I recently did a head and cam change on my ls1, before I had a tr230 install in my car.

Well after installing everything and checking things twice, I start the car and it sound it really healthy, I drove it for 20 miles and still felt great, I took it to work yesterday, and on the way back cruising around 65 miles, a really loud metal sound starting ticking from the engine, I turn it off right away, when I try to start it again in didn't start, the engine turn but i wasn't starting.

i took the timing cover off and try to turn the engine by hand and is really hard to give a turn, it does turn but its really hard.

Any hints on what can be wrong, I didn't mess with the bottom end, I don't know what can be wrong.

This is what I installed:
Precision Race Components Stg. 2.5 5.3L
TSP TORQUERV2 CAM
7.400 PUSHRODS
NEW TIMING CHAIN
LS7 LIFTERS.

Any comment I would appreciated

 

Were the rocker arms torqued to spec?

When turning the engine by hand, did you have the spark plugs pulled out?

 

roquers arm torque to 22 ft of torque and no right now the spark plugs are on, Im gonna take them off today

 

Did you check piston to valve clearance? It should be okay with that combo, but who knows sometimes.

 

Remove the valve covers and wiggle all of the rocker arms. If one has a lot of play it likely has a broken valve spring, which means you are driving a 7 cylinder engine. It will still turn over, but it won't run. Also, if you broke a valve spring this quickly, you need to check the valvetrain geometry - pushrod length specifically. It could just be a bad spring, but again, it happened in so few miles you really need to double check the pushrod length.

 

I did not, As you say with this combo, I wasn't told that I need it to check for Piston to valve clearance.

 

I will get a pushrod lenght tool to check it thanks

 

Even if you're on 7 cylinders, it'll run. It'll run like absolute crap. But it'll run, unless you have mechanical interference. And since it's so hard to turn over, it sounds like there is some kind of interference. I wouldn't try to run the car anymore until after you inspect it.

Could be a bearing that's gone, a pushrod that's way too long, or a piston that ate the valve.

 

What cc did you get the heads at? If they're 59cc w/ a 7.4 pushrod, you may very well have had a valve kiss a piston.

 

That's not necessarily true. Mine did not run with a broken valve spring.

 

I don't want to go negative on you, but others that are reading this should realize the importance of checking push rod length and piston clearance before starting the engine, not after you have a problem. You just need to if you're swapping out a cam. It's as important as using thread lock and a torque wrench IMHO.

 

I agree. Don't wait until you have a problem. Piston to valve clearance and pushrod length are vital as is rocker geometry.

 

I recently installed the same heads, cam, and lifters on mine. I went with 7.400's as well, because that is what everyone seems to say is correct. It was apparent right away that they were too long. I finally measured and they were .075 too long. The 7.400's were at .150 preload, which is outside of the operating range of the lifters. To be right at .075 preload (total) I needed 7.325's. I still have a tiny bit of noise, but it is probably just the nature of the lobes on that cam. It sounds like you either pushed a valve into a piston due to improper rocker geometry or collapsed a lifter and there is mechanical interference from the damage. You need to pull the valve covers and hunt around in there first.

-Ed

 

true Now I get it, but there is no turning back, I will check this today

 

Check the oil is clean no metals or anything in it.

 

I will check the lenght tonight, the thing is that it didn't have any bad valvetrain noise, It sound better thank before with the other cam. But maybe there is the problem.

 

Doing a cam swap this summer, sorry to hear about this happening to you OP. Subscribed.

 

You did the work work man or did u take it to a local shop? Vengence ,jd,etc?

 

I'm pretty sure the engine will run with 7 cylinders - how do I know...I did some tweaks and forgot to plug in #2 or 3 plug and drove it long enough to wonder wtf did I do wrong.

 

did you pull the plugs and try to turn it over? Maybe you pissed a ring-land?