Broke in my new motor and the #3 cylinder exhaust lobe or lifter is ticking pretty good(specs in sig). All other clylinders are fine except this one. I tried setting lash with the motor running and the ticking will go away for a couple seconds when I give it a half turn but then comes back. I did this for almost 1 1/2 turns past 0 lash(same thing after each 1/2 turn). Is it my lifter or my lobe?

I also was just reading in another thread about the issue of harland sharp 1.5 roller rockers needing +.100 pushrods on the exhaust side. I'm using those exact rockers and am wondering if this could be an issue as well(it is only the one lobe/lifter tho that's making any noise)?

Lastly to setup valve guides do I just fasten them down lightly and turn the motor over a few times, then tighten them down full or?

Thx,
Justin

Pull the pushrod in question, lay it on a flat surface and check for straightness. Do you have any oilflow out of this rod when it's running? Whose lifters did you use?

Valve guides are in the head,,its what the valve moves up and down in. By valve guides do you mean the guide plate the push rod moves up and down in to keep the rocker arm straight? If so they are bolted securely to the head. Is the rocker in question not moving as much as the rest of them? Sounds like a cam lobe to me,unfortunately, how many miles on this motor?

Originally posted by Rapid Robert:
Valve guides are in the head,,its what the valve moves up and down in. By valve guides do you mean the guide plate the push rod moves up and down in to keep the rocker arm straight? If so they are bolted securely to the head. Is the rocker in question not moving as much as the rest of them? Sounds like a cam lobe to me,unfortunately, how many miles on this motor? Yea sry, I mean the pushrod guides. The rocker in question looks to move as much as the others. There is only approx 40mins breakin time on this motor. I've never run it under load.

As for oil flow out of the pushrod while running I dont recall at the moment but if there isn't would this suggest a leaky lifter? I did preload all the lifters with oil and they all seemed to hold(pushed down no the rocker arms to test) before break-in if this helps at all?

I will check on the straightness of the pushrod and get back to you...

Oh and I'm using Comp Cams lifters from a few years back that I already had... about 5yrs ago.

Thx again

Justin,
If everything else checks out ok, it is possible that the lifter is sticking. If it has been sitting around for 5 years the assembly lube they use might have dried up, or it could be a small dirt particle. If the lifter and cam look ok, what I would do it take the snap ring out of the lifter, take it apart and clean all the parts real good, then put it back together and try it. I would do that rather than take a chance replacing the lifter, even though it is a basically new cam. There really is not much to go bad inside a hydraulic lifter. Dirt will hang them up and make them noisy.
Just my opinion,

Pushrod checks out as still being straight.

Thx for the help so far guys!

Justin

More good news!

Finally got around to taking the intake off and checking out the lifter. It looks perfect. Going to take it apart now to see if its hung up or something.

I'm still wondering if it's possible my cam is still going flat while my lifter appears fine tho. Is this possible after ~40mins breakin time?

The lifter foot would be trashed if the cam lobe was damaged. I would suspect dirt in the lifter, burs on the lifter piston, or a lifter that's just out of spec. Does the lifter spin freely in the bore?

Might take a close look at the valve spring in question.

The lifter spins freely in the bore.
I just took it apart and didn't notice any dirt or burrs inside the lifter however when I first took the lifter out there was a burr on the top of it(while still in the motor). I do notice there's a very small amount of burring on the oil hole inside the main lifter body. Doesn't look like it sticks out enough to cause any problems and there isn't any scoring on the inner lifter body(the thing that rides on the spring). Could the lifter spring be out of spec? I can compress it with my fingers when its out of the lifter but nto when its in.

What should I look for on the valve spring? Installed height?

Well, I put the lifter back in and still the same loud ticking. Is it just a bad lifter or could I have a valve problem?

anyone?

TTT