 
     |
| Iron Duke - Cyl Head Swapped Out ... Questions... (Page 2/2) |
|
FieroWannaBe
|
SEP 29, 09:31 AM
|
|
It's easy to check valve clearance with the head off, open the valve a 1/2" and measure the play of the valve, it shouldn't be more than .002"
The duke and other old engines' valves seal only with an o ring to stop oil dripping down the stem. All these old engines will burn oil through the valve stems once the o rings inevitably degrade.
|
|
|
|
82-T/A [At Work]
|
SEP 30, 08:51 AM
|
|
Thanks guys... I have a few things to think about.
- I know that the black O-rings that I used were old... almost hard, but that's what was in the kit. I got a new set this time in the rebuild, so we'll see.
- I know compression was quite good... since everything is new. I had the machine shop check the rings, and the lady there told me that I didn't need to have the rings gapped because they were already gapped for the pistons, which I knew, but she said I'd be wasting my time. To be fair... the only thing I'd be able to do anyway is gap them more... (can't add material), and they were quite good. The Fiero didn't smoke while driving, and it wasn't black or blue smoke, it was pure white smoke... and that only happened while idling for a bit.
- I did see oil in the PCV tube, so I ordered some stainless mesh and will do what Patrick did... hoping that will help prevent oil from coming up and into the intake.
- Valve play didn't seem apparent. The previous cyl head did have over 200k miles on it. I'm guessing that Carter Carb's cyl head probably has a little bit less than that. When I installed the valves, they felt pretty solid in there. I sprayed some dry moly lube just so they'd go in more easily... but they didn't have any play in them.
- The car was never actually overheating. I had an issue where it would shoot up into the red, but it turned out to be a bad sensor. I had my gauges professionally checked by Jack Gunsett, and when I swapped out the new crappy sensor with another new DELCO sensor, the gauge worked perfectly. NEVER even got to the half-way mark.
- I don't ever remember seeing the expansion tank do "anything" to be completely honest. What I put in there, always stayed in there. I'm thinking that the radiator cap never properly opened like it should, and never to the point it needed to. Since I blew the radiator anyway, I ordered a new 4-core radiator that's specifically designed to fit the factory mount locations. The one I got off Rock Auto was a bit more... well... I had to modify the top mount. This one should work, and comes with a new radiator cap.
- My big thought is that maybe I errored in deciding to go with a high-flow oil pump. Oil pressure is always at like 70-80 PSI. I went with the Melling high-performance oil pump with 20-25% more oil flow. So it could be that there's just so much damned pressure in the oil system that it's just getting all over the place. The engine has maybe 100 miles on it, so it's possible the rings haven't fully seated yet either.
What I will say though, is when the engine was together after my daughter rebuilt it... it drove AMAZING... I mean, that engine had so much power for a little Duke, it ran so smooth and ran so well. I think I'll be able to solve the coolant issue. I'm almost positive it's the radiator. But I think my oil issues might have been because of the valve stem steals and the insane oil pump I installed.
I'll let you guys know when I get everything together.
Thank you!
|
|
|
|
Frenchrafe
|
OCT 01, 10:46 AM
|
|
Yeah Todd. 100 miles (160km) is nothing. You need to run that thing at least 1000km then do the oil change.
Gentle loads, no flat out WOT. Small hills in 3rd or 4th to build a little load, etc...
Worry about oil consuption after that's done.
PS: I bet I'm right about a duff radiator cap not letting the coolant expand. That's why you blew coolant related seals.
------------------
"Turbo Slug" - '87 Fiero GT. 3800 turbo. - The fastest Fiero in France! @turboslugfiero
https://youtu.be/hUzOAeyWLfM[This message has been edited by Frenchrafe (edited 10-01-2025).]
|
|
|
|
cartercarbaficionado
|
OCT 01, 10:25 PM
|
|
| quote | Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]:
- Valve play didn't seem apparent. The previous cyl head did have over 200k miles on it. I'm guessing that Carter Carb's cyl head probably has a little bit less than that. When I installed the valves, they felt pretty solid in there. I sprayed some dry moly lube just so they'd go in more easily... but they didn't have any play in them.
