Lifter Tick

**sfuller442** · 11-29-2009, 09:11 PM

Just rebuilt my 66 401 and installed a new cam with new lifters but kept the original pushrods and rocker arm shafts. After the 500 mile break in period, I can now hear one of the lifters ticking in the left bank. This is my first build and I thought I was thorough with all cleaning of parts, and I'm 100% positive I torqued everything to exact specs (most things quadruple checked)

Is there a way to adjust valve lash, and if so, would that fix my problem?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Sean

**mottrodder** · 11-30-2009, 05:06 PM

Did the tick start after the 500 miles, or has it been ticking all along? To get started, presume the tick started @500 miles. I suspect a piece of dirt/debris found its way into the lifter. Pull the valve cover and identify the noisy lifter. With the engine warm and running, lightly tap the pushrod end of the rocker arm on the pushrod end of the rocker with a soft faced hammer. "Rap" the rocker, rather than hit it hard. Do this several times. You may unstick or dislodge the dirt. If this doesn't do it, shut the engine off and run some carb cleaner down the pushrod using a spray can with the little red tube. After it sets a while, run it and see if that fixes it. Repeat the carb cleaner/rapping exercize a couple of times if necessary. If no improvement, change the oil & filter. If no improvement, pull the lifter, disassemble & clean it, check entire valve train for that valve for signs of wear or damage , replace and hope for the best. If this does not fix it, you need to provide more info. Did you install new cam &/or lifters?, did you use break in oil or additive? Did you do a valve job? are the valve springs new,if not were they checked? Did your machinist make sure all the valve stem tips were returned to the proper height? Good luck, hope it's an easy fix.

**telriv** · 11-30-2009, 06:49 PM

The only thing that can't be done is spray carb. cleaner down the pushrod tube as if it has the stock pushrods they are solid WITHOUT an oiling hole. On "Rapping" the rocker use a hard faced plastic hammer. Hard rubber will just bounce. Worst case scenario is it may have "Wiped" a lobe on the cam.

**mottrodder** · 12-01-2009, 05:13 AM

Telriv, Thanks for pointing this out. I guess we presume what we write is clear when maybe it is not .My thought was to spray the carb cleaner slowly and carefully on the outside of the pushrod and let the cleaner run down the outside diameter of the pushrod to the top of the lifter. I should have included this detail, but where do you stop writing? Not as effective as squirting cleaner down the center of a hollow pushrod, but worth a try. I failed to answer one of the initial questions: The stock valve train is not adjustable. Another possible (grasping at straws ) factor that could cause this would be that the hardened steel insert on the valve side of the rocker arm could have broken or split. Worth a look. Hope this thread continues and we find out what the problem was and how he solved it. Let's hope it is something easy and cheap.

**39CENT** · 12-01-2009, 10:26 AM

My ol'Dad always told me to use Chevron Delo, he swore by Delo, it fixed everything. Once my Ford FE engine had a tick, so I went and grabbed one of his cans of Delo, and with the engine idling, dribbled some of it down the push rod, and with a little tap on the rocker the ticking slowly went away. Then i changed the oil to Delo and from then on it never ticked again. thats all I know about Delo.

**telriv** · 12-01-2009, 05:18 PM

Hey, we can't remember everything, all the time. Most times my brain can run MUCH FASTER than my one finger can do the typing!!!!!

**sfuller442** · 12-01-2009, 06:28 PM

I had my machinist do a valvejob and asked for hardened seats not knowing that nailheads came with hardened seats from the factory. I installed the small aftermarket cam by TAPerformance along with stage 1 springs that they sell and suggested. This is my first build so I didn't think to ask about the valve stem height. I did not put in any break in lube or additives. I also put in brand new lifters from the rebuild kit i bought from kanter auto. I dont think I wiped a lobe because it still runs perfectly fine and I thought a wiped lobe would effect engine idle quality and overall performance.
Am I suppose to rap the rockers while the engine is running? I'm assuming that would create a pretty big mess.
Thanks for all the suggestions I hope its a simple fix.

Sean

**Aaron65** · 12-02-2009, 03:37 AM

Did you break in the cam and lifters by running the engine at 1500-2000 RPM for 30 minutes?

**mottrodder** · 12-02-2009, 05:16 AM

Sean, rap the rockers with the engine warm and running. It will not be messy at all. The oiling system is pressurized through the rocker shafts. The oil seeps past the rockers and drips onto the rockers and valves as necessary. Not a splash system. I would not be too concerned at this point about the valve stem height. However it is easy to check. If you wind up taking the rocker shaft assembly off to do more inspection as noted in my first reply, put a good straightedge across the tips of all the valves and see if the suspect valve is noticeably high or low. My approach is to check the easiest and cheapest possible reasons, then go to the harder, more expensive ones. Telriv's observation of a wiped cam lobe is a definite possibilty, based on your description of your assembly process. (No additives to protect the cam.) Good luck. Your feedback is appreciated.

**sfuller442** · 12-02-2009, 08:52 AM

My wildcat doesn't have a tach so when I broke it in I kept it at what sounded like 2000-2500 rpm. I may be off by a little bit but I definately didn't let it idle for more than 10 secs and that was just to set initial timing. I installed the cam with plenty of cam grease and just filled it with valvoline 10w-40. I decided not to go with a break-in additive at the suggestion of my engines professor.

Do you think that a wiped lobe is a serious possibility?