MDchanic

Were the heads decked to account for the increased thickness of the new head gaskets?

What is the variation in valve stem height since they were machined?

Was the valve stem height measured and set correctly by the machinist when redoing the valve seats, as it MUST be?

- Eric

copyman

head was not decked ...all that was done to it was the broken exhaust bolt was taken care of....valves werent touched...nothing was disturbed.....

MDchanic

Hmmmmm... Why did I think the valve seats had been done...?

Well, that's good, anyway.

Okay, I see that was a different thread.

Have you checked the HEI module at a chain auto parts store?

- Eric

Octania

long helpul post lost due to stupid site misbehavior which I have not experienced in so long that I no longer need to save text before hitting ENTER.

Dammmmit.

to sum it up

you read your cam timing marks wrong

take a photo, lots of them

if already assembled then check your valve timing events with accurate instruments.

copyman

i want to thank everyone for thier input....problem solved...this guy i know is a mechanic and came over asked me the same questions all of you asked....and then asked me to pull out a hydraulic lifter....took it apart...and said that it was frozen in the up position..to replace them with the cam....after thinking about it and asking more...said...hell take them apart and unfreeze them...one by one...worked the piston inside the valve body till it moved up and down freely.....after that ..just put them back into the car....buttoned it up and started it....wow......valve noise for a while and then she quieted down as the lifters pumped up .....almost all of them were frozen.....cant figure out how it ran all those years ??? never gave me a problem till the timing chain went...anyway....took it out for a ride...and she rides better than before...again i thank you guys....im new to these oldsmobiles and chevy is simple compared to the crazy stuff that im hitting here....anyway...ill be slowly doing control arm bushings...and more things ....hopefully i can help anyone with my limited knowlege on this car...but if i can help i will be glad to...again ...thanks....frozen lifters...never heard of it..

MDchanic

Glad you got it fixed! I agree that this is a very strange problem.

Please note, though, that aside from dimensions, the hydraulic lifters are essentially the same for all American cars of this era.

- Eric

copyman

i understand....just that i never heard of this problem and aside from taking apart the front of the engine and checking and rechecking...i was at the verge of going crazy....(even though im somewhere there before this all happened)....lol