Faint ticking noise
09-01-2004, 11:42 AM
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Faint ticking noise So I am getting a faint ticking noise from my motor, it sounds like a rocker arm that isn't torqued down all the way or a pushrod thats a hare too short.
I retorqued all the rocker arms and still have the noise, using a stethoscope I isolated the noise to #1 cyl.
I can hear the noise quite well if I put the scope on #1 cyl ex header, if I listen on the block I can hear that its there, but barly, and on the valvecover bolts its quieter than on the headers.
Any thoughts on what this noise is? Bottoming out a lifter?
I retorqued all the rocker arms and still have the noise, using a stethoscope I isolated the noise to #1 cyl.
I can hear the noise quite well if I put the scope on #1 cyl ex header, if I listen on the block I can hear that its there, but barly, and on the valvecover bolts its quieter than on the headers.
Any thoughts on what this noise is? Bottoming out a lifter?
09-01-2004, 12:17 PM
#4
I am currently dealing with the same issue. And it has boiled down to 2 things. Cam lobe coming apart or a comp R lifter that has collapsed. I had the same noise prior to the PE130 ORR event, when during a practice run oneof the rocker arms ended up getting sheered off. Got it fixed and then the same problem surfaced.
I am beginning to think that if you dont have the pre load set damn near PERFECT on these lifters they will go bad on you.
Have you identified exactly which rocker the ticking is coming from? If not, use the "screwdriver stethascope" and find out. then lift the valve cover and check for tightness on that rocker. Also check the lateral stability of it just incase you have some needle bearings getting ready to go south on you. Stockers will do that every now and then.
Re torque the rocker and see if it still ticks. If it does, stop the motor and try and lift up on the rocker tip. If it lifts and there is any space between the rocker tip and the valve tip. If there is.......you will be doing what I am doing this weekend......lifting the heads.
OT: Where in Boise are you. I lived there for 6 years and left in 00. My father in law is the chief of police for gcpd. I miss that place. I have alot of family there and I miss al the outdoor stuff that I cant do here in Seattle.
I am beginning to think that if you dont have the pre load set damn near PERFECT on these lifters they will go bad on you.
Have you identified exactly which rocker the ticking is coming from? If not, use the "screwdriver stethascope" and find out. then lift the valve cover and check for tightness on that rocker. Also check the lateral stability of it just incase you have some needle bearings getting ready to go south on you. Stockers will do that every now and then.
Re torque the rocker and see if it still ticks. If it does, stop the motor and try and lift up on the rocker tip. If it lifts and there is any space between the rocker tip and the valve tip. If there is.......you will be doing what I am doing this weekend......lifting the heads.
OT: Where in Boise are you. I lived there for 6 years and left in 00. My father in law is the chief of police for gcpd. I miss that place. I have alot of family there and I miss al the outdoor stuff that I cant do here in Seattle.
09-01-2004, 01:04 PM
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I am on Vista by the airport, we have quite a few fbody folks around here now.
I have retorqued the rocker arms to no avail but I did not try to lift up on the tip of the rocker arm to see if it would compress, I also have a spare set of used Comp R lifters in my garage so if I can compress one then I may be buying some ARP head studs and another head gasket set, and hell it sounds like its time to get these things ported and polished while I'm at it!
I have retorqued the rocker arms to no avail but I did not try to lift up on the tip of the rocker arm to see if it would compress, I also have a spare set of used Comp R lifters in my garage so if I can compress one then I may be buying some ARP head studs and another head gasket set, and hell it sounds like its time to get these things ported and polished while I'm at it!
09-01-2004, 01:12 PM
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I had a "noticeable" tick/tap from my motor after my cam swap. "Noticeable" as in it wasn't "sickly", but you can definitely hear it casually walking by the truck.
I had the noise for a few weeks. It sounded like a single set of valvetrain components makeing the noise. (IE, a single lifter, PR, rocker or valve combination.) I retorqued the rockers to no avail. I never got around to getting the stethescope on the motor before it just basically cleared up on it's own.
