trick flow top end kit (not good?)

[69chevyshort]

hey guys i bought a top end kit that came with everything you need ,all parts matched , the whole nine yards. heres my problem #4 wont stop ticking no matter how many times i adjust the rockers on it. could it be a bad (new) lifter? this kit had a new cam , heads, 1.5 roller rockers, lifters ,timing set, push rods, and gaskets. also, i did this in the truck ,and didnt pull the oil pan, when i put it back together it seemed to be fine but now when its running oil is bleeding out all over the place around the timing chain cover. can this leak be fixed without pulling the pan or do i need to just suck it up and pull it off. one more thing , it doesnt run any better with all this stuff on it , than it did with the stock stuff, whats up with that?

[Dave Severson]

What kind of engine? What are the cam specs, intake, carb, and ignition? As for the oil leak you should be able to loosen the first 3 or four bolts on each side of the front of the pan and remove the front cover, sounds like the front seal got installed a bit off and is leaking....

[69chevyshort]

its a sbc 350 with a holley street avenger 675cfm carb ,a msd pro billet dist. the cam came with the kit and its specs are 284 degrees,290 degrees with 480, 494 lift.i think thats right? it also has hooker headers, air gap intake and full roller rockers with hyd. lifters. p.s. the heads are aluminum

[Dave Severson]

Ok, you said the engine is in a truck.... what is the gear ratio. Also, what was the condition of the bottom end before the parts changeover, and what compression ratio was the engine originally... Then, what CC are the chambers and what size runners on the heads? Some of the sbc engine guys will be along here eventually and offer lots of good tuneup information, I'm sure!!!!!

[shawnlee28]

Cam not matched to compression ,rings maybe bad ......?

[69chevyshort]

bottom end is in good shape, the heads are 64cc,the old heads were 74cc (i think) and the gear ratio is 4.10 with a posi with a 700r4 trans. it ran good before i just wanted something better thats the only reason i did this. as for the runners idont know what they are. im not a mechanic , im an automotive painter, but the rest of the people that helped me are. and some old drag racing dudes put in theit 2 cents as well. so theres plenty of knowledge here ,maybe i just did something wrong?

[Dave Severson]

Could be just the tune up... What are you running the timing at, did you set the cam "straight up" when you installed it?

[69chevyshort]

the timing is not officially set we are still trying different settings. the cam was installed straight up. the constant ticking on #4 is our main concern, but not running up to our expectations is up there too.

[Dave Severson]

I've had bad lifters right out of the box... I'd be for checking it out!!!! Could be a sticking plunger, or who knows? Heck, nobody's QC is perfect....

[tango]

I also think you have one bad lifter thats collapsed . Find out the one that is bad and change it . Also check the push rod and rocker arm for damage . The push rod may also be bent now .

[69chevyshort]

myself and 2 other people have come to that conclusion also. would a bad lifter cause it to lose that much power? either way im going to pull the motor back out to put a 2 piece timing cover on and fix the oil leak with a new oil pan 1 piece gasket.

[shawnlee28]

Your lookin at 65 hp per hole ,that hole is probably down 20 to 30 hp from the colapsed lifter at the most ,................I have a hard time believing that the stock pistons were a correct match for those heads and camshaft.
1 point low on compression could hurt you just as much if not more than the colapsed lifter,that means your actually 2 points low ,because you have aluminum heads.
I am thinkin that cam calls for about 10.5 to 1 and I am thinkin you got 9 to 1 at the most and then aluminum heads on top of that.
Think of what the performance would be on a engine with 8.5 to 1 and a cam in there that calls for 10.5 to 1.................I may be off base,but I recall most of the kits I looked at recommended changing the pistons to match the heads and cam,very few were for factory stock motors.

[69chevyshort]

as i said before im no mechanic, the pistons are flat top with 4 valve reliefs in them,is that considered stock? also the guy that i bought the motor from said he built it for towing, the block has been decked a little bit,i dont know how much. he also told me it was bored .030 over . i didnt know matching the pistons was so critical. im starting to get the feeling i should have bought a GM performance engine instead of going this route. does any of that stuff make a difference?