Setting Timing, Matching
Numbers and Loud Lifters
Q: I have a 1978 Buick with a 350-cubic-
inch, code “X” V- 8 engine. At 90,000 miles,
it had what we thought was lifter tapping.
We back-flushed the engine at a dealer, fl
and the noise stopped. It now has 126,000
miles, and I
think that the
tapping has
returned; I
hear no noise
at start-up, no
noise when I
rev the engine
and no noise
when it is hot
at idle. Despite
this, I get a
metal pinging
noise under
any load. You
can hold the
brake on, give
it just a bit of
throttle, and
you’ll hear it.
It never had
a lifter noise
when I only
ould it be some-
HOWE-TO T
Jim Howe
jimhowe@hemmings.com
heard it under load, so c
thing else that sounds like a worn lifter? I
tried 20W- 50 oil to see if that changed the
sound, but it didn’t, so I went back to the
recommended 10W- 30.
I assume it’s bad for a car to drive under
this condition? Is there any other way to
confirm what the noise is? With 126,000 fi
miles on the engine, I’m assuming that if
the problem is the lifters, I should just do a
rebuild.
Brian Huss
Mooresville, North Carolina
Jim is ready to help solve your
mechanical problems. Just send
your questions to
A: It sounds like the first time you heard fi
a noise, it may well have been a lifter problem, but this time it may be another issue.
I have not found lifter noises to be affected
by engine loading. This is usually associated more with a clearance issue between
the piston and cylinder or bearing looseness, either rods or mains.
You might check the cam by measuring the lift at the rocker arms, and pull
the spark plug wires at the distributor to
locate which cylinder it might be. If the
noise goes away when you pull the wire
on a certain cylinder, you might as well
plan for a rebuild.
I guess the fact that you “think” you
hear a noise might be an indication that
it won’t hurt to drive the vehicle until the
noise gets louder, and therefore easier to
locate.
Q: I have heard of others doing what you
talked about in your “Free This Ford” letter
(November ’07) with some degree of success. Are there any precautions to be taken
before doing this procedure, or some added
steps to take before rocking the car?
Do you recommend a particular solvent
for squirting onto the pistons before doing
this?
I had someone tell me that this rocking
of the car won’t work on just any manual
transmission. Is this true?
Tim Bakken
Presho, South Dakota
A: Be aware of common-sense stuff
like doing it on a level surface so that the
vehicle doesn’t get away from you, and if
you’ve just had open-heart surgery a few
days ago, get someone to help you.
I always tell people to use their favorite brand or mixture. Besides reducing
my liability for the outcome, your brew
may be much better than mine. I do lean
towards PB Blaster, Sea Foam Deep Creep,
and Cyclo Break Away to name a few. I’m
not convinced that there is any miracle
solution here. The success of this procedure is as much dependent upon allowing
time for the penetrant to work as anything
else.
Vehicles that have a torque converter
combined with a clutch, such as 1950s
Mopars, will not allow a stuck engine to
succumb to this procedure. Other transmissions may have a freewheeling mechanism, which would need to be locked out.
Q: I have a 1972 Chrysler with a 360-cu.in.
V- 8 that was retrofitted with a stock Mopar fi
electronic ignition from the local dealership.
I can find nothing in any of the manuals as to fi
what the timing should be set to. I tried two
first, and it ran awful, then tried ten and it fi
runs much better, but what is correct? I have
to take it to a mechanic each time, and we’re
just guessing. Is there an answer, or should
we just continue with trial and error?
Bruce Martin
Via the Internet
A: The setting for that engine’s original
distributor was top dead center, Bruce.
I’m assuming that you swapped distributors. You will need to get the specs
for your old distributor in terms of the
advance and retard mechanisms, both
centrifugal and vacuum, and have the new
distributor set up to these specs to start
with. These curves can often be altered
to improve performance, but this is best
accomplished on a dyno, and almost
always involves more advance.
I’ve found very few engines that didn’t
yearn for some more advance.
Q: When an ad states that the vehicle has
matching numbers, what exactly does this
mean? What parts have to remain original
to maintain matching numbers, and which
ones can be replaced? Also, is the matching
number the VIN?
Matt Valentine
Via the Internet
Unfortunately Matt, the phrase A:
“matching numbers,” like “restored,”
“rebuilt,” etc., doesn’t mean much at all
in terms of the vehicle. It is a little easier
to determine the meaning in terms of the
seller, though—he wants extra money for
the vehicle.
Now it may well be worth that extra
money; this is dependent upon the knowledge and integrity of the seller. To many
sellers and buyers, the interpretation of
matching numbers is merely to have the
original engine block in the car. With
some vehicles, this is all that is required,
but if, for instance, you get into something
like a muscle car, it will go much deeper
than just the engine block. You are now
talking heads, carburetors, intake and
exhaust manifolds, transmission, differential, radiator, and so forth.
So if matching numbers is important to
you, contact an expert in a marque club
for the car you are interested in, and get
all the information before you pay extra
for matching numbers.
