Mopar Muscle Association UK

Blue wrote:That's a mess. You need to strip it and check a few things. I see there's a Mopar performance cam in there, which one? The valves have hit the pistons, you need to strip the heads and check for bent valves. Do you have sufficient valve to piston clearance? Are the pushrods the right length? Did you moly lube the cam and break it in correctly? Somethings not right there...

It is a performance cam but I dont know what size it is Blue. Has flat top pistons in too. If the pushrods are wrong then it's first I know. I didnt have anything to do with the engine rebuild, I was too ocupied with the boot floor and all the bodywork. Basically Phil had stripped the engine, cleaned every thing up, honed the bores etc. And rebuilt it using the same cam and other bits that were allready in the engine. The only thing bought for the engine was a new gasket kit, Milidon sump pan and pick up.

If there are clearance issues, would that not show up straight away. I cant understand how a valve can hit a piston wwhen the engine has been running succesfully for atleast an hour in total, maybe longer.


I'll carry on stripping it down this weekend.

Maybe it was caned (redlined) , bit of bouncy bouncy .

Was the cam degreed correctly?

If those pushrods are stock what is this engine?

I can't remember ever seeing pushrods with what looks like a ball bearing on the ends? Is it my eyes or something? Must be my memory then.

Stock pushrods for non-adjustable rockers are just rounded at the ends are they not?

My 318 pushrods look like those.Those rounded bits are pressed into the tube,I believe.

I've just been reading up on pushrods like that. i can't remember coming across them before. Jesel still make them apparently.

Lots of replacement pushrods are like that, I've never liked the look of them, I prefer the original style. Woody, have your pistons got valve reliefs? If not, you could be very tight for valve to piston clearance, trouble starts around .484 valve lift.

Blue wrote: Woody, have your pistons got valve reliefs? If not, you could be very tight for valve to piston clearance, trouble starts around .484 valve lift.

What does that mean Blue. Do you mean indentations in the piston tops ? If that's what you mean then no, the pistons have a flat surface.

I will be able to get the heads off today.

The engine has not been over 1500-2000 revs. I haven't caned it , with it being a new rebuild. Even when I ran up and down the avenue the other week, I didn't rev the engine over 2k.

Blue means are there machined cut outs in the pistons (valve reliefs) - you have indicated this is not that case.

When Blue & I set up a similar flat top piston 440 there was marginal valve clearance with a hydraulic 509 cam and a 44 thou head gasket.

The motor had standard size valves - had they been the "large" ones they would have touched the pistons.

I was amazed that there was such little clearance with flat top pistons.

What is strange is that it all worked fine before a basic refresh. Two things spring to mind,new h/gaskets too thin or timing chain jumped.

What I find strange is that it has all happened down one side of the engine , maybe at some stage in its life one head has faced and not the other, maybe the block has beeen decked on one side, as it certainly looks like there has been some severe contact between valves and pistons, judging by the state of the pushrods. I agree there seems to be an oiling problem as well, what was it like Woody under the other valve cover(as all the pushrods seem in place), was there signs of oil there?

Both rocker covers are bone dry! I dont think it has had enough oil pressure.

I had a piped oil pressure gauge bought from minisport, as a temp, to keep an eye on things until I had the dash guage was wired up properly.

It was reading 50lbs when cold and dropped off to 30 when warmed up.

that mtr want,s goin through properly, by someone that has a clue about them, man has them lifters had a beatin,

Right bank cylinders.

I agree Dunc.

Big end shells.