loud valve train ticking while driving??
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,250
Likes: 0
From: Katy TX
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
loud valve train ticking while driving??
Car started backfiring about twice around two weeks ago, just at start up. Then last week after starting and heading home, and a loud enough rattle started that i could hear it going down the road. I thought it might have been my front wheel bearings, checked that and they were fine.
Put everything back together and started the car, everything sounded fine. Backed the car out of the driveway, everything fine, pulled forward
and from 1500 on, it rattled like it did before. It is an erratic rattle. The valve train has been loud since the cam install, but this is way past that.
Last night, put the old screwdriver to the cover trick and heard loud tikking coming from some of the rockers. Pulled the cover and found loose contact from the lifter to the pushrod. (enough that i could wiggle the rockers freely) Also found one rocker that was compressed and off center of the valve stem by about 1/3. But found no play in the bearing to rocker shaft. Just loose. The pushrods are hardened push rods installed with the whiplash cam.
I have not over revved the engine, in fact i baby it and have only seen 6k twice since the cam install.
How much play should be in the rockers to the valve stem? And does this sound familiar to anyone?
Put everything back together and started the car, everything sounded fine. Backed the car out of the driveway, everything fine, pulled forward
and from 1500 on, it rattled like it did before. It is an erratic rattle. The valve train has been loud since the cam install, but this is way past that.
Last night, put the old screwdriver to the cover trick and heard loud tikking coming from some of the rockers. Pulled the cover and found loose contact from the lifter to the pushrod. (enough that i could wiggle the rockers freely) Also found one rocker that was compressed and off center of the valve stem by about 1/3. But found no play in the bearing to rocker shaft. Just loose. The pushrods are hardened push rods installed with the whiplash cam.
I have not over revved the engine, in fact i baby it and have only seen 6k twice since the cam install.
How much play should be in the rockers to the valve stem? And does this sound familiar to anyone?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 9,844
Likes: 33
From: S. FLA :: Professional Devil's Advocate
In my install there really wasn't any play at all in fact is was firm. I just did a full cam/head swap because I was getting louder and louder valvetrain noise. Turned out to be a failed lifter.
Do any of you valve tips look damaged? On the one of mine that failed it smashed up the valve tip from the extra play.
Do any of you valve tips look damaged? On the one of mine that failed it smashed up the valve tip from the extra play.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,250
Likes: 0
From: Katy TX
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
i only pulled the one that was walking. I didnt see any indications of cracks or deformation of the rocker. The strange thing is that it does it much louder when driving. When i rev it in neutral it isnt near as bad. But it sounds like a loud can of marbles when driving.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 13,550
Likes: 6
From: Now in God's Country, the Big Sky, Montana!
Cruise-In 7-8-9-10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12
Sounds like a potential lifter issue just as Outklast described.
Or, since you have play on the rocker(s) you could possibly have a broken rocker arm bolt. I have seen that on one car to date and it had us pulling our hair out until we found it. Everything looked and felt normal but the bolt was sheared in half but stayed in place, it was weird.
Any chance of it being an exhaust leak?
Or, since you have play on the rocker(s) you could possibly have a broken rocker arm bolt. I have seen that on one car to date and it had us pulling our hair out until we found it. Everything looked and felt normal but the bolt was sheared in half but stayed in place, it was weird.
Any chance of it being an exhaust leak?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,250
Likes: 0
From: Katy TX
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
Sounds like a potential lifter issue just as Outklast described.
Or, since you have play on the rocker(s) you could possibly have a broken rocker arm bolt. I have seen that on one car to date and it had us pulling our hair out until we found it. Everything looked and felt normal but the bolt was sheared in half but stayed in place, it was weird.
Any chance of it being an exhaust leak?
Or, since you have play on the rocker(s) you could possibly have a broken rocker arm bolt. I have seen that on one car to date and it had us pulling our hair out until we found it. Everything looked and felt normal but the bolt was sheared in half but stayed in place, it was weird.
Any chance of it being an exhaust leak?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 22,025
Likes: 192
From: At the beach in little Rhody
If the lifter is on the cam base circle, you will be able to wiggle the rocker back and forth to some degree. However, these rockers are known for shedding bearings. Inspect each one on the trunnion and look for escaping needles. You may also want to change the oil and look there as well.