Thank you! |
|
according to the dude i got the whole engine from had 500k on it and then it got a fresh rebuild almost a full blueprinting but had a water leak into the oil he couldnt find.
to be fair we didnt either but we have pretty much wrote the block off after seeing its been sleeved and has cracked between the sleeves
we did use that head briefly on a 86 duke and it didnt have a water leak so it should be fine? i wish i had the money to have sent that whole engine off to find the original issue but at least if anyone needs everything but a block i have it
|
|
|
|
82-T/A [At Work]
|
OCT 03, 10:21 AM
|
|
So, I just got the new 4 core radiator. It's friggin' massive. There is no way in God's green Earth that this is going to fit in front of the Fiero without chopping stuff up. So, I took a look at the radiator I pulled out, which was also new. Apparently, it didn't split... sigh... I wish I could take pictures to show you guys.
The "petcock" valve, or whatever the kids call it now (drain plug)... how can I say this. The people who did final assembly, they wrapped it in Teflon tape. ok, good... but they wrapped it backwards, and they didn't even fully seat it. It has tapered threads so that it gets tighter as you screw it in. It was barely screwed in at all. To make matters worse, they also wrapped several layers of teflon tape around the end of it (before they installed it. So, literally... when you would unscrew it to allow coolant to drain, it was covering the holes (which explained why it took days for the radiator to drain). This **** , I swear.
****, this God-damned car... haha... I don't know what to do now, if I should re-install the old radiator (which is also a new radiator). I guess I'll do that. The radiator cap seems perfectly fine (it's a new GM OEM one that's rated for 15 PSI).
|
|
|
|
Larryinkc
|
OCT 03, 11:03 AM
|
|
|
|
|
82-T/A [At Work]
|
OCT 03, 12:16 PM
|
|
Update, I just got back from the machine shop. I'm going to a different machine shop now than the one that originally did the machine work on my daughter's engine. This is the same shop that rebuilt the head that Carter Carbs sold me.
So, I dropped off my old cyl head (the one I just took off). I asked them to Magnaflux it, and also see if some of the other things I'd dropped off were ready. I got to talking to the guy, and I explained the issue. I said... there's no coolant in the oil, engine runs amazingly, but I continue to get white puffs of smoke and I keep blowing coolant gaskets and hoses. He explained to me that what can often happen is, the cyl head will crack between the valves. He said it's pretty common for this motor too (he's apparently done a few Iron Dukes). He said the only other thing it could potentially be is a crack in the cyl walls... but I saw no such thing and the cyl walls are perfect. He was fairly convinced it was the cyl head.
This makes me feel at least a little bit better, because this is exactly what some of you said either in this thread or the other one. I asked him to tank it, and then magnaflux it, and asked if he would be able to tell if it's cracked. He explained something with magnets and powder and whatever, and that he'd definitely be able to know. This will help me figure out two things... 1 - If I should recycle the cyl head, and 2 - Whether or not this was actually the problem with my daughter's engine. So... we'll see.
That is a REALLY nice radiator. I'm flush with radiators at this point, haha... I was thinking about it, but the one I just removed is already new, and now that I know the leak was from the drain plug, I'm just going to put it back. But that is really nice looking.
|
|
|
|
82-T/A [At Work]
|
OCT 03, 03:54 PM
|
|
Ok, I took the day off today... got the radiator drain plug fixed and tightened in there, re-attached all the hoses and the fan and everything else. I was able to get it all back together without screwing up the paint work and finishing touches she put in the front...
Also, I am seriously a dumbass sometimes. I still haven't gotten the intake manifold back from the machine shop. I got the thermostat neck installed and was like... "I'm going to fill this up so I don't have to worry about it later."
I start filling it up, and then suddenly it starts pouring out the intake coolant port on the cyl head. I completely forgot about it. I swear man...
|
|
|
|
edfiero
|
OCT 13, 12:39 PM
|
|
very clean spark plugs is often a sign that you have coolant in the combustion chamber. Think 'Steam Cleaning'
|
|
|
|