I have a '58-'62 235 out of a car in my '53 3600. I put a new cam and lifters in it a couple months ago. Since its a car engine I went with hydraulic lifters.
When I first start the truck I get an annoying clacking noise that slowly quiets down after a few miles of driving. It never gets silent, though. There is always a noticeable but not overly loud rhythmic ticking noise.
Heres a video of the noise (when first started):
I took a stethoscope with a probe on it and listened to the valves/valve springs. I found one valve that didn't sound the same as the others. It sounds like the valve is hitting the seat harder than the rest.
I adjusted all the valves again with the engine nice and hot and the sound didn't go away. On a whim I adjusted just that valve while the engine was running and when I tightened the adjuster a quarter turn the noise would stop for a few seconds. After a few seconds the noise would slowly get louder until it was just as loud as before.
Is it possible that the lifter can't hold its oil well enough and it leaking down when it puts pressure on the valve? I have plenty of oil pressure (30+ PSI) and I am pretty sure the oil passages are clear.
Did you make sure the block is drilled for hydraulic lifters?
Ya, it definitely is. The lifters + cam I pulled out of it were hydraulic. They were showing signs of wear so before I dropped the engine into the truck I replaced them.
Has the engine been rebuilt or are you using it as it came out of the car just with new gaskets etc? I had one back in the 70's when I was young and dumb just couldn't get rid of that tapping valve lifter. Couldn't seem to get rid of it buy replacing a lifter or adjustment. My father in law, an old time mechanic, ask me if I was tired of messing with it yet and I let him look at it. He said cracked piston around the wrist pin. I didn't believe him and pulled down found it as he said. Never doubted him again. Larryw
I think you have a bad check valve in that lifter. It may quiet down after the check valve wears in.
How many miles should I give it to wear in before replacing it?
Originally Posted by LarryW
Has the engine been rebuilt or are you using it as it came out of the car just with new gaskets etc? I had one back in the 70's when I was young and dumb just couldn't get rid of that tapping valve lifter. Couldn't seem to get rid of it buy replacing a lifter or adjustment. My father in law, an old time mechanic, ask me if I was tired of messing with it yet and I let him look at it. He said cracked piston around the wrist pin. I didn't believe him and pulled down found it as he said. Never doubted him again. Larryw
It hasn't been rebuilt. Whats confusing me is that I can make the noise go away by tightening the valve adjustment. Which, in my mind anyhow, would seem to point to a valve or lifter issue. Between that and hearing a distinctly different noise when touching the valve spring on that lone valve makes me fairly confident it isn't something else making noise. That said, I am definitely going to keep that thought in the back of my mind. I could just be young and dumb.
Just exactly how are you adjusting the hydraulic lifters???? If your using the truck service manual that's incorrect, you need to use the passenger car service manual. I assume you know that you need to take the adjustment somewhere around a turn past the zero clearance point with a hydraulic lifter with the engine running.
Or, if all else fails, you can, Just read the procedure in the 1949-54 Passenger Car Shop Manual, which is, with engine off, lifter on base circle or low point of cam, 1 1/2 turns past zero clearance compressing the spring which leaves the plunger at its mid-point. DG
You need to check the leakdown rate on the noisy lifter. Get the engine up to normal operating temperature, then stop it and remove the valve cover. Tap the starter until the valve is fully closed. One good way to determine this is to watch the other valve on that cylinder- - - - -when it's somewhere near all the way open, the noisy one should be on the base circle of the cam. Use a long screwdriver or a pry bar under the rocker shaft to put a firm, steady pressure on the pushrod end of the rocker arm, and see how long it takes to bleed the lifter down to its full-compressed position. Anything less than 30-45 seconds to make the lifter bottom out means you've got a leaky check valve in that lifter. Engine-running adjustment of hydraulic lifters almost always results in an incorrect adjustment, because the lifter never gets to top out all the way. With the engine up to normal temperature, and the cylinder in question at top dead center on the compression stroke (distributor rotor pointed toward that cylinder's plug wire) back off the adjustment until there's a noticeable looseness, then wait 1-2 minutes. Then carefully tighten the adjuster to eliminate any slack and go 3/4-1 turn tighter and lock the adjuster down. If the lifter still rattles, replace it. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Alright, its been a while but I am finally back at it. I went through and readjusted the lifters. They quieted down a little bit but there was still one trouble maker. I then took the truck for another drive and then attempted to compress the lifters. They all put up a good fight and took longer than a minute to bottom out.
I threw my vacuum gauge on it when it was cold and got this:
The needle is rapidly waving about in a 1/2" - 3/4" range. Doesn't that point to worn valve guides? With the engine still cold (and clacking) I tried to compress the lifter and it still took well over a minute to fully compress.
What is odd (to me anyhow) is that once the engine is nice and hot the gauge was much steadier.
When warm the loud clacking also turns into a quieter (but still very noticeable) tick.