I still have some valvetrain noise from the swap, but I chalk it up to the common sewing machine noise I hear others talk about.
I'd love to know what the noise was.
I had the noise for a few weeks. It sounded like a single set of valvetrain components makeing the noise. (IE, a single lifter, PR, rocker or valve combination.) I retorqued the rockers to no avail. I never got around to getting the stethescope on the motor before it just basically cleared up on it's own.
I still have some valvetrain noise from the swap, but I chalk it up to the common sewing machine noise I hear others talk about.
I'd love to know what the noise was.
09-01-2004, 01:13 PM
#7
I may have to bring my car down there and show you guys how an Fbody is built! 
My cousin has been telling me I need to bring the car down there because not to many Fbody are running around. Have you guys formed a club or association? Tell them they need to start posting in the NW forum. Lots of good guys in that section.
I used to live in the clocktower appts over on the other side of the river from the red lion riverside. I lived all over that town.
When you are lifting the rocker tip it will flop around if the lifter is collapsed. But you shouldnt even be able to compress it anyways. But when you check it, you want the valve in the closed position. Even if the lifter is bad and the valve is in the fully open position, you wont be able to tell if it is bad. The cam lobe will be at its highest point and putting pressure on the lifter and so on up to the rocker tip. If it is closed there wont be any pressure on it if the lifter is bad. sorry if that sounds confusing, but its the only way I can describe it.
My cousin has been telling me I need to bring the car down there because not to many Fbody are running around. Have you guys formed a club or association? Tell them they need to start posting in the NW forum. Lots of good guys in that section.I used to live in the clocktower appts over on the other side of the river from the red lion riverside. I lived all over that town.
When you are lifting the rocker tip it will flop around if the lifter is collapsed. But you shouldnt even be able to compress it anyways. But when you check it, you want the valve in the closed position. Even if the lifter is bad and the valve is in the fully open position, you wont be able to tell if it is bad. The cam lobe will be at its highest point and putting pressure on the lifter and so on up to the rocker tip. If it is closed there wont be any pressure on it if the lifter is bad. sorry if that sounds confusing, but its the only way I can describe it.
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09-01-2004, 01:16 PM
#8
Originally Posted by marc_w
I had a "noticeable" tick/tap from my motor after my cam swap. "Noticeable" as in it wasn't "sickly", but you can definitely hear it casually walking by the truck.
I had the noise for a few weeks. It sounded like a single set of valvetrain components makeing the noise. (IE, a single lifter, PR, rocker or valve combination.) I retorqued the rockers to no avail. I never got around to getting the stethescope on the motor before it just basically cleared up on it's own.
I still have some valvetrain noise from the swap, but I chalk it up to the common sewing machine noise I hear others talk about.
I'd love to know what the noise was.
I had the noise for a few weeks. It sounded like a single set of valvetrain components makeing the noise. (IE, a single lifter, PR, rocker or valve combination.) I retorqued the rockers to no avail. I never got around to getting the stethescope on the motor before it just basically cleared up on it's own.
I still have some valvetrain noise from the swap, but I chalk it up to the common sewing machine noise I hear others talk about.
I'd love to know what the noise was.
09-01-2004, 01:26 PM
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Originally Posted by NataSS Inc
I may have to bring my car down there and show you guys how an Fbody is built! My cousin has been telling me I need to bring the car down there because not to many Fbody are running around. Have you guys formed a club or association? Tell them they need to start posting in the NW forum. Lots of good guys in that section.
I used to live in the clocktower appts over on the other side of the river from the red lion riverside. I lived all over that town.
When you are lifting the rocker tip it will flop around if the lifter is collapsed. But you shouldnt even be able to compress it anyways. But when you check it, you want the valve in the closed position. Even if the lifter is bad and the valve is in the fully open position, you wont be able to tell if it is bad. The cam lobe will be at its highest point and putting pressure on the lifter and so on up to the rocker tip. If it is closed there wont be any pressure on it if the lifter is bad. sorry if that sounds confusing, but its the only way I can describe it.
