394 engine squeak after rebuild
July 19th, 2019, 11:53 PM
#41
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Ray, I am thinking you have a problem with a rocker arm on both sides. It seems to go away if you increase the RPM's which increases oil pressure.
1. Check to see if the rocker arms slide freely on the rocker arm shaft.
2. Maybe pull the rocker arm shaft and stands and slide the rocker arms sideways and place a smear of grease on the bottom and slide the rocker arm back.
The next thought is the two valve lifters that spurted a lot of oil. They could be bleeding off to much oil. Was one of those lifters on each side of the engine ? I think I would replace them both.
Check all the brackets to see if they are tight.
1. Check to see if the rocker arms slide freely on the rocker arm shaft.
2. Maybe pull the rocker arm shaft and stands and slide the rocker arms sideways and place a smear of grease on the bottom and slide the rocker arm back.
The next thought is the two valve lifters that spurted a lot of oil. They could be bleeding off to much oil. Was one of those lifters on each side of the engine ? I think I would replace them both.
Check all the brackets to see if they are tight.
July 20th, 2019, 05:01 AM
#42
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I have oiled the rocker arms several times, I even replaced the rocker arm assemble with new rocker arms and new shafts. I also removed the push rods one cylinder at a time then I would start the engine. I did this one cylinder at a time and the sound did not change. Thus I did not think the rock arms, push rods or hydraulic value lifters were making the sound.
I am concerned about the oil slinger. I believe I carefully installed it facing forward but I this point I am beginning to wonder. Without opening up the engine I can not confirm.
Ray
I am concerned about the oil slinger. I believe I carefully installed it facing forward but I this point I am beginning to wonder. Without opening up the engine I can not confirm.
Ray
July 20th, 2019, 03:27 PM
#43
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July 21st, 2019, 09:21 AM
#45
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Steve
I am wondering the same thing. I am getting ready to remove the front cover and start looking around for what maybe causing this noise. The gasket kit for the front cover allows the front cover to be removed without taking the oil pan off. The service manual indicates that the oil pan must be removed before removing the front cover? Any comments.
Ray
I am wondering the same thing. I am getting ready to remove the front cover and start looking around for what maybe causing this noise. The gasket kit for the front cover allows the front cover to be removed without taking the oil pan off. The service manual indicates that the oil pan must be removed before removing the front cover? Any comments.
Ray
July 21st, 2019, 01:23 PM
#46
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Ray,
I've had success with removing the front water pump/ timing chain cover on the 63 and 64 394 engine and I haven't had to do this on my 62's but I can't see a reason you couldn't do it. I undid the front mount and jacked up the engine and shimmed the trans at the rear to allow the front cover to be removed.
Good luck.
Steve
I've had success with removing the front water pump/ timing chain cover on the 63 and 64 394 engine and I haven't had to do this on my 62's but I can't see a reason you couldn't do it. I undid the front mount and jacked up the engine and shimmed the trans at the rear to allow the front cover to be removed.
Good luck.
Steve
July 30th, 2019, 09:07 AM
#47
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S
I have a 1960 394 high compression engine that was stuck and I had a machine shop bore it .030 over and I assembled the engine with new parts. It has a squeak in the engine that I cannot resolve.
The squeak sounds like a rocker arm, value guide or even the arm on the fuel pump/vacuum pump because the squeak is a “squeak squeak pause, squeak squeak pause” and it is in time with the cam rather than the crank, (cam only turning once for every time the crank turns twice) When the engine is started cold there is no squeak after a minute the squeaks starts low and gets louder as the engine warms up. This squeak has remained the same since I started the engine for the first time.
I have not been able to tract down the squeak. I thought the squeak was because of low oil pressure or volume to the value train but I have rules out that. I did take the car over to the shop that did the machine work on the engine he listened to the squeak and felt it was a bad hydraulic value lifter. He did not think it was any kind of bearing and I should drive it for a couple hundred miles and the hydraulic value may fix itself. I did that and it still squeaks.
I have built a device to push down on the value springs which allowed the removal of the push rods. I removed the two push rods on each cylinder, one cylinder at a time. I would start the engine each time and after doing all 8 cylinders the squeak did not change. Thus, the squeak cannot be the value guides, the rocker arm, or the hydraulic value lifter. I have taken the fan belts off to make sure it is not the water pump etc. still squeaks. I took off the fuel pump/vaccum pump and still squeaks. (my first thought was the fuel pump/ vacuum pump because that is what it sounds like, the eccentric cam coming around and pushing on the arm of the pump and it also sounds like that is where the noise was coming from)
One interesting items is when I had the push rods out one cylinder at a time and then I would start the engine two of the hydraulic valve lifters squirted out oil like a fountain and the other 14 did not?
