'93 SC2 ticking noise after rebuilt head :(

[Philip Nasadowski]

Well, we put in a newly rebuilt head and new rings and here's what we
found on this thing:

* Cylinders still have crosshatching at 220,000 miles.
* 50 ft-lbs is way way way too much for the con rod nuts - Chilton's
didnt say that.

* The studs are torque to yield. But Saturn doesn't sell new ones.
The dealer re uses the old ones, says it's ok, 30 ft-lbs.

* We used 19ft-lbs and 75 degrees (found that on the web somwhere) and
red Loktite on the studs. Local bike shop's has a garage pool on when
the motor blows up :/

* The rest went together well, but when we started it:

* It runs freaking smooth and powerful, but clicks up top.

Boy, with the valve cover off, that thing flings oil everywhere
Pressure's good, there's circulation.

The clicking got quieter after a few miles, but is still there. We're
not sure why - the theory now is it's a dud lifter that won't pump up,
though I'm wooried we might have dinged a valve on assembly Power's
good, it runs smoothly, though. It idles smooth.

Anyone have any ideas (besides not repairing any more cars!)???

 

[Philip Nasadowski]

Well, we found it - 2 bad lifters. My dad confirmed one by squeezing
the piston on the underside with his fingers and *squirt* oil all over
his new sweatshirt

Anyway, on two, you could push the little piston in, but the others were
all 'solid', though the piston rotated. The sucker's spring loaded,
which I wish I would have known BEFORE we pulled the camshafts out

Anywa, off to get two from the rebuild guy...

 

[Napalm Heart]

Well, we found it - 2 bad lifters. My dad confirmed one by squeezing
the piston on the underside with his fingers and *squirt* oil all over
his new sweatshirt

Anyway, on two, you could push the little piston in, but the others were
all 'solid', though the piston rotated. The sucker's spring loaded,
which I wish I would have known BEFORE we pulled the camshafts out

Anywa, off to get two from the rebuild guy...

Hopefully, you saved enough by doing the R&R that you could buy Dad a
new sweatshirt and still come out ahead!

Ken

 

[Philip Nasadowski]

Hopefully, you saved enough by doing the R&R that you could buy Dad a
new sweatshirt and still come out ahead!

Well, the damage so far? Two new lifters from Saturn. The $%&^$%&
rebuild guy won't replace them

As far as the sweatshirt? His problem, NOT MINE!!!

I'll be glad if this thing's even running 1,000 miles from now at this
rate. My #1 mistake so far was letting my dad have any part of it :/

Well, if I get the noise to go away, at least it drives a lot better
now...

 

[Napalm Heart]

Well, the damage so far? Two new lifters from Saturn. The $%&^$%&
rebuild guy won't replace them

As far as the sweatshirt? His problem, NOT MINE!!!

I'll be glad if this thing's even running 1,000 miles from now at this
rate. My #1 mistake so far was letting my dad have any part of it :/

Well, if I get the noise to go away, at least it drives a lot better
now...

"Times Like These" - your feelings as expressed here made me feel like
listening to the song by this title by "Foo Fighters".

Hey, after all the work this car may well run a damn long time. My
'96 SL2 had a piston bust apart on the way home from picking it up
from the seller - "AS IS" sale, of course. Out of a desire to be
righteous about it he threw me a few hundred dollars to help with the
costs. A good junk yard engine and some skin off my knuckles and it's
a good car. Got the wife to go along with the purchase of an engine
hoist and an air impact since they were necessary for the job. Too
bad the boy's school parking lot fender bender is costing about $1500
to fix. Shit happens.

Foo Fighters are done and Grand Funk's "Some Kind of Wonderful" has
got it all in order. If money and time can fix something it's no
where near as bad as it could be.

Ken

 

[Philip Nasadowski]

Hey, after all the work this car may well run a damn long time.

Yeah, the shop guys at the Saturn place think it'll be fine.

I got the lifters today (cute packageing, like a little film container
for each one and a brake light switch, since that's what's been
killing my battery while parked at work afterall...

So, in those go next week, then it's off to see what we can do about the
radiator leak (though it's got a 'lifetime' warrenty, so we might get
lucky...