valve lash or stuck valve

[roadman5312]

Todays modern motor oils have very little zinc , hard on cam lobes.

[wyckedtanker]

yes looks like a Lunati voodoo cam/lifters and pushrods are in the near future

[Topcat]

Just to confirm:

Were you able to look inside with the lifters out that the cam lobes are worn?

Also might want to check out Bullet cams. They're pretty good.

[Strawdawg]

The bottom of the lifters will show it as well. Any lifter that is no longer convex on the base is sitting on a bad lobe

[wyckedtanker]

I haven't pulled the intake off yet to get to the lifters. I know I can depress 2 just by trying to check slack in the pushrods.  I figure if I'm going to open her up I am going to upgrade parts while I am at it.  I know the previous owner raced the car as he took the nitrous system off but left the jets in the intake so I do not know how many miles/passes are on the motor or anything beyond the block/head casting numbers.  I know the rockers slide on the shaft quite a bit and the number two rockers have what appears to be a spacer between them the number one piston exhaust pushrod has what looks like a spiral groove down the side of it almost like a candy cane look.  something I haven't seen before.  I wish I had more details about the last engine build what's stock what isn't but I don't

[wyckedtanker]

Well I pulled the intake off today inspected the cam and lifters.  Which look brand new by the way.  3 lifters I could depress by hand, so I think they were incorrectly primed when installed.  I pulled them apart inspected cleaned them all,  Have them soaking in oil and I am going to prime them in the morning, and I am going to put her back together and hope the noise is gone

[Strawdawg]

they should fill themselves with oil as soon as the engine starts...

[Chryco Psycho]

I would replace the lifters that collapse

[wyckedtanker]

Looks like a minimum of new lifters coming I don't know how old they are as I do not know the engine history before my ownership last month but the noise is still there.  I do know there is almost no visible wear on them at all they look new.  But lifters are relatively cheap and that ticking noise is driving me insane.  I was also adjusting the timing after reassembly and found what I believe to be my backfire problem which is bad plugs and cap etc.  While holding the distributor with the engine idling I got a nice shock in the hand

[wyckedtanker]

Well I got a new symptom and well looks like a busy weekend for me, pulling the motor.  I have 2-3 quarts of fuel in my crankcase.  So with the ticking noise, new parts in the top end, running like crap, nitrous jets in the intake from the previous owner, and a crankcase full of fuel I am beginning to suspect piston and or piston ring failure

[Chryco Psycho]

Could be a ruptured diaphragm in the fuel pump filling the crank case too

[cudabob496]

3 quarts of fuel in crankcase, and an electric shock?.  I'd disconnect battery, and drain that quick,
in an open space, before a bomb goes off.

[cudabob496]

Looks like a minimum of new lifters coming I don't know how old they are as I do not know the engine history before my ownership last month but the noise is still there.  I do know there is almost no visible wear on them at all they look new.  But lifters are relatively cheap and that ticking noise is driving me insane.  I was also adjusting the timing after reassembly and found what I believe to be my backfire problem which is bad plugs and cap etc.  While holding the distributor with the engine idling I got a nice shock in the hand

friend of mine's 19 year old son got a shock from the coil, felt uneasy, went to hospital,
and died the next day. Apparently due to heart damage.  I think ground was wet where he was
standing as well.

[Beekeeper]

I still believe your ticking noise is your pushrods a hair too short. Since you have no idea what the previous owner did, many things could be wrong but I think this is your noise.

Once assembled, take a feeler gauge and see if it slips in between the valve tips where they touch the rocker tips. The lifters which are pumped up should take out all the slack on those pushrods making it hard to slide a feeler gauge in there. If a ten thousandths gauge slides in easy, your pushrods are too short. The lifter can be pumped up all the way but still not enough to remove all the slack. This can happen by an aftermarket cam with a smaller base circle. Lifters that can be depressed should fill up when you start the car and add oil pressure.

I would get a feeler gauge and check them all. Moving the rocker arms side to side doesn't give you a good idea if you have a problem.

The fix is push rods 1/16 inch longer or a set of adjustable rocker arms. I'd go for the arms since you may have different cams and heads down the road.

[wyckedtanker]

Trust me once I got the shock I didn't touch the car until I got another shipment of parts.  It has a new coil, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, and ballast.  The fuel pump is a month old (50 miles) new carter factory spec pump.  Still could be a new pump failure I won't argue that.  I have just gotten to the point of not wanting to nickel and dime anymore.  Without a history I have no clue as to what is in it or not.  I am going to pull the engine tomorrow, get it on my engine stand and do a tear down hunt and measure everything for failures.  I still have access locally to a 440.  I may go the big block route for the big Challenger.  The wife saw a Dodge Demon when we picked up the challenger and she stated she wants one in the future I may build the 340 for that.  But looks like a fun weekend nonetheless at least I will know for sure one way or the other