Chronic valve ticking,.....please help

[Jesse Lewanski]

Ok, so here's the situation. I've got a brand new 306 with new lifters, pushrods, cam, springs, and rockers, all sitting on edelbrock performer heads 1.90;1.60 valves. I've lashed these ****in valves 5 times now trying every different method you can think of. Yesterday, with a friend's help, we lashed the valves one more time with the car running, and the valve cover off (driver's side only). We let the car warm-up, lashed em with no problems, put the motor back together, and fired it up. After about two minutes of warming up, the valve starts ticking once again ( #6 cylinder from what I can hear). It doesn't tick when it's cold, only when its hot. And no matter how many times we lash it, it keeps coming back! The studs are tight, and I don't think it's hitting the valve covers. I'm out of ****in ideas on what to do. Anyone who's heard of something like this or has a suggestion PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I'm already trying to put together enough money to swap the whole top-end over to trick flow track heat w/ the twisted-wedge heads if i can't fix this. I just want to make sure I've exhausted all other options first.

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Are you absolutely sure this is a lifter ticking and not an exhaust leak at the header or something? Have you checked for stupid things like a loose plug wire? I've heard them make a ticking sound when they're not on right.

 

[mustangramair]

I have the same problem with my setup. I have changed header gaskets multiple times and have taken my car to an exhaust shop to check for leaks, it never has any. I have come to the conclusion the rockers are loud and I have to deal with it. I have also lashed my rockers a few times.

 

[Jesse Lewanski]

yeah, i've checked for exhaust leaks, and thats not the problem. checked for loose plug wires too. I can't find the freaking problem, I've checked and re-checked the obvious things, lashed and re-lashed the valves. MUSTANGRAMAIR- I've lashed mine a few times too, and for some reason, it's only on the driver's side, so It can't be just "loud rockers". I appreciate the suggestions though, Anyone have anymore idea's?

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

These are new lifters right? I guess maybe there's a chance you got a dud?

 

[Red88 RICK]

I am having the same exact problem on my fresh 306 new everything except valves loudest on the driver side ticking i just used my moms stethiscope and put it against everything intake, valve cover, pullies, head, i belive it is the injectors when i put it against the fuel rail i can hear the ticking when it is on anything else i only hear normal noises has anyone else had a problem with extreamly loud injectors?

 

[BK_CAULEY]

just a shot in the dark.. but if you have higher than stock compression and are running 87 gasoline you could have detonation issues. try running tome 93 or adding a bottle or two of octane booster and see if it lightens up.

 

[Red88 RICK]

i run 93 and i have i think 9 to 1 comp but i also have timing issues but its deffinetly not a detonation noise it sounds like a tick idk

Im going to go down the the stethiscope again and rev it up while i listen

Update: i went down and listened to it again and it gets faster with the throttle and i can hear it through the exhaust liek when i get down under it in the rear i can hear it but if im at the pipe in the rear i cant hear it to much i was disconecting injectors seeing what it did and it still ticked didnt seem liek it even missfired with one disconected

Heres soem videos the scope didnt do anything for the videos but you cans till hear the noise...
http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a131/RICKdawg/?action=view&current=SMOV3078.flv
http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a131/RICKdawg/?action=view&current=SMOV3077.flv
http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a131/RICKdawg/?action=view&current=SMOV3076.flv

 

[Red88 RICK]

i added videos so listen to them and tell me what you think.. please

 

[Red88 RICK]

anybody have any thought of what this can be? watch the videos and if you cant see them for soem reason tell me and ill add a diff one

 

[urban96]

pushrods the right length?

 

[Aliate X]

how loud exactly is the ticking, its not like people are looking at you wtf type of loud right? because mine was doing that and the next day the lifter cam apart, tore up my cam and seized my oil pump =(

 

[Red88 RICK]

ya its been that kind of loud since i droped the engine in like you hear the tick from inside the car when your in front of the car and i rev it you dont hear the exhaust but when your liek near the back you hear the exhaust over the tick and the pushrods are stock length so im guessing they are right...
did you guys watch the videos?

 

[93lxdm78]

I know you said you checked for exhaust leaks, But I have the same problem and out of three places 2 said no exhaust leak one did say my headers are leaking and did a bad job fixing them.

I would take down your headers check them with a straightedge and verify they are straight. If they are warped have a machine shop take them down till they are perfectly flat.

I would also use a high performance gaskets and bolts.

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=PHP-66014&N=700+0&autoview=sku

http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?part=ARP-100-1102&autoview=sku

After you bolt it back up warm up car and retighten them again and repeat the process several times.

My car does the same thing when its cold its cool after it gets hot she starts ticking away.

After alot of research and talking to people what I wrote above is what I found out.

 

[Red88 RICK]

oh cool thanks ill look into that but im still confused about why i heard it with the stethiscope only on the fuel rails and injectors i have replaced the header gaskets once and im pretty sure that the driver side is deffinetly warped because i could barly get teh header back on so ill have my friend bring it to his shop and take a look at it thanks again

 

[93lxdm78]

Well you might be confusing two different sounds The injectors can make a ticking noise but c'mon not that loud I watched the video If it was your injectors I would be very surprised. Also that exhaust leak can echo off different things making it seem like it can be coming from other places.

Eaither way I would have your headers repaired and bolt them back up and that should take care of that noise.

Look at it this way if it was your injectors they would do it even when cold I am pretty sure they work harder even on a cold start up as the computer dumps in more fuel till the car warms up.

 

[Red88 RICK]

yeah it does it at all times cold warm it dosnt get louder or quieter
but i am going to take the header off and check it out they are BBK iv heard bad things about BBK so idk

 

[93lxdm78]

Oh even worse they are bbk SO ARE MINE ! lol

I have also heard bad things about there headers