kalli

Hi all,

we have the 1966 289 finished.
we installed edelbrock e-street heads (1.9/1.6), comp cams 1.6:1 roller rockers, pushrods measured. it's running great. very smooth idle (very mild cam, maybe 0.47" lift at valves). However there is some unusual ticking coming from one side of the engine. it's clearly coming from the rockers/valves.
the rockers are tight (not loose) and it only appears sporadically.
when revving up slowly it comes in after 1 second, as well as when letting the throttle return. basically whenever there's a quicker rpm change. it sometimes goes away straight away, sometimes it ticks for a minute.

it sounds very similar to valve ticking, but isn't. It isn't exhaust leak either. that sounds different again. however i will have to doublecheck that one again, just to be 100% sure

we initially thought one of the rockers might hit the cover, but we can reproduce without the covers as well

Any ideas? do we have a bad set of lifters (comp cams HE or magnum, new)?
could too tight cause it (i haven't adjusted them, will re-do all tomorrow)
could wrong viscosity cause that? we use 20w50

other than that the engine sounds sweet

thanks for any ideas!

Kalli

1969boss302

Adjusting them too tight could cause that, or you might have a bad lifter. Try readjusting them and see if that fixes the problem. Did you prime the oil pump before first start?

stephen.osborne1

I am thinking hydraulic lifters... When you had the motor machined, did they hone the lifter bores? Maybe just not a tight seal?

kalli

i'll try to adjust them so.
we had nothing machined. just took a stock 289 removed lifters, cam, pushrods, heads, timing gear and rockers and replaced with new
and yes. primed the pump

mstngsule68

for some reason, idk why, but weak springs or spring popped in my head.........

KMatch

I've fixed MANY noisy (new) lifters by holding the throttle at fairly high RPMs for 30 seconds to a minute without so much as pulling a valve cover. The consequences of doing warranty work makes one somewhat creative. I don't know if they were all cases of trapped air, but that's what I believe and the high RPMs likely forced the air out with higher oil pressure and basically "beat them into submission". I'd probably run out of fingers counting how many I "cured" this way. The question is whether it stays cured. If the noise comes back, bad lifter.

kalli

i ran out of pushrods, so i have 2 non-hardened pushrods. until I have the full set I refuse to rev it to 4} grand. on saturday I'll drive her slowly to a show (less than 5 miles from where the car is). by next week I should have the rods. After changing them I'll go for a proper run. I do actually have a feeling that a good bit of revving will make the problem go away. buddy tells me he didn't soak the lifters and I made sure noone gets the idea to fill them (pump them)