Engine Tick...

[Dunzvett81]

I have a slight engine tick. I am confident that it is the valves and most likely they require to be tightened or adjusted. How easy or difficult is this to do. Is it just a matter of tightening them for is there a proper procedure involved. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Would my car beign an 81 have solids or hydros.
thanks....Jay

 

[Rumpity rumpity rump....]

Could be just a sticking valve lifter. A product which many auto mechanics use is Sea Foam in a can. Pep Boyz sells it . It can be added to the oil crankcase and ran for 5 minutes before draining the oil , allowed to be sucked into the intake via the pcv at the rate of 1/3 of the can slowly , and in the gas tank at 1 can per 18 gallons of gasoline. Id give this a try because it is a product that truly works well. It runs about $6 per can . Based on your current problem, id get one can and share it between the Intake and Oil Crankcase , then change oil and oil filter.

 

[GT6Steve@aol.com]

Engine tick

I have a slight engine tick. I am confident that it is the valves and most likely they require to be tightened or adjusted. How easy or difficult is this to do. Is it just a matter of tightening them for is there a proper procedure involved. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Would my car beign an 81 have solids or hydros.
thanks....Jay

On an 81? I've got it as well, sounds like a lifter but it was still exactly the same after a complete engine rebuild. New block, cam, lifters. pistons etc...

Really annoyed me. I'm wondering if it's something with the right side exhaust?

 

[TWINRAY]

Not sure about the '81's but with a '69 350, the hydralics are easily (but messy) adjusted. With a warmed up engine you take the valve covers off. Back off each rocker nut slowly (do the full adjustment for one lifter at a time) till it starts clicking, then the recommended procedure is to "S L O W L Y" tighten ( to allow the lifter to get accustomed to the change) one full turn. I don't do that much with mine , I do a half turn but 3/4 would probably be better cause sometimes you do hear one lifter clicking at start up till it's warmed up.

There are clips you put on the rockers to devert the oil so it doesn't go all over the place. They are cheap so I wouldn't try the job without them. Solid lifters are an entirely different procedure.

 

[Dunzvett81]

I have tried SEAFOAM. It seemed to help a bit but tick still there especially when reved. Engine idles perfect such a tick!. I checked the exhaust all seems ok. I used the hose trick to listen for leaks etc... the tick noise I am getting with the hose is near the valves. So it looks like I will have to tighten the valves up.

 

[magoo]

Jay,
I seem to remember years ago finding a valve type tick for someone on a chevy. If I recall, it turned out to be a broken return spring in the fuel pump which was making the tick at the same rate as a valve tap. I first suggest buying a mechanics stethoscope to use instead of a hose. They are cheap, $2 or $3 at Harbor Freight, a bit more at Sears, and work well. My 62 is doing the same thing with a Holley fuel pump and the noise seems to be there but haven't had time to replace it yet. I'm sure someone else will chime with maybe a similar experience. Let us know.
Mike

 

[JimVette]

On my '66 small block I took an old steel valve cover and cut out the center area the length of the cover and just left the sides intact. With that there was very little mess during the engine running adjustment.

 

[80RedL82]

Many times a ticking sound turns out to be an exhaust leak. Check the header/exhaust manifold bolts and gaskets.

 

[GT6Steve@aol.com]

Valve tick

Many times a ticking sound turns out to be an exhaust leak. Check the header/exhaust manifold bolts and gaskets.

That makes perfect sense to me as I had a similar issue on a 454 motor home. I ignored it because "It was always like that". When I did a Banks kit it was worse so I looked carefully and found a small burr where someone had forced something at the factory. Smoothed it and all was excellent.
I'm suspicious of something similar on the 81 since the manifolds are the only original part...

