My first engine “build”

Ok, lesson learned. Checking continuity across your 12v switch does not also mean that you should expect 12v as well. I assumed 12v switched out of the fuse panel (I thought tested it, guess not), but I wasn’t getting 12v from ignition. Got that sorted and she blows!

Maybe I need to check my 12v switched for the alternator? 🤔
 
Last edited:
Ok… today was the first “successful” run of the engine up to operating temp, fan kicked on and temp hold steady at 200*.

Voltmeter still bouncing around, but whatever for right now.

Aside from that… a couple of concerns.

1. Found an oil drip on the bottom of the bellhousing. Seemed to be coming from inside the bellhousing. Pulled the inspection plate and couldn’t determine source. Rear main? Oil pan? I feel fairly comfortable I was quite diligent about installing those. Or I am suspect that my starter that I reused from my leaky old 258 may have consumed an amount of oil. Fingers crossed I pull the starter and find it full of oil.

The other concern is a tapping/knocking from an undetermined location. Could be the cobbled together exhaust. Toes crossed for that. But it sounds like it could be coming from passenger side near the dizzy or #2 cylinder/valve train. Hard to tell. Need to grab a length of hose/stethoscope.

But she runs good!

Next is transmission & Tcase. Haven’t dropped it in gear yet. Need to install vent on Tcase and put some fluid in it.
 
Last edited:
Shreddinlettuce said:
Hydraulic lifters? Might be one that hasn’t pumped up
Click to expand...
Yes hydraulic lifters. They are the OE ones, or at least the ones that came with the engine. I stripped them all the way down, cleaned lubed, soaked and installed. But it did sit for quite awhile before I fired it.

I was thinking lifter, but I’m not versed in the various noises.
 
Moved the jeep under its own power today. Need to adjust the shift linkage for the column shift. Gears aren’t where they are supposed to be. Also, think I need som more fluid. Put in all I had, about 6-8 qts. And then adjust the lockdown band. But I pulled it back into the driveway and back in the garage. It was a little sluggish and didn’t want to strand it in the drive right now.

But it moved!
 
Last edited:
Son of a…!!!

Got it running and sorted and the battery took a shit on me. :shaking:

Battery won’t hold a charge and from a fresh charge at 13.5v, I crank it and get about 1.5-2 revolutions and it dies. Check battery and it has 10.5v

Kinda wondering if the funky voltmeter bouncing around has any relation to the battery being on its way out.
 
mbalbritton said:
Son of a…!!!

Got it running and sorted and the battery took a shit on me. :shaking:

Battery won’t hold a charge and from a fresh charge at 13.5v, I crank it and get about 1.5-2 revolutions and it dies. Check battery and it has 10.5v

Kinda wondering if the funky voltmeter bouncing around has any relation to the battery being on its way out.
Click to expand...
You might have a bad alternator or a bad regulator, I’d check the alternator at a parts store since they’ll run a load test for free. The regulator should just work if it’s not a bad unit
 
Had the alternator previously tested, but might take both in to test.

But seeing as I can charge the battery to 12.5v, hit the key one time with no start and the battery is instantly 10.5v, I’m thinking a dead cell.
 
mbalbritton said:
Had the alternator previously tested, but might take both in to test.

But seeing as I can charge the battery to 12.5v, hit the key one time with no start and the battery is instantly 10.5v, I’m thinking a dead cell.
Click to expand...
I had an optima go bad by getting to too low a voltage because it sat for 3 years. Will only buy parts store batteries anymore due to the warranty
 
Got a few things squared away, buttoned up, and grabbed a new battery. There’s a 4.5 mile loop around my neighborhood so I took it for a spin. Ran great. Need to do something about the brakes though. I replaced the rear wheel cylinders and adjusted the rear brakes, bled everything, but I still have a soft pedal. Guess i need to go through the fronts.

The one annoying thing though is the tick from the engine. Still assuming lifter tick. After running it around the neighborhood and getting the oil good and warm, the tick is louder, but only at idle. Off idle it damn near goes away and rolling along at 1500 rpms I can’t hear it. But back down to 1000 or less and it’s there, with a big difference at 1000 vs 750.

Guess I might as well pull the valve cover and make sure the push rods are spinning and maybe narrow down which (if at all) lifter it is.

Sounds like #2 or #3 cylinder, but with the distributor right there, I’ve heard that it could also be the oil pump.

Oil pressure is running at 60+psi on the gauge with a new sending unit.

Notably, and somewhat regrettably, I did not pull the cam in my engine refresh. But I did pull all lifters and disassembled them, cleaned them, made sure they were functioning properly.
 
Pulled the valve cover this morning and checked all rockers, and pushrods, valves… everything was as you would want to see. Nothing loose, everything where you want to see it.

Fired it up and everything running normal. All rockers moving as expected, pushrods spinning like you want to see. The tick is present but no louder with the valve cover off.

Still can’t determine the origin of the sound.

Photo is before starting.
IMG_2870.jpeg








And a a little longer video.
 
Last edited:
Buttoned it all back up and grabbed my 5/16 rubber hose… I mean, professional stethoscope… and poked around. Sound is strongest in three particular spots. Right around #3 & #4 spark plugs and the sides of the distributor cap.

Nothing at the machined aluminum body of the dizzy, not on top of the coil housing, right on the sides. A very crisp staccato of ticking. Around the spark plugs a little more muffled but distinct.

Could this be dizzy or oil pump related? I don’t recall if I replaced the oil pump on the rebuild to be honest. And the dizzy is an Amazon Chinesium HEI.

I do need to inspect my rear main seal, so maybe I can check the pump while I’m down there.
 
Almost sounds like an exhaust leak to me? Did you use the factory style washers for mounting the manifolds? What type of exhaust gasket are you using?

Has trust problem on a ford 300 and a thicker gasket solved it

Also, you can tell if it’s a mechanical issue if you put a long screwdriver against the head in a bunch of places and put the handle to your ear, this would also help pinpoint a location, but would not tell if it’s an exhaust leak
 
Last edited:
Shreddinlettuce said:
Almost sounds like an exhaust leak to me? Did you use the factory style washers for mounting the manifolds? What type of exhaust gasket are you using?

Has trust problem on a ford 300 and a thicker gasket solved it

Also, you can tell if it’s a mechanical issue if you put a long screwdriver against the head in a bunch of places and put the handle to your ear, this would also help pinpoint a location, but would not tell if it’s an exhaust leak
Click to expand...
I have thought several times about it being an exhaust leak, but when you go to the driver side you can distinctly tell the noise is on the otherside.

Not ruling it out, because with the 258 intake and the 4.0 header, I had to make my own washers to mount them. Not ideal and it is temporary, but I do feel it’s sealed… 99% certainty…

But agreed, on video it does sound like exhaust leak.
 
Back
Top