360 Block Lifter Ticking

[Jim Kueneman]

I restored my '66 Valiant that I back dated a '360 block to look like a 273 Commando about 4 years ago. I took it out to Spring Fling this past June. I drove it all over southern California. On the day I left I started it up to put it in the trailer and it started ticking. It ticked when I backed it out of the trailer when home. I checked the oil and it was low so I changed it. It was not as bad but still ticked. After talking to Mike at Moparty he said he had a set of Edelbrock heads that the keepers started to wear letting the valve start to drop. I pulled the valve cover and I saw that #7 intake the lifter was pumped down and the rocker was loose. I did not see any indication of the keeper failing (Bruce Toth found and went though these Edelbrock heads during Covid for me as he could not get his castings at the time). I cranked it over 2 revolutions and the lifter pumped up so it was as tight as the others but after a few minutes it bled down again so it the rocker was loose.

I probably have 3k-4k on the motor since the rebuild. What are my options? Is the right thing to just pull the intake and replace the lifter? Note I have no interest in doing that

Oh and it does not look like the lobe of the cam is gone as once it pumped it by eye it looks the same as the others. It is Oregon Cams grind for torque. About 228'ish degrees at 0.050" and the lift is nothing crazy just a bit more than stock.

Jim

 

[dano]

Stock rockers? Mechanical or hydraulic cam? Where the push rod lengths checked when set up?

 

[Ant]

Replace the lifter.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Stock rockers? Mechanical or hydraulic cam? Where the push rod lengths checked when set up?

Stock rockers, hydraulic cam, yes my machine shop buddy checks and measures everything when he does an engine. It just started after 4 years and 3k-4k miles.

 

[mopowers]

It may just be a tiny spec of trash in the lifter. I've had them do that, then magically fix itself. If it persists, I'd maybe remove the offending lifter, disassemble it, and clean it out really well before reinstalling. With stock heads, sometimes you can fish them out without removing the intake.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

It may just be a tiny spec of trash in the lifter. I've had them do that, then magically fix itself. If it persists, I'd maybe remove the offending lifter, disassemble it, and clean it out really well before reinstalling. With stock heads, sometimes you can fish them out without removing the intake.

That ain't gonna happen with the Edelbrocks ;)

 

[mopowers]

That ain't gonna happen with the Edelbrocks ;)

Well crap. I missed that part.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Well crap. I missed that part.

Since I am sure it is not the keepers failing I am going to put the cover back on and just drive it for a while. After it started ticking I literally don't have 0.1 miles on it. Just just started it and put it in the trailer, backed it off and into the garage, changed the oil started it up heard it tick got ticked off myself, put the cover on it and there it has sat until today.

 

[Oldmanmopar]

There is issues with hydraulic lifters today from all selling them including Comp Cams . Many are doing the same thing as yours.

What we have been doing is buying up all the old mopar purple shaft cam kits for the lifters and use them in engines built here with the cam they choose.


We have put solid lifters in on some customer engines that came back with a tick. You can put Solids on a hydraulic cam. Make the valve lash .005. Power gain is unbelievable when getting rid of those lifters that never fully pump up. They only ever get rid of the tick and you never get any torque until RPMs build oil pressure. They act like the old rhodes lifters we use to run with large cams, Sponges until oil pressure pumps them up. With all the newer hydraulic lifters the power loss is extreme.

Solid roller cam with good roller rockers are what all of our personal motors get. Todds 408 got an old 557 solid purple shaft. Runs great.

 

[mopowers]

Since I am sure it is not the keepers failing I am going to put the cover back on and just drive it for a while. After it started ticking I literally don't have 0.1 miles on it. Just just started it and put it in the trailer, backed it off and into the garage, changed the oil started it up heard it tick got ticked off myself, put the cover on it and there it has sat until today.

Totally! Put it through some heat cycles and you may be pleasantly surprised.

