lifter noise

[IMNCARN82]

I have this 340+.030 with Eddy heads, roller rockers.  New lifters/pushrods. I'm getting a lifter tic. Had the guy who helped me with the engine look at it. He's very good. But can't hear that well anymore.All the years of drag racing and air tools.So He tightened them up a tad a year ago.Now I'm looking for advice. Should I take it back down there? Or go somewhere else for an opinion? I just don't know that much about this stuff. We put in new lifters and push rods. Everytime I take a VC off it all looks good. But I don't know what I'm looking for. It's not all the time. More when cold. Only one side. But I sure can hear the roller rockers.Not sure if it's my hearing. Which is one in a million.So I cue in on it.Might be worse than it is.Not sure...  Any advice??

[Changin Gears]

Assuming you have hydraulic lifters you can test for a ticking one by feeling each rocker arm with the engine running.  You will be able to feel the noisy one.

[422STROKER]

My Hyd lifters are noisy like a sewing machine, have been, tightened preload a hair and didn't make much difference, a year later and 8K+miles seem fine at last check.  As long as the lifters are rotating should be good, I think.

Tom

[brads70]

My Hyd lifters are noisy like a sewing machine, have been, tightened preload a hair and didn't make much difference, a year later and 8K+miles seem fine at last check.  As long as the lifters are rotating should be good, I think.

Tom

:smilielol:That's one thing I sure never noticed on your car when you took me for a ride at Carlisle this year!

[422STROKER]

Yeah with the hood open it's more noticeable, but then again I am listening for it.LOL

Tom

I think the exhaust covers it up pretty good though once moving....

[IMNCARN82]

That's pretty much how it is too. And now that I'm listening for it.It's driving me nuts. It's not that bad. When I get on it,It's gone.More on downshifts. I got just over 10K. I'll keep an ear on it. Thanx.  Yeah these are Hyd. lifters. I've heard some other engines valvetrains though too...   Maybe it's just me. Do the roller rockers make a more "roller" noise? (for lack of a better term)  I'd like to have some port/polish work done on these heads.Gasket match. Push rod clearance opened up.And maybe a bigger cam.509 er so. Electric F/P,W/P,...

[Changin Gears]

My Hyd lifters are noisy like a sewing machine, have been, tightened preload a hair and didn't make much difference, a year later and 8K+miles seem fine at last check.  As long as the lifters are rotating should be good, I think.

Tom

If your hyd lifters are making noise then there is lash and it is not following the cam lobe as designed.  The valves are not closing on the tapered off part of the lobe, not closing "gently".

Also, you are not getting full valve lift.

[IMNCARN82]

So I'm thinking about adjusting the rockers myself. Any advice or words of wisdom? When I talked to my engine builder he said to go for it.I'm a bit nervous though.   

[The Cuda Guy]

Dont know if you have headers or not but I thought I had a lifter tick that turned out to be an exhaust header gasket failure...  Before you go through and replace your lifters by pulling them out with a magnet (like I did), check your header gaskets...   

[422STROKER]

If your hyd lifters are making noise then there is lash and it is not following the cam lobe as designed.  The valves are not closing on the tapered off part of the lobe, not closing "gently".

Also, you are not getting full valve lift.

The noise doesn't change with pressure on the rocker while running.  Not sure what else to do.  The cam is a Crane 302-2 SB Hyd.

I also didn't lean too hard on them.

Tom

[brads70]

What lifter are you using? I ask as I used Crane high intensity( like Rhoads) lifters in my big block Buick engine for about a week. They were noisy! I adjusted the valves like 5 times, it was driving me nuts! I then found I could collapse the lifter with my hands by pushing down on the rocker? Didn't have to push very hard either! They ended up in the garbage can.

[mojavered]

You said it is only coming from one side, sorry if I missed what side.  Is it possible that it may be your fuel pump rod, assuming you have a mechanical one? 

[72cudamaan]

Hey Brad.... Those high intensity lifters (like Rhoads) are supposed to be noisy.  They have a bleed down in them so you can get a decent idle but when the rpm's go up the oil pressure goes up and turns them into virtually a solid lifter.  They were doin their job.

[brads70]

I understand how they work but I couldn't stand the noise! I had a Holley electric fuel pump and they are noisy! I couldn't hear the fuel pump over the lifters! Sounded like a cement mixer! Didn't seem right to me that I could collapse the lifter with my hand with very little effort?

[Chryco Psycho]

I agree with Don , make SURE you do not have an exhaust leak coming from only one side & less noise when warm sure sounds like an exhaust leak