Beginning of the end.

[ChryslerKid]

Hey guys so recently my 360-3 has been making some bottom end noise on start up. A slight tapping noise coming from the bottom of the motor. Ive heard plenty of rod knock, piston slap, worn main/ cr bearing noise. Ive heard rod knock go away and come back off and on, but in this case it only lasts for about a minute and a half every morning consistently. Always goes away. I can drive 500 miles and wont hear any noise until the next day on start up. Can anything in the bottom end act like this? Sloppy timing chain or the crappy stock nylon gear maybe?

 

[BeatersRus]

rod knock equals no oil on the bearings and is when you will hear any loose clearances.
you description is spot o of a typical chevy engine thats in one of my work trucks.
runs fine doesnt bang but boy will it make you Wince when you start it up.

pull the engine check All the bearings and save the motor before it does let one go.
just my opinion.

 

[Richard Cranium]

 

[Don Frelier]

What is a 360-3? A three barrell?

 

[ChryslerKid]

Industrial 360 i pulled it from a motorhome

 

[Don Frelier]

But what does the -3 stand up for?

 

[ChryslerKid]

But what does the -3 stand up for?

No idea. It had valve rotators. More nickel content in block, different cam and less compression.

 

[Builderguy]

This was from a Mopar chat site back in 2000 so I don't know where the info came from.

The 360-3 Was a "Premium" V8. It's features included Induction-hardened crankshaft journals, tri-metal main and connecting rod bearings, hydralic valve lifters, sodium-filled exhaust valves with roto-caps, and a chrome-alloy cast-iron cylinder block. These things should be in your engine since the -3 indicates a Premium built engine. Hope this is of some help.

 

[Don Frelier]

Maybe the tri-metal = -3 ?

 

[440Coronet500]

Sounds like piston slap to me. 440'

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Try a Napa Gold oil filter....

 

[ChryslerKid]

Ive been looking for a 360 for a while now but all of the LA motors i see at the junkyards are thrashed. Anyone selling a 360 in california? Ide rather not put a 318 and torque converter in and magnum motors are a viable option but the intakes are $400+ and i prefer mechanical fuel pumps.

 

[ChryslerKid]

Try a Napa Gold oil filter....

I use motorcraft oil filters. Dont tell anyone though...

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Motorcraft filters are made by Purolator, they are normally pretty good.... Rattling at startup means no oil pressure, sometimes a bad anti drain back valve causes it... Some filters are known for drain back problems... Fram is notorious for it...

 

[Ranger16]

Sounds like piston slap to me. 440'

That was the first thing that came to my mind. This probably doesn't pertain, but I'll through it out there, just in case. What you describe is the exact symptom in the early Cadillac Northstars, AKA "Cold Carbon Rap". Due to a close tolerance "squish area" in the combustion chamber, carbon would build up on the piston and on a cold start would contact the head, causing the piston to rotate on the wrist pin, thus causing the skirt to slap the cylinder wall (well, you know how that works), and would always go away after a short warm up. In the Northstar, the cure was to drive it like you stole it. Wind it up to redline in 2nd gear and then let it back down. Worked every time. On a carbureted engine you could try some water injection via the vacuum port on the carb. It's a long shot, but cheap and easy and can't hurt to try.

 

[Budnicks]

sounds like something has too much clearances now

hopefully, it's not

maybe loose torque converter (&/or flexplate to crank) bolts ?
rattles tell it warms up
or a cracked flexplate

what the hell, it's worth a shot, probably not
but without hearing it, just a wild *** guess

just spitballing

good luck

 

[1 Wild R/T]

On a carbureted engine you could try some water injection via the vacuum port on the carb. It's a long shot, but cheap and easy and can't hurt to try.

Back in the early 90's the guy in the stall next to mine had a Taurus that was rattling... I said rod bearing, he said carbon.... He tried a little water to loosen the carbon.... It kicked a rod out the side almost immediately... And the rod didn't just go quietly either, the piston turned in the bore & it punched a hole in the cooling system along with the oil pan... It made quite a mess...

 

[Ranger16]

He tried a little water to loosen the carbon

He must have used more than a "little" water, but I hear what you're saying. Nothing like a hydrolock to free up a piston rod.

When I first bought my Road Runner, it would diesel after shut down so bad that I had to let the clutch out in gear after I turned it or or it would still be running the next morning. A glass of water through the vacuum port solved it and hasn't done it since.