The only items left to squeak is the cam bearings, timing change, or the bearing in the bottom part of the engine. This engine has a new cam, cam bearings, news hydraulic valve lifter, new timing chain and sprockets, new main, rod, wrist pins, pistons etc. I would take this engine apart and fix the squeak if I know what to fix.
Any suggestions.
Yep,cam bearing..
Ray
The squeak sounds like a rocker arm, value guide or even the arm on the fuel pump/vacuum pump because the squeak is a “squeak squeak pause, squeak squeak pause” and it is in time with the cam rather than the crank, (cam only turning once for every time the crank turns twice) When the engine is started cold there is no squeak after a minute the squeaks starts low and gets louder as the engine warms up. This squeak has remained the same since I started the engine for the first time.
I have not been able to tract down the squeak. I thought the squeak was because of low oil pressure or volume to the value train but I have rules out that. I did take the car over to the shop that did the machine work on the engine he listened to the squeak and felt it was a bad hydraulic value lifter. He did not think it was any kind of bearing and I should drive it for a couple hundred miles and the hydraulic value may fix itself. I did that and it still squeaks.
I have built a device to push down on the value springs which allowed the removal of the push rods. I removed the two push rods on each cylinder, one cylinder at a time. I would start the engine each time and after doing all 8 cylinders the squeak did not change. Thus, the squeak cannot be the value guides, the rocker arm, or the hydraulic value lifter. I have taken the fan belts off to make sure it is not the water pump etc. still squeaks. I took off the fuel pump/vaccum pump and still squeaks. (my first thought was the fuel pump/ vacuum pump because that is what it sounds like, the eccentric cam coming around and pushing on the arm of the pump and it also sounds like that is where the noise was coming from)
One interesting items is when I had the push rods out one cylinder at a time and then I would start the engine two of the hydraulic valve lifters squirted out oil like a fountain and the other 14 did not?
The only items left to squeak is the cam bearings, timing change, or the bearing in the bottom part of the engine. This engine has a new cam, cam bearings, news hydraulic valve lifter, new timing chain and sprockets, new main, rod, wrist pins, pistons etc. I would take this engine apart and fix the squeak if I know what to fix.
Any suggestions.
Yep,cam bearing..
Ray
July 30th, 2019, 09:14 AM
#48
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Geez... 
Ray, I suggest at least loosening all the bolts on the oil pan when you remove the front cover. Don't aggressively pry on the cover with a pry bar either. One or two whacks with a rubber mallet should break the seal and the cover should come right off.
Ray, I suggest at least loosening all the bolts on the oil pan when you remove the front cover. Don't aggressively pry on the cover with a pry bar either. One or two whacks with a rubber mallet should break the seal and the cover should come right off.
August 11th, 2019, 12:12 PM
#50
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Did you install a new timing chain and gears? Was it a double roller? Some are wider than stock and can rub on the fuel pump arm. Do 394s even oil the chain like the 2nd gens? Were the correct plugs installed?
When I hear 'squeaks' I immediately think of something with a pivot or a fulcrum. I can only think of two things like that atm and that is rocker arms, sounds like you eliminated that above, and the fuel pump arm. Even the video sounds louder to me right in that area.
When I hear 'squeaks' I immediately think of something with a pivot or a fulcrum. I can only think of two things like that atm and that is rocker arms, sounds like you eliminated that above, and the fuel pump arm. Even the video sounds louder to me right in that area.
August 11th, 2019, 01:58 PM
#51
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I have it a part, front cover, oil pan, intake manifold, cam is out. I have not found anything all bearing are getting oil, nothing rubbing in the timing gear area, nothing rubbing anywhere. There is plenty oil squirting out to oil the timing gears.
I did install new timing gears and chain when I did the overhaul. I also had the fuel pump/vacuum pump off twice and it still squeaked because that was my first idea and what was wrong..
I will keep you updated
Ray
I did install new timing gears and chain when I did the overhaul. I also had the fuel pump/vacuum pump off twice and it still squeaked because that was my first idea and what was wrong..
I will keep you updated
Ray
August 23rd, 2019, 04:56 PM
#52
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I could not identify any problems, nothing is rubbing on anything everything is getting oil. I especially looked the timing gear and chain over to make sure is was not rubbing on something and I could not find anything, getting plenty oil. I reassemble and it still squeaks just like before. I have noticed that if I remove the breather cap and put my hand over the opening the noise is reduced by 75%. It just has to be in that timing chain area but I can not find it. The timing chain and gears were new they fit very tight with only a `1/8 inch flex in the chain. Could the chain not fit the gears properly, The chain and gears came as a set.
Ray
Ray
September 30th, 2019, 08:38 AM
#54
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I have not had time to work on it. I went on a camping trip and had to come back early because my Dad's health has taken a bad turn. I always have one to many irons in the fire and unfortunately the Olds is at the bottom of the list. I have never been stumped by a mechanical problem and I will get this one. You guys will the first to know when I do.
Ray
Ray
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