I just got done re-ringing my 502 with standard tension oil rings. So far so good. But the lifter noise has got me baffled. It ticks intermittently at all engine speeds & seems to "cycle" in and out of ticking. I can be cruising & ticking & then not.

This is a Lunati 60203 cam & the lifters that came with it & I put it in last year. It broke in fine and all lobes & lifter bottoms look great & yes they went back into thier respective bores.

I also had this same issue with the original cam & lifters..they were zero lash. I converted to adjustable & still no resolution.

While I had the engine apart this winter, I verified pushrod length was ok. no abnormal wear on valve train. I have very good oil pressure.

My next step would be to put in new studs, rockers, & lifters but I want to be sure where I can get GOOD quality lifters as I have heard a lot about cheap Chinese lifters. ANyone know where to get them?

Any other solutions or suggestions as to how to quiet them down?

Thank you all for any help!

Have you ruled out a possible exhaust leak that sounds like a lifter tick?

Have you ruled out a possible exhaust leak that sounds like a lifter tick?

No question, it's valve noise.

My 385 seemed to have a (hydraulic roller) lifter noise that was driving me nuts. It appeared to be only one lifter. I'd "EOIC'ed" the valves a few times previously, with no improvement, so I decided to adjust with engine running. I installed a modified, cut down the center, stock valve cover to access the poly locks. Funny thing though, ..... with that valve cover installed, open to the atmosphere and having direct contact with a stethoscope, ... I could not hear or detect any lifter noise. This engine has thick/heavy cast aluminum valve covers, and when re-installed, ... that "noise" appeared again. I seems this heavy valve cover, can create a situation that mimics a noisy lifter, in some "magical" way. Now, I just ignore the tick, because, it's not actually there.

My 385 seemed to have a (hydraulic roller) lifter noise that was driving me nuts. It appeared to be only one lifter. I'd "EOIC'ed" the valves a few times previously, with no improvement, so I decided to adjust with engine running. I installed a modified, cut down the center, stock valve cover to access the poly locks. Funny thing though, ..... with that valve cover installed, open to the atmosphere and having direct contact with a stethoscope, ... I could not hear or detect any lifter noise. This engine has thick/heavy cast aluminum valve covers, and when re-installed, ... that "noise" appeared again. I seems this heavy valve cover, can create a situation that mimics a noisy lifter, in some "magical" way. Now, I just ignore the tick, because, it's not actually there.

I had the same thing on my 385, I have those big bodied aluminum (scorpion) rocker arms. The rocker was actually contacting the cast valve cover. I got some fabbed aluminum ones and the noise is greatly diminished. i have yet to pull the valve cover and re-adjust the valves but I think it would disappear completely.

I had the same thing on my 385, I have those big bodied aluminum (scorpion) rocker arms. The rocker was actually contacting the cast valve cover. I got some fabbed aluminum ones and the noise is greatly diminished. i have yet to pull the valve cover and re-adjust the valves but I think it would disappear completely.

You've got me wondering now. I'm also running Scorpions (1.5's). Were there obvious contact marks inside your old valve covers? If I do have contact, it's just a kiss. Guess I'll be pulling the covers, and take a close look.

check inside the cover at the upper corners and on either side of the upper bolts.

You've got me wondering now. I'm also running Scorpions (1.5's). Were there obvious contact marks inside your old valve covers? If I do have contact, it's just a kiss. Guess I'll be pulling the covers, and take a close look.

No obvious contact marks, I could tell though after moving the valve cover around with no bolts in it that this was definitely the source. You can try this too, shift it up towards the center and the noise should go away.

I caught it without putting too many miles on it.

You've got me wondering now. I'm also running Scorpions (1.5's). Were there obvious contact marks inside your old valve covers? If I do have contact, it's just a kiss. Guess I'll be pulling the covers, and take a close look.

No, no contact with the cover. This is definitely a lifter issue. I just ordered all new rockers, studs, nuts etc.

It's only money.

how are "all new rockers, studs, nuts etc." going to help your lifters? expiring minds want to know :)

how are "all new rockers, studs, nuts etc." going to help your lifters? expiring minds want to know :)

Not that they seemed out of adjustment, but some of the the nuts lost their "locking" ability and a few rockers showed a little wear on the valve stem contact point so I figured I would try that.

At this point I would listen to any sugestions.

I know your sure of yourself on lifter noise and actual lifter causing problem, just how I was when I had the same problem. I readjusted lifters in area of noise numerous times and gave up for awhile, than couldn't stand it when at it again. Months. It was a dam exhaust leak because of screwed up welding at gasket area by Hooker headers at one port

I think replacing the rockers is a good idea...who knows if the rockers/balls were mixed-up, resulting in some mis-matched mating surfaces.

My 385 seemed to have a (hydraulic roller) lifter noise that was driving me nuts. It appeared to be only one lifter. I'd "EOIC'ed" the valves a few times previously, with no improvement, so I decided to adjust with engine running. I installed a modified, cut down the center, stock valve cover to access the poly locks. Funny thing though, ..... with that valve cover installed, open to the atmosphere and having direct contact with a stethoscope, ... I could not hear or detect any lifter noise. This engine has thick/heavy cast aluminum valve covers, and when re-installed, ... that "noise" appeared again. I seems this heavy valve cover, can create a situation that mimics a noisy lifter, in some "magical" way. Now, I just ignore the tick, because, it's not actually there.


I just got done rebuilding a '65 327 that I had bought after someone else had "rebuilt" it. There were a few problems, but it had been gone through pretty good. It had a new cam and lifters, and the engine had only been run less than a half an hour, so when I re-did everything, I used that same cam and lifers, making sure I matched the lifters to the respective bores.

Well, long story short, after I fired it up on a test stand, I had a ticking noise at higher RPM's, 1800 and higher. I readjusted the valves, twice, then I replaced all the lifters with another brand new set, and still the noise was there. I took the fuel pump loose, and ran an electric one, and still had the noise. ( On a side note, years ago I had a 283 that was practically new inside, with new everything bolted on, and it had a horrible noise like a piston pin gone bad. It was the brand new AC fuel pump tension spring. It had broken, allowing the pushrod to bang back and forth, and sounded just like a piston, being in the middle of the engine.)

Anyway, I too had a set of aluminum valve covers on this 327, and when I took a stethescope to it, I could clearly hear the noise in each cover right near the baffles inside to prevent oil from being sucked up into the pcv system. When I removed them for a closer inspection, I noticed that the screw on baffles has small contact marks on each side. They were just wide enough that the made contact with the rockers on either side, and at and idle, it wasn't noticeable, but at high rpm's, it sounded like a bad lifter. After tweaking the baffles slightly, by narrowing them to clear, the noise was gone.

It's always the simple things that give you the biggest headaches. So I had replaced a perfectly good set of lifters, and readjusted the valves 3 times for nothing. That's a tough learning curve!

I hope you find what your problem is, and may it be something easy, and cheap! Good luck to you.

Rick.

mine does same thing,, remove valve covers = no noise

mine does same thing,, remove valve covers = no noise

It is lifter noise. As I said in the original post, it "cycles" in & out of ticking. It is without question valve train. I have checked the valve cover interference possibility many times.

Even though when I readjusted them (running & static) they appeared to be in adjustment but the lock nuts (oem) were on the loose side so replacing rockers studs & nuts seems like a last resort.

Failing that, I will pull out what's left of my hair.