Hey Jeff... I'm in Minneapolis here and have both the tools you seek. What kind of oil pressure does you BBC have? Noise and cam problems aren't all that uncommon in BBC's so it could just be the BBC oiling woes combined with a cheap cam. I would also recommend cutting open your oil filter and loking for any metal fragments that would hint to problems. Chances are if you oil pressure is good and those two tests come out good you are good to go. Swap in a roller cam and roller rockers and never worry again. If you want to borrow the tools or want some help with the project let me know. Not sure if you can remove the oil pan on the 454 with out jacking up or pulling the motor but if not we could put it on the hoist at my shop some weekend and make the job much easier. Let me know if you need a hand. I would be more then happy to help out a fellow Chevelle owner if can. Mikey ----- Original>-----Original Message-----
>From: Jeff Fischer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
>Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 10:00 AM
>To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Subject: [Chevelle-List] Rebuild or not
>
>
>I have set this spring as the time I would have the 454 in my Chevelle
>(purchased 12/01) rebuilt. The car's odometer shows 88k. The car's lifters
>are noisy as hell and it just doesn't seem as strong as a 454 should be. In
>the meantime I had contact from the previous owners father and he seems to
>remember that the car was rebuilt within the last 10k but the car sat for a
>number of years after the rebuild. He was vague at best so I asked a local
>mechanic if he could ascertain if the rebuild was actually done and this is
>what he proposes to do to make that determination:
>
>1. Compression Check - Find out what the factory spec is from compression.
>Run a compression check and your engine should not be more that about 5
>percent from that spec.
>
>2. Leak Down Test - This will help to determine wear in the valve train,
>ie., worn valve guides, valve stems, seats, etc.
>
>3. Remove the Valve Covers - An engine that has been properly rebuilt with
>10k miles on it should have almost no varnish on the heads, rockers, valves,
>and springs.
>
>4. Check Main Bearings - Remove the oil pan and remove one or two the main
>caps and inspect the bearings. With 10k miles on the engine there should
>almost no noticeable wear other then some of the coating wearing off. If
>there is a lot of copper showing, deep grooves, or burn marks the engine is
>wearing.
>
>He then tells me that it is a two person job and they both get $50 per hour
>and it should take 6 hours. My questions are this:
>
>1. Should all the tests/things the mechanics recommend be done? Are they
>all necessary? Is there a better way to determine?
>2. Is 6 hours, two guys and $600 reasonable?
>
>Thanks for your help guys,
>
>
>--
>Jeff Fischer
>Lake Elmo, MN
>'71 Chevelle SS, 454, 4 spd
>http://home.attbi.com/~addss/chevelle.html
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