Valve Problems

[ShowNoMercy]

What would some symptoms of valves sticking or not seating right? When I run the engine now, I get like a clicking noise that at first I thought was a spark jumping, had put in mids, but I checked that and no jump. So I am worried that one or more of the valves or something in the train might be shot. Also I have that low rpm shake like its missing due to a spark jump but again no sparks anywhere. Any ideas? I really don't want a valve to kiss the piston and I am not sure how I check these things. And then when I turn off the engine I get a sound of air being released, so that got me thinking of a bad valve seal leaking?
Thanks
Matt

[ShowNoMercy]

anything? I really don't want my engine to grenade itself.

[ss.slp.ls1]

I would pop off your valve covers and look for anything awry and try to locate where the noise is coming from.

[ShowNoMercy]

Thats the plan, bringing it in to get the fluids changed tomorrow so I will ask for their opinion on the matter.

[03slowZ06]

The clicking is probably your rockers needing adjusted. The valve seal has nothing to do with the opperation of the valve. If you are bleeding pressure through after the valve is closed it will cause lots of pops in the exhaust.

[ShowNoMercy]

Ok so that shouldn't be a big problem right? If I don't adjust them right away nothing will go boom right?

[ss.slp.ls1]

I would look into it quickly, probably nothing will go boom, but you will run the risk of unwanted wear on your valve train parts.

[shoebox]

Any abnormal clicking that sounds like it is coming from under the valve cover should be investigated as soon as possible. It could be a broken spring, rocker, pushrod...
You don't want a somewhat minor thing to become major. You can run the engine with the cover off and observe. With screwdriver, hammer handle, etc. or gloved hand, push on the valve end of the rocker arm to see if you can change the noise (if you don't see anything obvious).

[ShowNoMercy]

I can run the engine with the covers off? It won't spew oil all over the engine?

[red_z28]

I can run the engine with the covers off? It won't spew oil all over the engine?

if you rev it up it will start sending oil up onto the rockers and stuff and may spill

but otherwise just let it idle and you should have no probs

[ShowNoMercy]

Ok so I took off the valve cover and a couple of rockers were loose. So I tightened them ever so slightly and then put it all back together. Started her up and voila no clicking, but I didn't do it in the order you would if you had put on all new rockers. Like doing the exhaust, crank it over and then the intake etc. Is that a problem?

[ss.slp.ls1]

Did you do engine on or engine off method?

If you did engine off method: you have to adjust the rocker at the right time during the pistons position in the cycle. When you took the valve covers off and wiggled the rockers, some might have seemed loose, but they probably were supposed to be "slightly" loose because the lifters were on the cam opposite of the lobe. If you tightened them down, you may have added a little too much stress to the push rod or spring then is needed. I would readjust all of your rockers according the the method on shbox.com and know for sure all is well.

[ShowNoMercy]

If I did it with engine running, I would tighten each one until it stops clicking?

[ss.slp.ls1]

If I did it with engine running, I would tighten each one until it stops clicking?

Basically you loosen them one at a time slightly until they click/clatter, then tighten them, once the click noise is gone you tighten them an additional 1/4 turn.

I don't know if you looked here or not but here you go (courtesy of shoebox):
http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#adjust_valves

[ShowNoMercy]

Yea thats what I figured but at the time I had the alternator off and couldn't start the engine, I guess I will throw on the 1.6s I have and do it all at once.

[ss.slp.ls1]

You don't need an alt to run the engine.

[ShowNoMercy]

Well I didn't remove it all the way so it was kinda sitting there. But anyway, two questions, one on the driver side valve cover there is the cruise control assembly?, how do I remove that and is there a delete for it? And the secondly, in the far back on the passenger side, the HVAC vacuum check valve line, where could I get a part number for that?

[CKJ]

The box on the drivers side valve cover sounds like you have traction control. The cruise control box is underneath the nose on the front drivers side.

Take a pic of exactly what your talking about. I'm kinda lost on that one.

[ShowNoMercy]

I took the cover off and thats what it looks like underneath. The cables from the throttle go into it.

[CKJ]

Yeah thats your traction control unit. I guess I should have specified but I was talking about taking a pic of the HVAC check line thing.

[ShowNoMercy]

Well can I get rid of the traction control? And Shoebox has a good picture, http://shbox.com/1/evap_sol.jpg.

[CKJ]

Thats actually bundled in with your engine harness, whats exactly wrong with yours? I purposily cut 3" off of mine to keep the dang thing from looping up so far. If guess if its broken somewhere or another to where you can't cut it just take off your harness and run a new vacuum line.