Josh'95Z28conv

I finally got this thing all together. I fired it up for the first time yesterday. Ive adjusted my throttle blades and TPS to get this thing idling great, and the IAC counts are perfect! No codes, no misses. It does vibrate more inside the car, but Im gonna blame that on the fact that its a LE3 383 with poly engine and tranny mounts.

The only problem Im having is this damn ticking from the drivers side of the engine. Its been there since I first started it. It does not tick on the passenger side. I pulled the valve cover and ran it (but only for a few seconds due to oil going all over my headers!). It seemed to tick with the valve cover off too. I pulled both valve covers and adjusted preload again. I put about 1/16-1/8 turn preload on them. Put it back together and ran it again, still ticks just the same. The only part that is used on this engine is the rr's (Crower .150" offset). Everything else is new (besides the block, heads, and intake which all have lots of machine work). Morel lifters, Trend pushrods, Ferrea 6000 series 2.055/1.60 valves, PSI dbl valve springs, CVP Titanium retainers, CVP 10 degree locks, CVP spring locators, 165 lbs seat and 420 lbs open.

Video:
http://video.tinypic.com/player.php?v=30jsj10

Is there any way this is just an injector making the ticking noise (lucas 42#), or do I have a valvetrain issue?

Severous01

could be injectors...

my engine builder told me that mine was piston slap/rock. but mine only happens when it's cold. at normal temps it's not there. my bearings are good, my rockers are good, pushrods are good...so i dont know. it's infuriating that i would have paid over about 3 grand for a motor that was professionally build and have problems that are unheard of...or shouldnt be there.

Projectz28

any particular reason your running offset rockers? Looking at you sig you just have LE ported stock heads.


But anyway that definately not an injector ticking. If its not a header leak, it sounds like something in the valve train. Kinda hard to tell from a video clip.

Josh'95Z28conv

The intake runners are welded up in the pushrod area for extra porting. The intake runners are 217cc.

I guess I can tighten up the header gaskets again, but I know that cant be it.

blown383

Keep us up todate on the ticking. My ticking came from a combination of loose rocker arms and my header flange not being straight.

-B

94zrag

I'm going to be watching this thread, because my car has been doing the same exact thing for about 2 years now. I've checked the same things as you-header leak-rocker adjustments etc...but can't track it down. All I can tell you is that in my case, it doesn't seem to be affecting the way the engine runs. Hopefully it's nothing big for yours either. Good luck!

Josh'95Z28conv

2 years? Damn. The last time I drove my car when I knew I had a problem, I dropped a valve and destroyed my engine. I have way too much invested in this engine to chance it. There's no way in hell this is leaving my driveway till that ticking is gone.

razor02097

It sounds like an exhaust leak. Its kinda hard to tell without actually being there to hear it but the video helps.

I must have missed it but what headers do you have and what exhaust gaskets did you use to install them?

playa7970

how easy would it be to replace the header gaskets on our cars with
LTs

Josh'95Z28conv

I have Hooker LT's, and am using the graphite looking fel pro gaskets for the first time. I had copper gaskets before, but after looking at them I could see where they had been leaking for a long time. They fit the head exhaust port shape, but didnt match the headers. I think these should seal better.

Its not too bad.

sam pace

It almost sounds like a wrist pin.
The rockers sound fine the sound like full rollers. (they have that sewing machine sound)
Check to make sure they are not hitting the valve cover.
I have scorpion rockers, and I had to grind the back end of the 1st rocker on the drivers side. If you are looking at the front of motor, look at the back of the rocker and see if that is it.
good luck.
BTW Look at percy's dead soft exhaust gaskets they are the best I found so far.

Projectz28

I thought the same thing at first but he said it was still ticking even with the valve covers off...

Victory Racing

Its deffinitely top end.

What kind of clearance do you have between the rocker arm and the spring retainer. It sounds isolated somewhat, but if it were me I would check rocker clearance of the retainer, yank all rockers and pushrods and look at their wear if there is any, also verify that none of pushrod holes are clogged preventing oil from traveling through it.

NVetro

With regard to your car SHAKING alot. When I first started my new 383 the thing could chatter your teeth real bad! I was like, man this is gonna suck to drive. I did a fuel pressure test and the thing was running like 75psi of fuel pressure, look into that. I lowered it down and its smooth like it should be. Check her out and let us know. As for the ticking sound, could just be a normal loud aftermarket valve train, I'm sure you would hear it if it was a clearence issue. Maybe your tollerances for sound is alot less then ours

WS Sick

To me it sounds like an upper end valvetrain noise as well. Somethings gotta be loose or touching something else that its not supposed to be.