 

[Oldmanmopar]

Totally! Put it through some heat cycles and you may be pleasantly surprised.

We have some that are in for over 2 years and still tick terribly at random. The owner of one said it always seems to do it when there is a crowd standing by the car.

 

[TT5.9mag]

Pull the intake, remove noisy lifter, disassemble, clean, and re install. That’s like a 2 hour job. I don’t get why you don’t want to pull the intake.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Pull the intake, remove noisy lifter, disassemble, clean, and re install. That’s like a 2 hour job. I don’t get why you don’t want to pull the intake.

It has AC with Edelbrock aluminum top end, my luck I'll pull threads out of something. Plus it is a show finish under the hood and pulling it apart without chipping paint sucks. Plus when I finish a restoration there is no expense spared and it is suppose to be _finished_ and all I want to do is drive it after that. I have other projects in the queue.

 

[TT5.9mag]

Another option, drain one quart of oil out, put one quart of trans fluid in. Drive it a while. Change oil. The detergent in the trans fluid can break down some of the gunk that can get caught in the check valves of the lifters.

 

[TT5.9mag]

It has AC with Edelbrock aluminum top end, my luck I'll pull threads of of something. Plus it is a show finish under the hood and pulling it apart without chipping paint sucks. Plus when I finish a restoration there is no expense spared and it is suppose to be _finished_ and all I want to do is drive it after that. I have other projects in the queue.

Gotcha. That sucks but these ain’t 2025 Hondas. They need some level of upkeep.

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Another option, drain one quart of oil out, put one quart of trans fluid in. Drive it a while. Change oil. The detergent in the trans fluid can break down some of the gunk that can get caught in the check valves of the lifters.

You could eat off the inside of the engine everything is new and restored. If there is something in it it's not gunk. I also looked very carefully for metal or other foreign material when I changed the oil. It looked like new still.

 

[RustyRatRod]

How are you 100% SURE the lifter is not pumped up and that it's not a wiped lobe and or lifter? When you did the oil change, did you closely inspect the oil for metal filings with a magnet? Did you cut the oil filter open?

 

[Jim Kueneman]

Just posted that, I checked carefully for metal in the oil and I think I cut it open (been a few months). If it is you can't detect it visually while cranking it. It looks like it opens the same as the others and once you turn it over once and get a bit of oil pressure it feels fine. When it is loose it is very loose you can see lots of daylight.

Wonder if I can get to it through the distributor hole?

 

[volaredon]

Gotcha. That sucks but these ain’t 2025 Hondas.

THANK GOD

 

[TT5.9mag]

You built it show quality once you can do it again. Just pull the intake.

 

[TT5.9mag]

You could eat off the inside of the engine everything is new and restored. If there is something in it it's not gunk. I also looked very carefully for metal or other foreign material when I changed the oil. It looked like new still.

The amount of gunk, ****, trash, debris I find in brand new lifters out of the box would shock anyone that doesn’t disassemble them when they’re new.
For instance;

That was a clean white towel when I started. You can see where I wiped each piece off after spraying it with brake clean.

 

[RustyRatRod]

Just posted that, I checked carefully for metal in the oil and I think I cut it open (been a few months). If it is you can't detect it visually while cranking it. It looks like it opens the same as the others and once you turn it over once and get a bit of oil pressure it feels fine. When it is loose it is very loose you can see lots of daylight.

Wonder if I can get to it through the distributor hole?

Maybe, if it's close enough.

 

[RustyRatRod]

The amount of gunk, ****, trash, debris I find in brand new lifters out of the box would shock anyone that doesn’t disassemble them when they’re new.

You got that right.

 

[318willrun]

When was the last time it shifted at 6k RPM's?? Maybe that's what it needs, a few trips into the R's....

 

[Jim Kueneman]

When was the last time it shifted at 6k RPM's?? Maybe that's what it needs, a few trips into the R's....

Never...... I just cruise in my cars.