Chet1185

Ticking sound at first startup and after driving a while. Not an exhaust leak. It is a new rebuilt 355, new crank, rods, pistons, bearings. Old cam, lifters, everything else. I have adjusted the rockers like 5 times with the engine running. I'm left thinking its the lifters or maybe a bent push rod? Can I diagnose this with just the valve covers off while its running or should I just take the intake off?

How do I tell if a lifter is bad while its in my hand? Not sure of the mileage on the old lifters but they were in my previous engine. I never checked them out before putting them in the new engine.

Car runs stronger than ever. I just don't want to tear it apart if it could be rockers or something.

Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk 2

njmike

When you adjust the rockers does the tick go away for a while or does a little rev bring the noise right back? Are you adding in the pre-load on the rockers? What rockers are you running (do they have a jam nut?) If the noise goes away when they are adjusted and then returns later I may suspect the rocker nuts backing off a little. If that is the case - the easy way to rule that out would be to set the valve lash and then clean the oil off the rocker arm stud and rocker arm nut and mark them with a paint marker (straight line). When the tick returns pull off the valve cover and check to see if the lines still line up.

Pushrod can be diagnosed with the intake still on. You just need to loosen the rocker arms, pull the pushrods and roll them on a piece of flat glass.

The only way I know how to check the lifter is a visual inspection which would require pulling the intake manifold. And the only thing you can really inspect to my knowledge is the roller for scars.

I just went through the same thing but my lifters passed a visual inspection but I was sure they were the problem so I replaced them anyway. Sure enough after reassembly... no lifter noise. My symptoms: I would set the valve lash and 0 noise then I would raise the idle just a hair and the noise would be faint then let the idle return and the noise was back.

Chet1185

I jusT got new lifters and push rods to install. I used old ones when I rebuilt it so i'm going to put the good ones in and hope for the best.

Sent from my R800x using Tapatalk 2