Bad ticking from around drivers side of motor near valve cover / intake

[FastGT94]

I've re-adjusted the rockers about four times now and this ticking is driving me nuts, I'm now 99% sure it is a bad or sticky lifter. When I first started the car and ran it for a while, I had no problems with "off" noises. Now I've gotten this ticking and it's getting gradually worse. It has the rhythm of one valve / lifter moving up and down and is pretty constant at 1800 RPM to idle. I'm starting to get scared of this noise and I'm afraid to really drive the car anymore. This is definitely a hard ticking and not a hissing from a gasket leak.

I'd really hate to take apart this engine yet again for one darn lifter. Any chance that thicker / thinner oil or running some tranny fluid for a short while would clear things up?

What about this Lucas Oil Stabilizer stuff? Could that help the lifter to keep from collapsing??

These lifters are only about 1,500 (Fifteen hundred) miles old and I find it hard to believe one went bad / got gummed up already unless some foreign matter got into it...

Any advice or possible solutions will be truely appreciated.

 

[Daggar]

Could be a header gasket leak. They can give off a ticking noise as well. Use a stethascope from an autoparts store to pinpoint the location of the noise.

 

[Legendary]

Could be a header gasket leak. They can give off a ticking noise as well. Use a stethascope from an autoparts store to pinpoint the location of the noise.

I second that. Check the gasket.

 

[BlackGT89]

I'd start by removing the valve cover (hopefully it's the easy passenger's side) and just have a look for any shiny metal, bent pushrods or anything else out of the norm. Check the inside of the valve cover for any signs of rubbing. I don't think any of the oil additives will help, maybe just temporarily mask the problem.

Edit: sorry, you said driver's side.

 

[87'GTstang]

I second that. Check the gasket.

I say it also. Always start simple and it's a hell of a lot easier to point the diaphragm of the stethoscope on something and listen for it instead of ripping all the crap apart on top of your engine to find out it really was the gasket in the first place.

 

[Js5ohLX]

Yeah, check header gasket, I bent all the pushrods in my motor, and it didn't click bad enough to be scary.

 

[FastGT94]

Well I'll check the gasket tonight but I swear this is a definite click and not an exhaust leak...

 

[morepower]

2nd that exhaust leak ...just fixed it on my car and i also swore it sounded like a mechanical ticking noise

 

[89CopCoupe]

With a trained ear you can usually tell the difference between valvetrain noise and an exhaust tick.

However, I would go to your auto parts store and buy a quart of Rislone (yellow bottle). Dump that in the crankcase and run it for 3K miles (after changing the oil). It's great stuff, and a lot of 'techs' will put a small amount in the gas tank to clean varnish outta the system.

It worked on my sticky lifter that I had on a 145K mile engine. I don't recommend getting a thinner oil though. The internal parts wear to eachother based on the viscosity of oil that has been used in the motor and sometimes thinner oil will not fill the 'gaps' adequately causing valvetrain noises where ... for example the space between the lifter and the lifter bore. Good Luck.

 

[FastGT94]

I'll try the Risolone next time I change the oil. Is that just like the Marvel's Mystery Oil?

My problem is that tarnish shouldn't really have built up on brand new lifters this fast but maybe something clogged it somehow.

Thanks for the suggestion.

And for all the exhuast leak guys. That is not the problem, I checked yesterday with a mechanic's stethoscope. Thanks for the idea though

 

[MUSTANGJOE]

Its a header gasket leak. Change them both and get some stage 8 locking bolts.

 

[Black Sun 5.0]

I would check the oil pressure. I had a very similar issue and I ended up needing a new oil pump. It resolved the problem.

 

[myroc]

Could be a header gasket leak. They can give off a ticking noise as well. Use a stethascope from an autoparts store to pinpoint the location of the noise.

I agree..............i had a ticking problem so took valve covers off and adjusted rockers put covers back on and still ticking and it was the header gasket.

 

[FastGT94]

And for all the exhuast leak guys. That is not the problem, I checked yesterday with a mechanic's stethoscope.

It is not an exhaust leak, I checked around the gaskets with the Mechanic's Stethoscope. As for oil pressure, its the same that it has been all along.