Thread: 289 Rod knock or not?

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I just put a 65-289non-hipo block into my 69 mustang coupe. The head's from that motor had a valve job done along with gasket matched exaust port's. I used the cam from the motor b4 it is a edelbrock performer and the lifter's were wore down on the whole circular edge like it was beveled over or somthing on every lifter x-cpt 1...wierd huh? I didn't build the previous motor myself but I'm thinking maybee he over adjusted the valve's? But it ran good.....for awhile....2nd I have it running now but make's some light nocking and lifter noise more so in gear I know the carb has an air leak! If the air/fuel is wrong can it knock and ping? Plus the carb sat with gas 4 like a year. Is there any trick to find out if you have a rod knock or not??? PLEASE thnks

The only TRICK I know of is to pull one plug wire off at a time while the engine is running if the noise stops check that cyl???? If the lifters were worn what did you use. Did you put the lifters back in there orignal location??

I barley ran the engine but will stock lifter's work with a edelbrock performer cam? Thanx- I'll try that plug thing! I'm pretty sure I placed them back properly!

I don't know the condition of the came but the lifters are surface hardened. If they are dished there no good. If they dished on that cam chances are its no good either.

If I pull the cam out will there be flat spot's to determine if it's good or not? Also by saying dished do you mean like the bottom center of the lifter being wore down like a bowl? Cause there not cuped in the center...it's only all the way around the edge....now no edge just like rounded over. but no dip in the center?????

When you hear about a "flat" cam, we are talking about a cam lobe that isn't as high as it should be and doesn't open the valve as much as it should.

No, you cannot swap flat tappet lifters around from cam to cam. Once the lifter and cam are broken in, they are matched by lobe and lifter location.

Like everything else, there are exceptions for mega-expensive race cams and roller cams but that's not what we're talking about here.

Like the man said, start pulling plug wires and see if any of them cause the engine to run worse, or more importantly, no different. The ones with no change are having a problem.