Hi folks,

I've just completed my first valve adjustment, and I've put everything back together. However, it doesn't quite sound like it's supposed to. In order to do the valve adjustment, I removed the heat exchangers and muffler. I installed new copper gaskets as well as new muffler gaskets. I'm pretty sure everything is buttoned up the way it should, but it ought to be smoother than it sounds, I think. Do I have an exhaust leak? Poor valve adjustment? Misfiring cylinder? I have enclosed a video that I hope will help y'all help me diagnose.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0p-FsLziB...dit?usp=sharing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7-u00gsHPs...Ty5aEjHwqOvqrkQ

It does sound like an exhaust leak.

Sometimes the copper seals don't seat properly or the exchangers are cockeyed on the studs. Did you tighten them in stages or one go round? If you tighten them all the way and move to the next stud they can get hung up on a stud. It will feel torqued to spec but not sealed.

You removed the heat exchangers to adjust the valves? 'Splain to me why, 'cause I'm sitting here not understanding why someone would do that ............

The Cap'n

Sounds like an exhaust leak to me

doesn't that just piss you off? You do all that work and something just ain't right? I guess exhaust too. see if you can run it on jack stands and find the leak. Those copper seals can get cocked. Did you heat treat them first?

Jack it up and chock the wheels, start it up and crawl under with a 2-foot length of fuel hose. Stick one end of the hose in your ear and move the other end around to listen for where the objectional noise is coming from. You'll be able to determine if it's an exhaust leak or clacking valve train pretty easily using this method.

Are you sure any of the old copper exhaust gaskets aren't still stuck up in the recessed areas in the heads? ... and you added one on top of it? I've known a few folks that have [accidentally] done this ...

delete

Okay, I was thinking exhaust leak, but it sounded a lot more pronounced than I'm used to. It had me scared. I did heat treat the copper gaskets, and I stuck them up in the heads using a little bit of grease. I then put each heat exchanger up individually and tightened them up in a cross-pattern. Finally, I hung the muffler, and attached it to the exchangers, using new gaskets. Maybe something did get buggered up in there.

To answer a question, I removed the heat exchangers for a few reasons.
1. It's easier that way.
2. I had another exhaust leak that I am trying to diagnose anyway.
3. Some of us aren't 5'4" and 140 lbs. I am a large man. My hands are about the size of bear paws. I have an 11" hand-span. I simply don't have the room to get both hands, a feeler gauge, a screwdriver, and wrench in there. Why piss myself off fighting all the stuff in the way, if I can just undo a couple of bolts and screws and make my life infinitely easier?

Thanks for the help. I will report back after I get under the car again.