90 L plus engine mis

[sc72]

Hello All,
we own a 1990 L Plus, the chassie has 265k and the engine is around 110k it is a stick trans. To this point the car has ran like a champ.

The other night it was cold i mean freeze your balljoints off,the battery went dead,bought a new one and put it in,starts good just like old times.the car is running and i'm picking up the tools,i dropped an open end wrench on the positive post the other end touched the coil mount and the car died,it refired right up.

I got in the car and started to drive, about a half block later the engine starts to clatter like a loose rocker arm,drove it up to the house shut it off,thought about the problem and went back out and started the engine and hey no noise,it comes and goes,now it's full time. Bought a valve cover gasket and going to check the rockers,it just seams a little to coinsidental.

I checked injecter resistance 13.8 13.7 13.8 and 14.0 it has new plugs, wires, cap, any ideas out there.

I am a junior member and did a search first but if i missed something just let me know.

Thanks

[batstiva]

Hard to imagine a scenario where, basically, an electrical problem would cause rocker arm noise. Assuming here that you have checked the oil and it is full, yes?

Wondering if it is possible that the surge brought on by the battery to coil mount might have caused it to jump time. Do you have a timing light, and do you have the know how to check timing?

[sc72]

90 L Plus engine miss

Well since i wrote this post went to the shamrock shack bought the valve cover gasket,removed the valve cover and yup two rockers are loose,the intake rocker on#4 left to right is around 100k loose and the exhaust on # 2 is at least 50 off.

I'm going to do a search on how to set the valve lash,don't see any adjusters so it could be a shim bucket system.

Batstiva,
thanks for the suggestions,yes to the timing light and yes on the know how.
well maybe i should pull the cam and check to see if one or more of the lifters have broken or collapsed or a broken shim? I didn't think it could be a coinsidence but strange things do happen.

Batstiva,
What do you think any more good ideas i'm all ears.

Thanks

[mechanicaldj]

the 1990 Fuel Injected engine uses Hydraulic Lash Adjusters

HLA's

They are NOT adjustable

[sc72]

90 L Plus engine miss

Batstiva and Mechanicalj,

I just read about the H.L.A. and now it's clear to me what has happened.
Tomorrow i'll remove the rocker shaft and clean the oil passages,Are there any chemicals that would work for this--carb cleaner or ? what is the torque spec for the rocker shaft bolts. Thanks for your input it was a big help and thanks to the search function.{ Monsoon } now Gus and Max will be clatter free.

[GenevaDirt]

Batstiva and Mechanicalj,

I just read about the H.L.A. and now it's clear to me what has happened.
Tomorrow i'll remove the rocker shaft and clean the oil passages,Are there any chemicals that would work for this--carb cleaner or ? what is the torque spec for the rocker shaft bolts. Thanks for your input it was a big help and thanks to the search function.{ Monsoon } now Gus and Max will be clatter free.

according to the Haynes manual....16 - 21 ftlbs on the rocker arm bolts

[sc72]

90 L plus miss

Thanks GenevaDirt,
That should be all the info that i need to finish up this project.
Thanks to,
Batstiva,Mechanicaldj,GenevaDirt and Levitan.We are back on the road with a cheep fix.