ok, so i figured out what was clacking in the valve cover, it was a hydraulic lash adjuster on 2 intake rockers, i found both pieces intackt in the top of the head so i put them back in and made sure they were tight, and WOO HOO no more clacking! (i think i floated the rocker when i was testing if the cam did anything) So anyways my new problem is that i cant start my car like i used to, i had the same problem as the other guy that had CRANK CRANK CRANK vroooom, i checked the timing belt 3 times, we pulled it off put it back on, manually cranked it over twice on the bottom and both lined up, i dont know if my battery is bad, i had just changed my terminals so there snazzy. Any ideas on why its not starting up right away?

Secondly, i think my thermostat is stuck closed or open. when i get done driving it hard it sounds like its bubling under the radiator cap, (thank god not the over flow) anyone else had this problem?

 

Temp guage reading? New pressure cap maybe?

 

Since your terms are good to go, could be a bad cel in the battery, it could even something with your sparks or the wires( good thing you checked the timing because it can cause that as well) Thats all I can think of for that

Does it overheat? and yes thank God it isnt the over flow tank, if it does overheat try to pull over and feel the radiotor hose. if its cold but the valve cover is nice and warm ( or you have been driving it long enough to know its at operating temp) then you have a stuck thermostat problem, but from the bubbling issue the temp gauge wouldn't cause it to bubble like that, it would just give the cluster a false reading, sounds like the radiotor cap isnt holding the pressure like it should. Depending on where you live and seeing how its getting toasty outside, you could just take your thermostat out for the summer, but I wouldn't do that for the simple fact that if it where to rain you would have to put it back in hope some of that was helpfull Good Luck !!

 

It is likely that your radiator cap is bad.

 

about the bubbling, my temp gauge doesnt go up past a 1/4 of the way, so the radiator cap? thanks

 

hope the cap fixes the problem. now days almost all themostats fail open (saves a rebuild). also a LOT of temp gauges are no more than shiny idiot lights (cold,warm,norm,hot,way-hot). if it takes a long time for your temp guage to move and your heater don't work like it should, might be the 'stat.

i've heard this on my '96 sohc and all it is is the hot coolant going into the overflow tank. when you have the eng running, the waterpump moves the fluid through the eng and radiator, with no need to go to the overflow tank. after shutdown the eng is STILL heating up the coolant. hot coolant expands and bubbles to the overflow tank. yes i too was worried untill i watched the coolant for a few days. hope this helps, good luck.

 

Err uhh.. what if it *IS* bubbling in the overflow....? Because I have that problem right now.. if I am driving in the city or whatnot, doing alot of stop and go, the temp will go up and if I stop running the car the overflow starts to bubble... I have tried to get all the air out of the system, and I think it is all out by now...

 

as long as your coolant level stays the same over a few days of normal driving (3-4 days) it shouldn't be a problem. unless your temp guage gets HOT VERY FAST, could be a head gasket. check oil for coolant, coolant for oil.

as coolant gets hotter it takes up more space, thats why it bubbles into the overflow or "expansion" tank. with the coolant system being under pressure (controled by the rad cap) the boiling point is about 220-240 degs. after it goes to the tank the boiling point drops to about 185-190 degs because of the loss pressure.

does your fan come on? are you running A/C? are your radiator fins jacked up?

 

Good Explanation Tom, Hopefully you don't have a Gasket problem but before that like tom was saying do does your fans come on? could be a fuse problem, the fan motors could be burned out( or a short in the wiring) or in most cases it could just be that the fan relay has gone bad, or sometimes the fins even get out of place causing them to catch and not be able to rotate which definaltely burns up the fan motors, and as for your A/C running, cold Air can cause the temp to spike up, if your guage does go up try running the hot air to see if the temp guage falls. Some Blown Gaskets signs basciallly what tom said, some other tests are white smoke from exhaust, having to add oil a lot, and sometimes when you do run the heat, it will go from warm to cold and warm again periodically which can also be due to a bad heater core but is also a sign of a blown gasket, but hopefully that's not it, hope some of that help and good luck

 

Hmm, well I have yet to have the white smoke or anything of the sorts that would point to head gasket, thankfully. I will have to check out my fans and whatnot, see if they are shorted or whats going on. I'll prolly take it to be professionally flushed also, maybe thats the problem. I can have them test the pressure while they are at it and see if the can tell if there is an air leak somewhere. Thanks!