I few months ago I was rebuilding my car after a head gasket change and when I started the car I noticed something was off. It popped out the intake and didn't really rev much. I looked under the valve cover and a rocker arm on the number 3 cylinder isn't moving or is just barely moving. (It's the one left one facing the engine from the drivers side or is the one right under the breather cap, I'm not sure if it's intake or exhaust.) There is a slight ticking sound, the push rod rotates but just doesn't move up and down. I pulled it to see if it's bent and it's not but I changed it anyway since I had some extras. Now I am just wanting to know if it's the lifter, cam, or valve is stuck shut. I can get a video tomorrow if you need.
Do I have a stuck lifter or wiped cam lobe?
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bmackinnon
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Sounds like a wiped cam lobe to me.... I think that's one of the lobes that commonly wipes..:frown:
3.8L V-8 eater
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Sounds like a wiped lobe.... Just got done tearing down my motor for a wiped cam and it was doing the exact same thing..... The #3 cylinder is the most common for this and it is the drivers side middle cylinder... Hate to say it but it is almost certain the bottom end will need to be taken apart cause you will have debris throughout the motor.... Took me awhile to digest the thought of having to take it all apart down to the bare block.. I already purchased a roller cam cause I'm not going to do this again....My cylinders and pistons didn't look bad, but the rod and main bearings were toast!!! Hopefully you'll luck out and a wiped cam won't be the case, but make sure so you don't do further damage!!!
Blown&Injected
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Unfortunately, you are right.
Just a Six??
OK! Who Farted??
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Can you take the pushrod & try to compress the lifter? If its working properly then bye bye cam but if not, you may get very lucky with a stuck lifter. Either way it probably still did some damage so time to take it down farther. At least pull the intake & start there.
I tried that with all of them and couldn't tell if I moved any of them. I'll try again in a few to see if I can do it.
Buickforlife
Tyler Northcutt
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Seems to me like a wiped cam lobe.
Just a Six??
OK! Who Farted??
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Sounds like at minimum the intake is coming off. Really not that bad a job to do. Just mark everything & take pics if its your first time. Then get the lifters out & take at look at the cam lobes with a flashlight. Also the bottom of the lifters will tell you a lot.
I hope its just a stuck lifter! Good Luck!
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Looks like a wiped lobe. That blows. Did you break it in properly?
I'm not real sure about the oil personally, it's the first time I've had the valve covers off while running it. I never had pressure problems or anything.
I bought it from the previous owner and so I'm not sure what he did, I assume he did it right since he's built motors before.
I bought it from the previous owner and so I'm not sure what he did, I assume he did it right since he's built motors before.
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It's hard to put the blame on any one thing. The biggest problem is todays motor oil. It's just not made to support flat tappet cams. Were you running any supplemental additive?
Nah, I didn't have an additive in it at the moment. It was also a cold start too if that makes a difference. I only started it for the video.
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