[davlac89]

Anyway to easily find a hydraulic lifter clacking? Hearing some clacking at idle on the engine right side. Valves are freshly adjusted, 1/2 a turn. I removed the valve cover after the engine had warmed up, pushed on every lifter to make sure none were uncharged. I rotated the engine a bit to make sure I got all off them. Everything was nice and tight.

Started the engine with valve cover off and listen with a screwdriver to the ear on every rocker nut. Nothing seemed really off. Heads and intake were off recently, I visually inspected every lifters and the cam, everything was good. Heads are freshly rebuilt, no funny business going on with them.

There is a really faint clacking sound under load. It's so faint that I'm on the verge of thinking I'm imagining it. Just trying to shed some light on this. Might be hard to hear on video but here it is anyway:

 

[396325]

Sometimes it you have a cam with aggressive lobes you will hear some valve train noise.

 

[magicrat56]

What rocker arms are you using? Hft or roller? I wouldn't be that concerned with it if everything under the covers look good. I doubt going to 1/2 a turn would make any change.

 

[davlac89]

What rocker arms are you using? Hft or roller? I wouldn't be that concerned with it if everything under the covers look good. I doubt going to 1/2 a turn would make any change.

HFT

 

[RifRaf]

There is a really faint clacking sound under load.

When your engine is under load, there is more back-pressure in the exhaust.
There is a possibility that what you are really hearing is a header gasket leak... as these exhaust leaks sound very similar to a valve tap. You might try changing the header gaskets to see if that helps.

 

[temp2c]

Put a stick next to your ear and touch it on different parts while the engine is running. You will hear it loud and clear..

 

[LeoP]

esp the fuel pump, good luck!!

 

[69-CHVL]

Anyway to easily find a hydraulic lifter clacking? Hearing some clacking at idle on the engine right side. Valves are freshly adjusted, 1/2 a turn. I removed the valve cover after the engine had warmed up, pushed on every lifter to make sure none were uncharged. I rotated the engine a bit to make sure I got all off them. Everything was nice and tight.

Started the engine with valve cover off and listen with a screwdriver to the ear on every rocker nut. Nothing seemed really off. Heads and intake were off recently, I visually inspected every lifters and the cam, everything was good. Heads are freshly rebuilt, no funny business going on with them.

There is a really faint clacking sound under load. It's so faint that I'm on the verge of thinking I'm imagining it. Just trying to shed some light on this. Might be hard to hear on video but here it is anyway:

It does sound valvetrain to me. So many dam things can cause the noise...very frustrating.

Although that motor sounds pretty dam good I have to be honest compared to my junk. Possible the valve job may be a little loose(er) on a couple of valves. Check rockers/balls/pushrods etc. Perhaps another 1/4 turn for experimentation. If the heads were resurfaced, your getting a little more preload anyway.

Otherwise join the party of people with too-loud valvetrains.

PS - perhaps when the engine is warmed up and idling at an rpm that generates the noise, loosen/tighten each rocker a bit to try and ID the culprit.

 

[427L88]

Dang, you want to hear a lifter clacking, I'll record my MJ468 with Morels. One little indian don;t play well! No issue on vacuum gauge or apparently in power delivery, so I simply live with it. Unless you have a minor header leak ( which sounds VERY much like a tappet off) , I'm with Vince above, its sounds quite "normal".

 

[LevonH]

Oil weight and type? Roller tip rockers? Comp cams hydraulic? All of these can also add to noise.
Tall valve covers also amplify small sounds.

 

[mrpaticular]

Pushing on a rocker arm by hand is not going to show miss adjustment.
Sounds have a reputation of traveling.
Head to header gaskets can cause tick sounds eventually getting worse.
I would track it down before things get worse.
Rick

 

[davlac89]

When your engine is under load, there is more back-pressure in the exhaust.
There is a possibility that what you are really hearing is a header gasket leak... as these exhaust leaks sound very similar to a valve tap. You might try changing the header gaskets to see if that helps.

Good point. Header gaskets are brand new, freshly installed. Will try to tighten the bolts a bit more. Might explained why to old gaskets were all goop up with sealant.....

 

[Hotwire]

It does sound like valvetrain, but, have you checked the pcv valve?

One other avenue for listening would be to use a paper towel tube, wrapping paper tube, or if you have a straight piece of radiator hose or something similar laying around. It'll focus your ear to the opening instead of hearing everything around it.

Have you tried putting rocker arm oil deflectors on and running the car without the valvecover installed?

 

[lucifershammer]

Get a 3' piece of 3/4" or 5/8" heater hose. Put one end on your ear. Move the other end slowly around the engine, exhaust, etc. As soon as you get near the noise, it will echo right up the hose to your ear and you will be in the ballpark.