Help Needed with 202!!

[83 WB_Ute]

Hey guys, I'm finally turning my attention to getting the ute running 100% and I have a few questions that hopefully you can help me out with

I’m looking at replacing the lifters, because they seem to be not pumping up when the engine is above 1500rpm..
There is no ticking noise upon initial startup, nor is there any at idle.. but between 1500rpm and 3800rpm (<< I haven’t pushed it any further than that..) it just rattles and ticks off its head :/
Is there a possibility that by the lifters doing that, the cam may have been damaged? And if so, when I replace the cam and lifters, is there anything else I will need to do (mandatory stuff, not optional stuff like straight cut gears etc.)??

The timing seems to be out a fair bit, its down on power compared to before, and when you give it a fair bit of throttle, it loses its revvs and spits back out the carby :/
That is easily fixed with the timing being adjusted, but the main thing is its suffering from really bad pre-ignition (run on when key is turned off..)
It has always had it, but it is quite bad now, that bad infact I’ve had to stall it a few times to get it to turn off :/
Any ideas as to why and how to fix the pre-ignition??

I need to get these problems sorted soon, as I’m heading on a long trip, and want the car to be as reliable as possible Any help would be appreciated

[Valencia]

Its always good to do the cam and lifters at the same time

[83 WB_Ute]

Its always good to do the cam and lifters at the same time

Ok.. I have a small cam here in the shed, that I'll use if I need to do them both at once.. But I was kinda hoping on just putting a set of lifters in it and seeing how they went in eliminating the ticking noise..
If it does, its all good.. The motor doesn't have to last long, around 9 months and I'll have the 308 in the ute anyway..

[Valencia]

Old cam will chew out new lifters in no time

[83 WB_Ute]

Old cam will chew out new lifters in no time

Excuse the inexperience with this stuff, but will it still do it even if the cam isn't damaged?
Going by what the mechanics have said that I've talked to, it may only just be the internal bits of the lifters that are not self adjusting to suit the rpm of the motor, that'd mean that possibly there is nothing wrong with the cam.. and if that's the case, would it still chew new lifters out? or would they be ok for the next 9 months until the V8 gets fitted??

[Valencia]

But i always change cam and lifters

[Valencia]

9 months it will be fine

[Taily]

Cam and lifters always as a set mate and always be sus on an unknown fibre cam drive sprocket.

You're talking about your blue motor aren't you?

Black smoke and running worse? What sort of carby is it (should be a Varijet) and have you checked the basics... inlet manifold and carby tight and not sucking air etc? Black smoke and running rough do seem to point to a carby (might get away with running a kit through it and a real close look at the float and choke mechanisms - they also had a gasket between the throttle body and the body of the carby and/or a bakelite insulator under the carby that gave trouble from time to time sucking air), but that rattle you describe makes me wonder if something in the lubrication system (blocked oil filter or worn out oil pump) isn't right if the lifters are all rattling away together at mid to high rpm. Do you have an oil pressure gauge on it - if so what are you getting at idle/1500/3000rpm?

Those 6's had a couple of plastic vac trees that perished and sucked air and they had a hot idle ported vac system that increased the idle if they got a bit too hot (to increse the fan speed to draw more air through the radiator.

Has anyone showed you how to check for vac leaks using either WD40 (be careful) or water?

[83 WB_Ute]

Cam and lifters always as a set mate and always be sus on an unknown fibre cam drive sprocket.

You're talking about your blue motor aren't you?

Black smoke and running worse? What sort of carby is it (should be a Varijet) and have you checked the basics... inlet manifold and carby tight and not sucking air etc? Black smoke and running rough do seem to point to a carby (might get away with running a kit through it and a real close look at the float and choke mechanisms - they also had a gasket between the throttle body and the body of the carby and/or a bakelite insulator under the carby that gave trouble from time to time sucking air), but that rattle you describe makes me wonder if something in the lubrication system (blocked oil filter or worn out oil pump) isn't right if the lifters are all rattling away together at mid to high rpm. Do you have an oil pressure gauge on it - if so what are you getting at idle/1500/3000rpm?

Those 6's had a couple of plastic vac trees that perished and sucked air and they had a hot idle ported vac system that increased the idle if they got a bit too hot (to increse the fan speed to draw more air through the radiator.

Has anyone showed you how to check for vac leaks using either WD40 (be careful) or water?

I got the oil pressure gauge working, and it comes up like it should (ignition on, engine turned off..) and once the engine is started it slowly moves back, and then keeps going until it hits dead in the red indicator (at idle..) :( :( :/
Won't move off there even when the motors rpm changes :/

I also took the rocker cover off and started her up and checked the bolts on the rockers and they were all as tight as they would go and there was no play in any of the rockers or pushrods...

So now that leads me to think its more of an internal problem, just what the problem is, I dunno. But five will get me ten that its got something to do with the low oil pressure..

Checked for vacuum leaks, none showed up at all. I even second checked that all the hoses were hooked up right just to make sure..

So where does that leave me? Any more ideas??

[HJRAY]

Detination may be as simple as glowing carbon in the chambers or on plugs, but most likley timing issue, all the lifters rattling at higher rpm sounds like oil pressuer probs, did u thiken the oil to stop the rattles? As this might be a prob if you went to thick. The lifters work with oil pressure if the oil is to thin or too thick it afects the lifters. I would time the motor first then take the rocker cover of and start the motor to see if you can nip the rockers which may be loose too . Good luck