01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

Been talking with a guy about playing with idle timing advance/retard to give the smaller cams that big cam sound. I'd look into this first before changing a cam for sound.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

I don't have as much adjust-ability as you EFI guys do. If I retard my initial timing too much, the throttle response and drive-ability suffers.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

I talked to Geoff about this on the phone today. He is confident 6 degrees of overlap will give me what I want. I am even more excited about his claim that the EPS lobes will have less valve train noise than my XE lobes. Valve train noise is the only single thing that I do not like about my first LS engine.

How is the power on that cam?

PREDATOR-Z

Don't fix it if it ain't broken.
Play with the idle and perhaps cutouts for when you want too feel more macho.
Nice ride, I just got a 64 vert Implala, last week, I'll be droping a 402 in there.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

I am not real motivated to tear into it, I assure you. It has been a long time putting it together and I am surely enjoying driving it. But, the combination of smooth idle and noisy valve train in my muscle car cruiser is not a good one. I actually purchased some fancy stereo shop insulation for the firewall, just so I did not have to hear it as much. When it cools down, I am pulling the carpet to put in the sound deadener.

As for cut outs, I don't think so. That is not my thing. It is not really a muscle car thing either. If you like muscle cars, you like a good sounding dual exhaust and a rumpety idle. It is just what the experience is and it is unique and cool. Opening up cut outs on the street seems like something Joe Dirt would do to me.

Some cars just make nice convertibles and the impala is one of them. I bet you will really enjoy that car.

PREDATOR-Z

Noisy valve-train is a result of:
>Tired parts
>Improper push-rod length and lifter Pre-load
Look at that.
Yeah, the Impaler is a sweet boat, I just got lucky locating it at the right price. Cosmetically, it is cherry besides I want good wheels on it.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

All new parts and I have tried lifter pre-loads from high 60s to just over .100". I have a pushrod collection. I even pulled the heads and installed LS7 lifters. Slightly quieter, but still too much noise for me. Geoff at EPS told me that headers temd to make the sewing machine louder. Anyway you look at it, I find it very annoying. It reminds me of the old solid flat tappets when the lash is really loose. In a car that is as quiet as mine, it is super noticeable.

PREDATOR-Z

Adjustable roller rockers (quality ones).
Hydraulic rollers should do just that, roll on the lobes and not bounce off them. Something is not right in your valvetrain, but it ain't the cam choice.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

"in a car as quiet as mine"

You said you could hear the motor? So your exhaust setup must be pretty tame? The reason I point this out is because even radical cams sound very tame when coupled with something like a Magnaflow exhaust. My car idling through my Magnaflow catback sounds damn near stock...an untrained ear would barely notice the cam. Open the 4 inch cut-out and it goes into dragster mode. As you quiet, you tame...they are one in each other. I don't think you will even notice the difference (idle lope) in cams now that I know your exhaust is quiet.

z99ls1

iTrader: (12)

^^^Exaxtly what I was thinking when he said his car had tame (quiet) exhaust. Tiger your not going to hear the cam with tame exhuast. I would guess my car with stock cam sounds like it has a bigger cam than your car with my cutout open. Open up ur exhaust and the cam will really come out more. Also your valvetrain should not be noisy. I have 2 questions. How did you determine what pushrod you needed? and how did you adjust your valves? Did you just torque them down to 22ft lbs without making sure you were on base of the cam lobe? It is not an ls1 thing to have noisy valvetrain, it's because something is probably not right....

lemons12

iTrader: (71)

Saying ls1 valvetrain isn't more noisy than most is foolish.

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

OK, so....louder exhaust = more cam lope and no more engine noise....WIN!!!

z99ls1

iTrader: (12)

I don't think making your exhaust louder is the right way to quiet down the engine noise, but whatever he wants lol

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

That sure seems to be the case, but I do not even know what to look at to investigate. New cam, new lifters, new PAC 1518s, new rocker arms with Comp trunion upgrades. I currently have .082" to .087" lifter preload and it pretty much sounds the same no matter if it is .060" or .100". If there is a gremlin, I would love to know where to find him.

hiltsy855

iTrader: (35)

Wow. I've been thru the exact same crap trying to reduce valvetrain noise. The bad news for you is that I already have an EPS cam! I have new LS7 lifters, PAC beehives (changed from EPS duals to reduce noise), tried 3 different pushrod lengths, Comp trunion upgrade, and a new Melling oil pump. Just last week I changed the oil pump o-ring just to make sure it wasn't pinched. It's the quietest now its ever been with about .080" lifter preload, but I can still hear some slight ticking. The only thing I haven't tried is different lifters, maybe Comp's are better.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

It is pretty annoying for sure. It is good to hear this from you. You have already tried the only 2 things that I haven't which is the EPS lobes and trying a new oil pump O-ring (even though I idle at 30lbs+, cruise at 50lbs+ and peak about 75lbs+). So, I guess it is firewall insulation time for me.

This is my first LS engine. I have to say, the power, durability and ease of working on them is amazing. Before I learned about LS engines, if someone would have said 364 cubic inches that idles smooth and makes 400+ rear wheel horsepower, I would have said: "with what kind of supercharger?". The only thing about this format that I don't like is the valve train noise. I guess I can only hope for a future solution.

hiltsy855

iTrader: (35)

Besides Comp (or other) lifters I have a couple more things to try to reduce the noise. When I pulled the motor apart initially the foam insulators on the bottom of the intake were rotted so I just pulled them. I'll replace them when I do the lifters. I'm also thinking about header wrap insulation, that might quiet things down a little too.

Predator-Z has a good point that the rollers should roll on the lobes & not bounce off. I think it might be a case of the lifter reaching the end of its travel due to leakage.

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

I have read people say a lot of good things about a lifter called Morels. I don't know who makes them or if they are quieter, but it may be a direction to explore.

hiltsy855

iTrader: (35)

Ya, I hear Morels are great, just crazy expensive. But if I add up all the $ I spent on lifter, pushrods, springs, etc. I could have bought 2 sets - lol!

speedtigger

iTrader: (16)

HA! I am right there with ya.