 

[Mitch]

I have a slight engine tick. I am confident that it is the valves and most likely they require to be tightened or adjusted. How easy or difficult is this to do. Is it just a matter of tightening them for is there a proper procedure involved. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Would my car beign an 81 have solids or hydros.
thanks....Jay

Check your spark plug wires and spark plugs. Could be arching! Pull each wire (one at a time) from plug while engine is running. If engine dies a little then that wire and sparkplug is ok. But if you hear and feel no difference on the next one then you have a bad wire or plug.

 

[hotshotzny]

Check your spark plug wires and spark plugs. Could be arching! Pull each wire (one at a time) from plug while engine is running. If engine dies a little then that wire and sparkplug is ok. But if you hear and feel no difference on the next one then you have a bad wire or plug.

i was gonna say the exact same thing, i had that happen on my 84 xr7 cougar when i was younger (my first car actually..totally slipped that one past my parents) but it had developed at first a minor tick which of course at 16 i ignored until my father finally heard it and checked it out and found that the plug had actually partially melted (yet the car was still running great and un-beatable from red light to red light)

 

[Mitch]

Hmmm...

Yeah, Hotshot...I recently had that ticking, tapping or slight knocking thingy goin' on. I thought I had had some major problems with my engine and dreaded shelling out some bucks! On a whim I stopped by Precision Tune to ask the manager's advice since he also owned a Vette. I popped the hood, he listened and exclaimed right away that it was arching. I questioned his quickness and all---and he said quite frankly that he had perfect hearing and told me what I needed to do. He walked clean away without batting an eye. I got back in my car - kinda hot around the colllar - drove it home, crossed my fingers, so to speak, and tested each wire like he said. The man was right on! I think I at least owe him a gift certificate to OutBack. I mean, someone else could have taken me for some big bucks when it was actually a cheap fix!

 

[upinsmoke]

It could be any of the above issues. I would start with the easiest to check first and go from there. I have seen all of the above on a small block chevy. Good Luck

 

[upinsmoke]

I forgot to say something. The easiest way to check for plug wire arc for me is a nice dark night or garage, fire it up and use a small mechanics mirror around each plug. If the boot or wire is bad you will see it in the dark.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Like was said above, do the easiest first. Check the plug wires then look for exhaust leaks. Small leaks sound almost more like lifter ticking than real lifter ticking. I reworked a pair of '81 tube manifolds for my '69 stepside and had to spend $50. at the welding shop to fix cracks in the original welds. Some of these are really a mess inside and don't forget that they are stainless if they need repaired. It could just be a burnt out flange gasket too.

Tom

 

[Mitch]

Yep, the problem could be one of SEVERAL things. Dunzvette81 mentioned also that the tick was still there, especially when reved up. I was reading the Marvel Mystery Oil site and came across something similar and a possible fix IF that is his problem. Dunzvette81, I'm curiuos--keep us posted.

http://www.marvelmysteryoil.com/index.php/site/mmo/

 

[Dunzvett81]

While I finally got the noise resolved. the number 5 cylinder was not even firing as the cam is shot which made a lot of play in the lifter... damn... ad No wonder all of the above solutions didn't work. (all were gerat though) I replaced new lifters, cam and timing chain. Sounds gooooood! now.
thanks for the help
Jay

 

[upinsmoke]

Jay, I am glad you found the problem, I am sorry it was the worst possible problem. I should have thought about that since it also happened to me years and years ago.:confused (Getting Old and Forgetful) I will try to remember that from now on. That is the good thing about the late model roller camshafts, they don't eat the lobes off like the older small blocks. It is a great feeling when the old girl is running in tip top shape again though isn't it. Later Randy

 

[Tom Bryant]

The bad part is that some of that metal is in the bearings. I had to replace the cam in a 2.8 V6 in my old Jummy once. I could see the metal in the cam bearings. It ran another hundred thousand miles after that before I traded it in so I guess it didn't hurt that much. The odd part with mine was that it never ran rough or got noisey. It just got slower and slower with no power to pass. 3 lobes were completely gone and 4 more were on their way out.

Tom