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Won't start after cam install



This really doesn't make sense to me. Which is why I am asking about the crank keyway. I've seen it get funky on others. Unlike the HB key, the crank key would cause that exact problem because then things wouldn't be timed properly.

One of the things I love about the 3.8 is that it's nearly the worlds simplest motor. Set balance shaft to cam, set the cam key to about 4 oclock, crank key to about 2 oclock and presto, your nearly timed right. Then the HB and sensors take care of the rest. Crank goes around twice and the cam once. So by lining up the dot you put the intake lobe in the right place. Degreeing is a good idea and it has a lot of merit. However it would be off a slight amount, not enough to bend rods like pretzels.
 
Maybe Aaron is right. Maybe the gas hydrolocked it. I was getting a metallic sound when I tried to turn it over with the balancer on wrong. It also felt like it was binding (even with the spark plugs out). Maybe that was enough force to break/bend them. Because when my motor turns over, my pistons and valves are doing what they should be doing.
 
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Or maybe stuck valves? I go to school for aircraft maintenance engineering, and I've seen first hand what sticking valves can do to an engine's valvetrain. I guess it's worth a try to pull a few springs off and check? It's just weird that it bent 9 out of 12 pushrods.
 
Wasn't stuck valves.
It wasn't hydrolocking. Hydrolocking is the piston trying to compress liquid in the cylinder when the valves are closed. Aka ..no pressure on the rods or rockers.

No.. this is .. piston hit the effin valve and the pushrod bent like a pretzel. Which is why I'm saying.

PULL THE HEADS

and huge witing because no one seems to be listening to what I'm saying anymore. So it's dickhead mode to get you guys to listen up.
 


BillBoost37 said:
Wasn't stuck valves.
It wasn't hydrolocking. Hydrolocking is the piston trying to compress liquid in the cylinder when the valves are closed. Aka ..no pressure on the rods or rockers.

No.. this is .. piston hit the effin valve and the pushrod bent like a pretzel. Which is why I'm saying.

PULL THE HEADS

and huge witing because no one seems to be listening to what I'm saying anymore. So it's dickhead mode to get you guys to listen up.
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I understand what you're saying. I just don't understand how the pistons and the valves could hit. The timing marks are fine and I confirmed it by turning the motor over with the lifters in. How is it possible?
 
Remember the part where I questioned the keyways? That's the only thing that makes any sense.

Hydrolocking is valves closed. So it's piston rods that might get hurt or bearings.
The only way pushrods get bent like that is to smack the valves off the pistons.

Your pics being on the timing marks make no sense as to why this happened, so I'm thinking about how it happened on one keyway, maybe it happened on another when you pulled it back apart. Because something doesn't make any sense at all if your marks are on the money. So if you pulled the front cover again and it's all perfectly straight up, then I'm at a total loss and would love to learn something new. Just not at your expense. Ya know.
 
Who knows... Maybe the whole harmonic balancer/crank key thing messed up the position of the crank sprocket. However, after removing the sprockets, I inspected them, and made sure the keyways were in good shape. Me and my dad re-assembled it, and made SURE the keys lined up. From what I see from turning the motor over, and watching the lifters and firing order, the engine is timed right.
 
The balancer can't change the timing. That chain is the one and only thing that controls what happens to valve movement. That's what has me stumped
 


I don't remember, but when the harmonic balancer was on wrong, did the key come off the crank sprocket? So the cam didn't turn and the valves stayed in position so the pistons made contact? Like Bill said, pull the heads, or at least use an inspection camera of sorts through the spark plug hole.
 
RegalGS98s said:
I don't remember, but when the harmonic balancer was on wrong, did the key come off the crank sprocket? So the cam didn't turn and the valves stayed in position so the pistons made contact? Like Bill said, pull the heads, or at least use an inspection camera of sorts through the spark plug hole.
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No the key stayed in the sprocket, from what I saw. I'll look at my car tonight. Going home in 20 minutes.
 
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Pulled the head with the most pushrod damage...

I knew it. The valves DID NOT touch the pistons. It was timed properly the entire time. This proves that having your balancer on incorrectly (awful ignition timing) can damage your pushrods.

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