cylinder pressure

[Chryco Psycho]

if the lifter looks ok but the pushrods are too short to reach you have some kind of failure taht needs to be addressed

[73 challenger 440]

I tired to get the lifter out with a magnet, I used a light to see where I was going..lol. but what I could barley see, is it looks like the plunger on the lifter may have come out, I wish I could get a better look, but my batteries on my light died.. but I need to ask a question My parents bought a house a couple of months ago, and it's only a one car garage, I bought a car cover for it, but I am wondering if I can get a blue tarp and place it over that to wrap the car up, we get a lot of snow here..

[Chryco Psycho]

generally tarps really hurt the paint , you need to find something very soft under the tarp & tighten the tarp as much as possible so the wind will not buffet the tarp on the paint

[femtnmax]

With bent pushrods and leaking intake gaskets...what is next?    Why did the pushrods bend, was it due to stuck valves?  Next I would be concerned about the rotating assembly/short block and if it was put together as poorly as the top of the engine.  If the cam is damaged, then metal debris may be in the oil and could have been pumped thru the oil system to the crankshaft bearings.
I understand you don't have much experience with engines.  I would consider removing the engine and having someone reputable go thru it from bottom to top.  You could learn by observation.   

[jimynick]

Let's use some logic here. Pushrods only bend because there's no clearance/movement in the valve train. This can be caused by improper length in the first place, incorrect adjustment/component/cam, over rev'd, or seized lifter/rocker arms/valve stem. Back firing is usually either a lean mixture, wrong valve adjustment/bent valve or improper firing order. It sounds like you've got more misery here than you may want to address in your home made igloo. Femtmax offers some very good advice; I'd take it were I, you. Good luck

[Cdnchallenger]

73 challenger 440

Not trying to hijack your thread but, I have similar problems to yours. I picked up my piece of crap car about a month ago. Apparently a rebuilt engine, new carb,coil,distributor, wires etc, compression is great, no vacuum leakes anywhere but it backfires from both the carb and exhaust. Triple checked the timing.

I understand your frustrations. 

[punisher72]

Hey mate! Love your chall 
Is it manual or auto?

[73 challenger 440]

73 challenger 440

Not trying to hijack your thread but, I have similar problems to yours. I picked up my piece of crap car about a month ago. Apparently a rebuilt engine, new carb,coil,distributor, wires etc, compression is great, no vacuum leakes anywhere but it backfires from both the carb and exhaust. Triple checked the timing.

I understand your frustrations. 

looks like you left out that the pushrod could of been rsting on the rocker not in it.. that would cause a bent rod..

[73 challenger 440]

Hey mate! Love your chall 
Is it manual or auto?

thanks it's an auto..

[73 challenger 440]

Hey mate! Love your chall 
Is it manual or auto?

I bought the car when I was 18, (4 years agp) so I am busy with other things than spending much time working on it.. but I may consider to have a motor built next year.. I dont care for A wild motor, just a reliable one.. over the years I accumulated  some 4 speed parts so we'll see where that goes..

[Chryco Psycho]

so you were not able to pull up the lifters with a magnet ?

[73 challenger 440]

I tried, and tried.. the lifter didn't want to budge...I'll give it one more shot, with another magnet.. Ill see if I can get out another one as well..

[Strawdawg]

On a relatively newly built engine, there should be no problem, but?

Sounds like you are going to have to pull the intake to get to it easier.  It may be jammed due to damage to the base and the lifter.  Removal will tell the story.  Be sure you keep the lifters in the proper order to the lobes they came off of in case they are okay and you want to reinstall them.

[73 challenger 440]

I agree there should be no problems..  some people have motors built and just let them sit.. the previous owner did this.. that was another reason I never talked to the engine builder. my dad spent nearly $8000 on his motor in 06.. and he has not put one mile on it.. he starts it several times a year, even changes the oil..all I hear is next year I'll drive it, never happens.

[HP2]

Okay, help me out with this in case I have the sequence wrong. Engine was rebuilt, driven for 3000 miles, you bought the car and parked it in '08. Recently you tried driving it again and it started sputtering, popping, and acting up. You replaced all the ignition components and the cam/lifters with no change. Fixed an intake manifold leak, and have since discovered a bent pushrod. Is that it?