SSkeet

Last night I got on it and afterward noticed nasty ticking. So I drove the car home slowly and shut it down for the night (was late). I had someone listen this morning while i turned it over and def sounded like coming from drivers side. Bad ticking! Tick tick tick tick high frequency...

So I checked the plugs to see if they were tight, they were fine
Then I checked to see if the headers were leaking, they were fine

Without hesitation, I just pulled the valve cover off and had someone turn the car over with both coil packs un-plugged. Number 4 (from the front) rocker arm drivers side was ticking bad. I put my finger on it and could feel the jolt!

So I took off the rocker (Jesel rockers btw) and the pushrod is fine.

However, the spring seat looks as if it has moved a bit. I am assuming the spring seat is the little washer type looking thing that the spring sits on top of. That has moved outward some (maybe 2 mm?).

Not sure what to do now, use a valve spring compressor? I have never taken springs apart. The spring appears to look like the others, but I guess I wont be sure until I see it out of the car.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

1999T/A

iTrader: (4)

It might be the lifter man . I had a LOUD ticking , turned out to be a turned lifter . You'll have to pull the head for a lifter , not the valve . Definitely dont run it until you find out what it is or else you'll have to rebuild it like I did . ( if it is a lifter )

SSkeet

**** I hope its not a lifter. Here are pics of the spring area:




Notice where the spring would sit it looks like its off...
And also...the little debris near the spring I have pointed out.

777

iTrader: (21)

that doesn't look good...i would imagine it should seat like the others do...

1999T/A

iTrader: (4)

I see that little chunk of metal on there ! My lifter exploded and sent shrapnel like that all through my motor . It could be the spring though , I would definitely check that out first !

SSkeet

Well, that little chunk actually turned out to be something else, its definately not metal. It seems like a peice of a sticker, not any type of material that would hurt anything.

Not sure what I should do now. Take the spring off? Try to pry it over?

If its lifter related, I can get to the lifter from taking the intake off right?

Cal

iTrader: (1)

Same damn thing happened to me, turned lifter. I made some steel lifter stabilizers to keep it from happening again when I rebuilt it.

That exposed margin you show in the picture might just be where the head casting was shaped a little different, so when it was milled off it came out that way. But it would be easy to take the locks, retainer, spring, and spring seat off for inspection. I think you should do that first. You'll have to get the piston at TDC first, of course.

Yeah to inspect the lifter, the head will have to come off. This isn't a SBC . .

Cal

iTrader: (1)

Yeah get one of the cheap lever type spring compressors from NAPA, cut the handle off, and use a rocker bolt with appropiate washers to compress the spring. Have a pen magnet stuck to the valve locks before you even start; they are small, slippery, and funny shapped so very easy to loose. Have the piston at TDC, so the valve only goes down aways before it hits the piston. That will pop the locks loose and they will imediately stick to the magnet. Then you can back off the rocker bolt and just pick everything off the valve stem. Good luck!

SSkeet

Thanks, I will do that. I will check the spring, which seems fine. Then I think I am going to put compressed air in from where the spark plug goes and see if I hear any air getting out (valve screw up).
I guess if the spring is fine then im gonna have to pull the head off anyway, uggh its stud'd

Cal

iTrader: (1)

Hmm #4 so it's on the passenger side. With studs, that head isn't going to come off until you take the studs out, unless you have removed the A/C housing on the fire wall . . . or so I've heard. Let me know if you have a turned lifter, I have some fixes for that.

SSkeet

No its number 4 rocker arm if counting from the front of the engine and its on the drivers side of the engine....thats the only good news, because removing the head shouldnt be too bad at all, might not even have to remove studs, but we'll see.