Zzzzz

iTrader: (2)

Hey guys, decided to go to the drag strip for the first time in a while. I'm back home now with a few crappy timeslips and a ticking Camaro.

Car is a stock internal 98 Z28 with bolt-ons, suspension mods, and a Spec 3 clutch.

First run, going for the 3-4 shift at the top of the track, I pull the shifter to 4th and release the clutch. The whole car shudders like crazy, feels like wheel hop. The kind of thing you'd be a little less surprised to feel on a 1-2 shift. I can't figure out what's going on....

Second run, I'm a little nervous, but the 3-4 shift is normal.

Third run, the shudder situation I had on the first run occurs again. I immediatey clutch-in to coast as soon as this happens. The 'check gages' light catches my eye, and I notice 0 RPM, engine isn't running. As I'm coasting, I turn the key and it just cranks....tries to start...but doesn't. Turn the key off, crank and give it a little gas...and it starts up. I pull it over and hear it ticking at idle. Oil PSI is ok. Shut it off, check oil, check for leaks, everything looks good. I'm assuming/hoping it's a lifter. Drove it the hour-long ride home as gently as I could, ticking the whole way.

Anyone experience anything like this? Any ideas? I've got no clue what was happening on that 3-4 shift and no idea what's wrong with the car now.

thunderstruck

iTrader: (15)

first thing i would do is check your pushrods, easy to do and will tell you alot

Juicy J

iTrader: (5)

Yep... check the pushrods. Its an easy job. Use something as a stethoscope to see which head its coming from. You could do this by putting your ear up to a wrench of something, while pressing the wrench on the valve cover. Next, take your pushrods out, and see if any are bent. If you have trouble telling, roll them on a flat surface... this should tell you if they are bent. Next replace bent pushrod, and see if it fixes the problem. If it still ticks, you probably have a lifter issue.

The stock pushrods are pretty weak. I have bent a couple one time when I over revved the engine for a split second.

bigboykilroy

iTrader: (48)

Yup, I agree, I bet you bent a pushrod. Very common on stock p rods. Very easy fix. About $120.00 if you do it your self. You should have upgraded those before you took it to the track.

Zzzzz

iTrader: (2)

Just pulled them, 3 bent pushrods.

Heads/cam are next, so I didn't want to bother upgrading anything on the current setup. I'm hoping I can just swap in some new pushrods and we'll be good to go, no other damage.

bigboykilroy

iTrader: (48)

Thats good news !
Its a very very common thing to happen on stock push rods.
Get some new Chrome-molly Trick flow 7.4 and go back to havin fun.

Juicy J

iTrader: (5)

You might find a guy who replaced his old pushrods after he did a cam swap to give you his old ones. I did that when my motor was stock. I traded a guy an asian salad from Mcdonalds for 8 good condition stock pushrods.

bigboykilroy

iTrader: (48)

why would he do that?

Just buy a good set of trick flow or Comp cams molly ones.

If you take out your old stock Push rods THROW THEM AWAY they are not good for anything.

1SLwLS1

iTrader: (6)

because he is about to upgrade to new H/C and will probably need different length PRs, no need wasting $120 when he could get CHEAP stock PRs. Id give him mine if he was close.

Nitroused383

iTrader: (10)

Sounds like you went from 3rd gear to 2nd gear instead of 4th. You already found the problem from over revving so just dont do it again. I took my car up to 6200rpm several times when stock and never bent a pushrod.

black00ssFL

iTrader: (24)

Sounds like that. Your 3-4 shifts were actually 3-2 shifts. If you bent some pushrods, I'm betting that's because some of your valves also kissed the pistons. Sounds like a good time for a complete head and cam swap. Also make sure your pistons weren't damaged too bad.

On a side note.....something must be wrong with your hand position when you shift. Change it so your palm is on the left side of the shifter when you shift from 1-2 and 3-4. That will keep you from trying to pull it down and towards you inadvertently.

Zzzzz

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, I'm looking to pick up a set of used stock PR's for now. It would be H/C time if I didn't have my house up for sale at the moment. If it sells, I want to have the car driveable to get it to the new place. Too much of a pain to try to move a non-running car.

I'm still amazed at the possibility that I pulled a 3-2 shift. I've had this car for years, been to the track many many times, and never had an incident.

Fast 95 Z28

weird I have the same thing happen to my 98 SS m6. First run i had this happen and my 3rd run. Only exception was, my engine was still running and I didn't have any ticking noises coming from my engine. so i assume my pushrods are fine. but the 3-4 shift violently shaked my car and scared the hell out of me. I might have done a 3-2 shift just like you but it sure as hell didn't feel like it. does anyone have any other ideas what could have caused this?

NSSANE02

iTrader: (14)

You obviously had a bad experience with your stock pushrods, but they aren't worthless trash like you make them out to be. And a bolt-on car shouldn't have to upgrade pushrods before hitting the track, that's retarded. My car has been over 6k hundreds of times with my limiter set at 6400.
It is what it is man, your story decribes it perfectly. Don't worry though, you're not the first and certainly won't be the last.
Yeah... a missed gear

1SLwLS1

iTrader: (6)

thats weird that this is the first occurrence. I have mis-shifted my car a few times, bounced off the damn rev limiter, bout threw myself through the windshield. Nothing ever broke though, of course I don't know what the rev limiter WAS set at, it is now at 6700.

Good idea to move the hand placement. Although to shift 1-2 I would think you would do it normally to make sure you do bring it down and towards you. I bet the 1-2 isn't as common of a problem as a 3-4 though, which are the shifts I have missed a few times.