popping a backfiring after head swap??
 

I swapped out my cracked head with a brand new one. Everything went great, and it ran better than it usually does for about a week ago. Well yesterday i went the gas station and left it running outside. It was running really rough and popping and backfiring. I thought it might be a heat soak issue, but the motor wasnt overheating at all. Well anyways now even when its cold it runs like complete crap...

I pulled the valve cover to find a couple loose rocker arms. But nothing crazy. So ill order a rocker arm kit.

I havent had the CEL checked yet (Auto Store isnt open)

Any ideas?

I would check your timing... and did you get gas at said gas station... might be bad gas... but 1st I would see what the light is

I didnt check the timing. I didnt get gas...Just snacks and beer. haha

I also noticed that it has short spurts of randomly running perfectly. (like 10 secs)

Sounds like a burnt valve.

Rocker arms are loose? How about bent pushrods?

NOt what i was hoping to hear with a brand new head

Fukc

possible sticking or collapsed lifters

That's what I'm thinking! I put some seafoam in the both the crankcase and the intake manifold. It idles now without ticking or missing. But as soon as a bring it up above 2000 rpm it will tick and run bad again. I can't really drive it the way it is because it runs so bad.

Not I s I'm hoping te seafoam

What does that ^^ mean?

The Cherokeeforum app doesn't always work the best. My bad

Im pretty sure that its a sticking lifter... If im correct once the cam starts hitting the lifter at a certain speed the Lifter locks up causing one of the valves to not open fully. Which is causing my backfiring and popping.

Does that sound about right?

On the bright side, I did get an OB2 code reader today and will check the codes after work.

Did you make sure when you put it back together you put the lifters/pushrods,etc back in the same order as they came out

Yes. I had each set organized as I took them off.