lucky14

Ok so I need to pick your brains:

1991 Z28 originally 305
Fresh 350 block punched .40 over
2.25 primary headman headers to 2.50 to fresh cat with
3” flowmaster exhaust with 40 series muffler
Nodular iron sfi spec dampner
Stock eeprom, injectors, TPI runners and intake for now.
Mild cam
Solid lifters
Gear reduction starter, new optima bat., cables

Once I first got the new engine in I got a scrapping/ticking noise at idle, start up, accel, engine speed related- coming from the bellhousing area. The rear main seal was leaking even though it was new. Visually I could see that the flex plate was tweaked and wobbling. Much to my dismay I forgot to replace the flexplate… I had replaced everything else. The orginal 305 died from a broken crank at 191,000 miles

My buddy and I pulled the 700r4 and replaced the rear main which was leaking because it wasn’t square in its’ bore and put a new GM Performance Parts Flexplate. This corrected the noise for about 70 miles.

Tonight after putting my exhaust on I started hearing the tick but not as often as it was before. The Tick seems to only happen when first going into reverse, first into drive, intermittently at idle or cruise speeds. But not always like before. I checked of course for exhaust issues, everything was ok no close routings.

Before you ask what else I have checked- No I haven’t peaked at it because tonight after leaving dinner the car died on the road… think I lost either the pump or pump relay. I added fuel, no change, towed the car back to the house and the car starts. (OF COURSE THE MISSES WAS WITH ME AND CALLED THE CAR A PICE OF CRAP!) So she is pissed at it now- hence why I haven’t looked at it for the noise or the starting problem

I believe I lost the realy because once I got the car towed to the house it started and will run for about 30 seconds the die or will start and sustain a rev up to 3K then die but restart directly after it. Plus it always since I have owned it/put the engine it (all in the last months) it has required about 3 or for cranks to start (oil pressure triggering pump relay?)

So here are my questions:

What else aside from a flexplate can cause a metallic engine speed related ticking/scrapping?
I will recheck the torque converter bolts and dampner. Any other suggestions?

I don’t think it’s a flexplate since the engine isn’t THAT powerful. Don’t get me wrong its got ***** but not that much!

The starting problem seems to act like a pump relay to me espically since last night when I got out of the car after coming home from the shop the pump stayed on with the key out. I had to cycle the key 2 times starting and shutting off the car until the fuel pump would turn off with the key out.

Then the stall no start then sudden restart for only 30 seconds tells me the pump is priming and sustaining at least some pressure. I know I need to do a fuel pressure check to see what it s doing at the moment of stall but….. any similar issues?

lucky14

ok sorry for the goobbered up post intially I accidenlty deleted it all but the word "ok" lol

Any suggestions on the noise or starting would be great.

lucky14

bump

Rolling Thunder

Well as u said a fuel pressure test should be done so i dont really want to comment on the runs and then dies till thats checked. For the ticking and scraping however there are a wide variety of possabilities. First off solid lifters will tick and clatter normally and if not adjusted right can make some interesting sounds. Next new cams are nutorious no getting whipped clean in new motors without the proper brake in. Seems to be especially prevalent with solid lifter cams for some reason. next check for arching spark plug wires they will cause a clicling sound. Tighten all exhaust bolts.That i think is most likely though is a belt or some accessory driven my the motor. Ive seen a timing tab get bent so it was scraping along the balancer and clicking every time it hit the timing notch. So maby take the belt off your accessories for a moment to eliminate your accessories as a possability. Finally check out the bottom end. Do this by removing one plug wire at a time (with an insulated pair of pliers getting zapped wont kill u but it will wake u up to say the least) and if the ticking changes when u pull a plug u have a problem in the bottom end. Some things to be away of its also possable that the ticking from the solid lifters is being detected by the knock sensor. Next up if your useing the stock computer for a 305 on a 350 its not going to be real happy about that.

lucky14

Thanks for the post...
The noise isn't arcing or cam noise. The engine is running fine (prior to the stall issue) so its not a whipped cam and it was broken in properly.

The noise is from the bell housing area so my thoughts are :
loose torque converter bolts
a torque converter that isn't fully locked in the splines
starter shimming
another flex plate?

lucky14

Ok so I replaced the fuel pump relay since it was just jus $8.00. (its the one located near the booster second from left on the inside of the metal bracket right? it has a pink feed wire which if I remember from my wiring diagrams thats pump... plus it pulses on for 10 seconds with key on)

No Change

I found that there is power at the white wires to the coil (primary side?)

I need to bring home some fuel pressure gauge but I can hear the pump running with key on

Perhaps my coil or dist pick up went out?

I was having wierd tach problems... still am with cranking... tach goes to 8K when it ran at idle and cranking...

Well thats it for now...

no other thoughts on the noise guys/gals?

lucky14

bump... looking specifically for the suggestions on the bellhousing area noise...

I will figure the starting prob. out...

lucky14

Just an FYI... diagnosised the no start as a bad ignition module... checked power out of the coil- ok- spark out of the distributor... but the pattern is intermittent and not regular... so I think the module is toast..