Bizzare, SEVERE knocking from top end

[born2tune]

post #17 takes the win!

good to hear that you at least found out whats bad.

 

[huafist]

post #17 takes the win!

good to hear that you at least found out whats bad.

So it did, haha.

I've got another full rotating assembly, so I'll have her back together soon.

 

[huafist]

So, the plan was to have it back together and installing the engine today - that didn't happen. The wife had other plans for the weekend haha.

What did happen is, the block is honed, cleaned, and prepped - cleaned out all of the bearing material from the oil passages in the block as well. Head is nearly torn down (have some stuck lifters I have to "persuade" out), replacement crank is polished, and pistons/rods are cleaned. I have two #2 compression rings I have to unstick, but after I finish that and give the head a through cleaning, I'll be ready to start reassembly. When I pulled the engine, I noticed the driver's side inner CV joint boot was split (grease all over the bottom of the oil pan haha), so I'll rebuild the inner CV while I have everything apart.

 

[huafist]

Update:
Shortblock is finished. I've found more issues than I had anticipated during this. Oil pump was nearly siezed due to bearing material in the oil ; I replaced the front case and the oil pan with extras I already had.
I'm afraid the head may be junk. It's been soaking in the parts washer for 3-4 days, and I still can't get most of the lifters to budge. A few of them came out easy enough when I tore it down, and two more came out easily after soaking for a few days. Unless someone's got any more ideas about getting lifters out before I chalk this head up as junk?

 

[BogusSVO]

Take a rubber tipped blower nozzle and blow compressed air into the oil bleed hole behind the HLA.

Have a rag wadded up in your other hand to "catch" the HLA when it launches out the bore.

If you do it out side, and do not want to use the HLAs again.. it is sort of fun to watch the HLA shoot up 20 foot or so..

If this does not work, Spray preak clean down the oil bleed hole in the head casting, and let sit for 10 mins or so, then try again.

If that still has not worked, the next to the last thing is to do is "bounce" a 16oz -24oz hammer on the HLA while at the same time using compressed air in the oil bleed hole.

There is one last method to press them out, but is a true PITA.

I know what you are going through, the Ford 2.3 has the same set up, just larger parts.

 

[huafist]

Take a rubber tipped blower nozzle and blow compressed air into the oil bleed hole behind the HLA.

Have a rag wadded up in your other hand to "catch" the HLA when it launches out the bore.

If you do it out side, and do not want to use the HLAs again.. it is sort of fun to watch the HLA shoot up 20 foot or so..

If this does not work, Spray preak clean down the oil bleed hole in the head casting, and let sit for 10 mins or so, then try again.

If that still has not worked, the next to the last thing is to do is "bounce" a 16oz -24oz hammer on the HLA while at the same time using compressed air in the oil bleed hole.

There is one last method to press them out, but is a true PITA.

I know what you are going through, the Ford 2.3 has the same set up, just larger parts.

I read another thread last night late where you had mentioned the compressed air trick - I'll try that. I can't imagine that the kerosene/mineral spirits combo in my parts washer wouldn't dislodge any carbon or caked oil siezing the lifters in their bores, though. Thank you for the tip.
Yeah, I've done one or two Ford 2.3's. You must do circle track stuff if you're doing them regularly? Those guys love the 2.3.

No go on the compressed air. I ended up getting several of them out by using a pry bar under the lip of the plunger to pop up on them. Several of them, however, came apart when I did this becaues they were stuck so bad. Two of them wouldn't even come out then, and I had to weld a bolt to the lifter body to turn them out. Two of them are still stuck, but I don't want to risk pulling them apart as well. I'm going to go on the search for a slide hammer (they're up far enough I can get one on the body of each lifter). Hopefully, that'll solve the problem.

Update:
No go on a slide hammer. I did, however, find a large pair of vice grips - they did the trick. I now have all of the lifters out, and I'm gonna clean out the oil galleries before I do anything else. Forunately, I have another set of lifters I can use.

 

[huafist]

Engine is back together completely and in the car. It would've started tonight, but I was foiled by having no coolant to put in the car haha.

 

[born2tune]

I have a 95 block just chilling on my bench. if everything fails and you want a new head PM me.

 

[huafist]

I have a 95 block just chilling on my bench. if everything fails and you want a new head PM me.

Thanks man - I have another head here I could build if I needed to. If this goes south, I'm going 6 bolt .