Engine Popping after Simple Points Replacement went really bad
- Thread starter Jay (59 Impala)
- Start date
Does your 59 have a ballast resistor ? If so did they wire the Pertronix correctly ? Pertronix needs full voltage
I’m going with the full 12 volt thing. Electronic ignition runs on full 12 volt to distributor.
I’m guessing that when you were not there they took it out and ran the crap out of it and probably bent a pushrod or busted a spring. Sometimes after they tune it up they take them out to see how they’re running and I’ll bet you that’s when the problem occurred and they’re not telling you about it. But all the other ideas are good. It wouldn’t be the first time somebody went on a test run and destroyed somebody’s dreams! Good luck and keep us posted, pictures are good too!
Jay (59 Impala)
Member
Wow! Thank you all for the great suggestions. I'll work on these this weekend and let you know how it goes...
I've taken the valve cover off but haven't started it yet. Stay tuned...
I've taken the valve cover off but haven't started it yet. Stay tuned...
I’m guessing that when you were not there they took it out and ran the crap out of it and probably bent a pushrod or busted a spring. Sometimes after they tune it up they take them out to see how they’re running and I’ll bet you that’s when the problem occurred and they’re not telling you about it. But all the other ideas are good. It wouldn’t be the first time somebody went on a test run and destroyed somebody’s dreams! Good luck and keep us posted, pictures are good too!
Jay (59 Impala)
Member
Well fellas it's not looking good... see video link below... Is this definately a cam lobe or something else I can try without pulling the motor? The rocker is a bit looser on # 8 than the others but not sloppy.
#8 Exhaust Valve
#8 Exhaust Valve
look at it this way....as an opportunity to make it better.It's lost a cam.Time to tear it down.I know it's pricey but with the sorry quality of lifters being produced these days,an upgrade to hyd.roller would be worth strong consideration.Tom's right,now's the time to make it a better engine.This is the cause of your popping back thru the carb when number 8 wire is hooked up.I had 2 Pontiacs come in back in 78-79 that did the same thing,both had lost the cam/lifter.
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Jay (59 Impala)
Member
I like the "glass half full" attitude Tom... Thanks! Does anyone know a good Engine guy in the Atlanta area... North of Atlanta preferred. I'd also like to find a good & trustworthy general mechanic that knows how to work on classic cars. I have a long list of things I'd like to do, starting with suspension (all still original) and maybe dual master cylinders w/ front discs for safety. I just don't have the time to do it myself anymore.
Great video, really shows the problem.
Bent pushrod or lifter not pumping up?
Isn’t Doraville Georgia home of the late Lamar and his son Rob Walden......Quality 409 work not far from home
http://lwaengines.com/
21 minutes away according to the Internet
It does indeed seem like quite the coincidence- it ran fine and had no “popping” when you brought it in for the ignition work, it started popping when they were done screwing with every ignition part that could be screwed with and nothing else. It sure seems like the solution should be in the ignition system and not elsewhere.
KISS. Kinda like seeing hoof prints - you probably want to look for horses and not zebras.
I have heard of arcing problems with the 6 and 8 plug wire routing, and would have looked there as a possibility.
I could not see the valve problem in the short video - which absolutely does not mean it isn’t there, just that without guidance and maybe a longer video, I could not see it. If those with far more experience see it, then it is there.
Just a bit more of my two cents - and you generally get what you pay for, right?
Good luck and hang on to your wallet.
Chip
63 425 hp
KISS. Kinda like seeing hoof prints - you probably want to look for horses and not zebras.
I have heard of arcing problems with the 6 and 8 plug wire routing, and would have looked there as a possibility.
I could not see the valve problem in the short video - which absolutely does not mean it isn’t there, just that without guidance and maybe a longer video, I could not see it. If those with far more experience see it, then it is there.
Just a bit more of my two cents - and you generally get what you pay for, right?
Good luck and hang on to your wallet.
Chip
63 425 hp
Chip,Rewatch the video.Notice the amount of lift on the intake as it operates in comparrison to the exhaust lift.The exhaust is barely opening and the stock cam is designed to open further [by about .020] than the intake does.Of course I've seen this over my carrier so it was easy to spot.
Lamar and Rob rebuilt my motor. Quality work indeed but it does come at a pretty penny. Highly recommend if you can swing it. I certainly wish I had LWA do my my first rebuild which was done by a very respected local speed shop. Unfortunately, they apparently didn’t know jack about 409’s; the cam was shot after not all that many hours and years.
Yea, once they start to wipe, its like falling off a cliff. It happens fast and there's no way to stop it.
Could be, but if everything is tight, probably not a lifter or tube. Unless some one been in there and tightened things up. Could have even cause the wiped lobe.
Thats the way I get to build most of my stuff.
No, really Teresa, it needs to be fixed
and I can make it better.
Though he mentioned that he took the car in for poor running do to faulty points.
Sounds to like this was the problem to begin with.
Sounds to like this was the problem to begin with.