My cousin has been telling me I need to bring the car down there because not to many Fbody are running around. Have you guys formed a club or association? Tell them they need to start posting in the NW forum. Lots of good guys in that section.I used to live in the clocktower appts over on the other side of the river from the red lion riverside. I lived all over that town.
When you are lifting the rocker tip it will flop around if the lifter is collapsed. But you shouldnt even be able to compress it anyways. But when you check it, you want the valve in the closed position. Even if the lifter is bad and the valve is in the fully open position, you wont be able to tell if it is bad. The cam lobe will be at its highest point and putting pressure on the lifter and so on up to the rocker tip. If it is closed there wont be any pressure on it if the lifter is bad. sorry if that sounds confusing, but its the only way I can describe it.
No I understand what your talking about, I'll play with it tonight and see if any of them seem to be collapsed.
And I have been wanting to start a fbody club, right now there are only a few of us who hang out (5-7 ls1/lt1 cars) and 2 of us heavly modify our cars, others do light mods like msd6a, exhaust, spray.
09-01-2004, 01:37 PM
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I gotcha.
I got a NASTY tick/knock at startup, but assumed it was a lifter that needed to be pumped up. The motor actually started fine... after about 10 seconds the knock came in real loud, and was gone in another 15-20. It seemed like and eternity.
I don't believe the noise I had for a few weeks was totally normal. I could hear the tick through the firewall at all RPM's... I could hear it driving alongside cement barriers on the road, or close to buildings in parking lots. It was impossible to miss in a parking garage. I found it to be embarassing...
The sewing machine noise I hear people talk about is this hissing "scissor-like" noise, correct? That's about all I have now.
I got a NASTY tick/knock at startup, but assumed it was a lifter that needed to be pumped up. The motor actually started fine... after about 10 seconds the knock came in real loud, and was gone in another 15-20. It seemed like and eternity.
I don't believe the noise I had for a few weeks was totally normal. I could hear the tick through the firewall at all RPM's... I could hear it driving alongside cement barriers on the road, or close to buildings in parking lots. It was impossible to miss in a parking garage. I found it to be embarassing...
The sewing machine noise I hear people talk about is this hissing "scissor-like" noise, correct? That's about all I have now.
09-01-2004, 01:40 PM
#12
When you can hear ticking through the firewall and while your on the move, something aint right. But it also might have been an exauhst leak. That is a pretty audible ticking noise. But normally those dont fix themselves.
And the scissor noise is normal.
And the scissor noise is normal.
09-01-2004, 01:59 PM
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I agree. A lot of people on here said it was normal noise for an agressive ramped cam. I was never thoroughly convinced and just said, WTF.
I did forgot to mention now that the noise was intermittent. I'd hear it for 5 minutes, and it'd fade out. It'd come back after a good lashing, and be gone for the rest of the day... only to come back on the next startup. Stuff like that.
I checked side to side play on the rockers, and they were all equal. The bearing cups/races all looked like they were fine and in place.
Would I have noticed the up/down motion of a bad lifter when casually checking side to side play, or would I have needed a more direct tug on the rocker? I did rotate the crank when checking.
I did forgot to mention now that the noise was intermittent. I'd hear it for 5 minutes, and it'd fade out. It'd come back after a good lashing, and be gone for the rest of the day... only to come back on the next startup. Stuff like that.
I checked side to side play on the rockers, and they were all equal. The bearing cups/races all looked like they were fine and in place.
Would I have noticed the up/down motion of a bad lifter when casually checking side to side play, or would I have needed a more direct tug on the rocker? I did rotate the crank when checking.
09-01-2004, 03:55 PM
#14
Originally Posted by marc_w
Would I have noticed the up/down motion of a bad lifter when casually checking side to side play, or would I have needed a more direct tug on the rocker? I did rotate the crank when checking.
Really depends on how bad it is. Mine was at the point where there was over 1/8 inch of gap when the valve was fully closed. But if after torquing the rocker down to 22lbs and there is still gap (given that you know it is shimmed properly) there is the beginning of a problem
