhaps - but the outcome of both cars is SUPERB!

Wait a few more weeks and enjoy the drive.

[JTS71 Mach1]

Man it looks like 1970 all over again!

JTS

[Mustangmike]

Happy New Year JTS and Steven and thanks for the compliments.  I am looking forward to showing off both cars this year.  I am very happy with gauges and they do give the old Fairlane an old school look and that is usually the look I am after.  I think the gauges were a nice addition to the car for $80.

[Mustangmike]

It's been quiet on the site lately so I figure I would update everyone on my Fairlane.  I finally decided to install the Autometer tach I had purchased awhile back.  The tach I had in the car was acting erratically over 3,000 rpms. I think it looks pretty good.

Also ran into a problem with a noisy lifter(s).  I decided to re-adjust the valves last weekend hoping to solve the problem but the noisy lifter is still there plus now the carb is spitting when I drive it.  I am pretty sure I have a bad lifter because after adjusting them I now have an intake valve is too tight.  Anyway, I am going to put a new cam and lifters in. Started tearing things down today.  Luckily enough my friend has a new Edelbrock 7122 and lifters is he donating!

I will keep you posted!

       

[JTS71 Mach1]

Boy thats almost unheard of, a Ford losing a lobe, or a lifter??? Chevrolet's suffered from soft cams for years, but Fords not so much. I'll be very interested in knowing exactly what failed. I have seen a few dead lifters, which was simply the lifters failed internally, and didn't damage the cam. So we'll have to wait and see???  Good Luck. 

JTS

PS just a note if the carb started spitting, it's quite possible the tight intake valve is causing it to blow compression back into the intake, and causing it to spit back kinda like a sneeze.

[1969_Mach1]

Very happy to hear you moved to the "modern" side with the tachometer.  Very sad to hear you're going to install an Edelbrock camshaft.  Couldn't give me one of those.

What oil are you using in that motor?  If it's currently a flat tappet cam it needs to be a high zinc content oil for flat tappet cams.  Destroying cams and lifters is more and more common these days when the wrong oil is used.  It usually starts out with valvetrain noise for no apparent reason.  Then a rough running engine when the lobe or lifter wears enough.

How did you adjust your lifters?  If one is now too tight that would explain the spitting out of the carb.

[Mustangmike]

Hey guys...glad to see everyone is still here!

Yes, I think one of the lifters failed internally.  There was one pushrod in particular that was very loose.  I figured that was the culprit of the noisy lifter.  It took several complete turns to start feeling a drag on the pushrod.  The other valves barely needed adjusting.  I only heard the lifter noise around 2500 rpms and now I still hear it after adjustment.  I took the car out for a test drive and it seemed to run good except when I put a load on it driving up a hill. Then I heard the carb occasionally making a spitting sound.

As far as adjusting the lifters I used the method in my "how to rebuild small block ford book" where you set the number 1 cylinder at TDC then adjust a specific set of valves shown in the diagram.  Then you rotate the engine 180 degrees and adjust the next set of valves, then rotate 270 degrees and adjust the final set of valves. 

With regards to the cam I am not too fussy with who the manufacture is since I am not racing the car.  Plus it is the same cam and lifters that are in the car right now.  At least with this set up I can keep the same push rods since I know the valvetrain geometry is correct.

[1969_Mach1]

I guess my question wasn't phrased very well.  How far past zero lash did you turn the adjuster nuts or polylocks on the rocker arms?  1/2 turn is about it to preload the lifter correctly.  I am guessing what has happened is with the motor sitting a valve spring collapsed a lifter and now for some reason it is stuck.  Or worse case you wiped out a cam lobe if it's a flat tappet cam which is fairly common with todays oils sold at parts stores.  Another reason to avoid installing a flat tappet cam.


I thought in an older post you mentioned it currently has a hydraulic roller cam.  Is it currently a hydraulic flat tappet or hydraulic roller cam?

Spitting through the carb under load is either intake valves too tight or leaking for some other reason, or the air/fuel mixture is too lean (not the idle air fuel mixture).

*  When adjusting valves I use the method the major cam manufacturers suggest.  It takes longer but assures the lifter is on the heel of the cam lobe and there is less room for errors.

Doing each cylinder one at a time:


1)  Rotating the crankshaft in its normal direction, when the exhaust valve begins to open - adjust the intake valve for that same cylinder.

2)  Continue rotating the crankshaft in its normal direction, when the intake valve is closing and reaches almost fully closed - adjust the exhaust valve for that same cylinder.


For hydraulic roller and hydraulic flat tappet lifters rotate the adjuster nut or polylock 1/2 turn past zero lash.  NOTE:  When you back off a adjuster nut or polylock you need to wait to allow the lifter plunger to extend.  How long I am not certain.  But I do know if you readjust without allowing the lifter plunger to fully extent the valves will then be too tight.

[Mustangmike]

Hey Mike,

Sorry I misunderstood your question.  Yes, I adjusted the nut exactly 1/2 turn past zero lash. I thought that was being pretty conservative.  It is a flat tappet hydraulic cam and I always add the Lucas ZDDP zinc additive with all my oil changes.

Once the new cam is in I will adjust the valves one cylinder at a time.  I used the other method I described above simply to find the valve that was out of adjustment.  It is a quick method.   Apparently in the end it is a collapsed lifter causing all the noise.  

I will post pictures of the camshaft once I get it out. I am curios if there is any damage to the cam myself.

Mike

[JTS71 Mach1]

Spin the oil filter off, and look for sparkles. That would almost surely be an indicator the cam lobe failed. 

JTS