Rocker roller noise or lash adjuster (lifters)?

Wings65288

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Hi there, it's pretty intermittent but it's there and it's coming from the passenger side head. Here's a video of it:


3 questions newby questions as I'm not too savy with heads but have watched some videos and am still unclear on this.
  • How do you rotate the cam with the timing cover STILL on?
  • To remove lash adjusters do you need to remove the cam?
  • Can you drop a valve stem?
 

Albatross

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Does kind of sound like a lash adjuster but it's tough to tell from the video. Was the engine cold in that video? How many miles? Possible piston slap maybe?

1. You can rotate the cams with the valve cover off by turning the crank bolt with a large ratchet.
2. You do not need to remove the cams to remove the lash adjusters. You can pop the rocker off with a screwdriver and pull the lash adjuster out. Make sure the lobe is facing away from the rocker. You just need to be careful not to scratch the cam lobe(don't pry on lobe surface). I have done it this way before. The rear cylinders are tough but it can be done.
3. You will not drop a valve as long as you don't mess with the spring. The spring has a retainer for the valve at the top. As long as you don't compress the spring you will be fine.

Hope this helps. Good luck man!
 

Wings65288

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The engine was warm in the video, it doesn't do that on startup. It starts to do this noise when the engine gets to about a 140 degrees.

Yes the car does have some piston slap and has had that since day 1 (I threw some 9.5:1 Gibtecs in there). Oil has never looked metallic. I actually personally built the Teksid engine in my garage with a lot of guidance from a friend. But I didnt touch the heads at all during the rebuild.
 

Wings65288

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Ok so yeah I'd have to take the caged lower back off then to get the crank bolt. Ok makes sense now. Thank you
 

03cobra#2

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You won't need to take the caged lower off. You can use I think it's a 14mm hex on the lower to rotate the engine. The biggest challenge will be getting the valve cover off....that's not too bad though. Should be a fairly easy fix.
 

hotcobra03

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Don’t need to remove lower

Turn the lower it’s the same thing.

You can also rent a tool to remove rockers
 

Wings65288

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Ok sweet, I may just buy the tool. So what do you guys think it could be most likely, rocker rollers or lifters? It's VERY intermittent, for example I just started my car and ran it up to operating temp and didn't hear it tick once.
 

Wings65288

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Interesting I never thought of that. Would the intermittentness of the tick more likely to be the chain tensioner?
 

hotcobra03

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I just listened to video

To me sounds like loose water pump pulley if that tick sound that comes in every now and then is what your asking
 

Wings65288

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Interesting, I'll see if I can get a flex ratchet back in there and check today. If it's loose and that's the issue I might have to venmo u a big steak dinner lol
 

hotcobra03

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to me with video taken from under car vs over valve cover had me think

kinda hard to hear a lifter down hear

I myself left my bolts loose and it made a similar sound

or even say a bracket or other item on belt system

motor sounded extremely smooth

tob/cracked flywheel are other items to make a snap clicking noise that may trick you every now and than
 

03cobra#2

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I would probably start by dissembling the pulleys...checking each one to make sure they are not loose / wobbly, and spinning ok. If you get to the point to taking the valve covers off, you will want to pull each follower off and check each lash adjuster by pulling them and making sure none of them are spongy. You can get the followers off by using a turning the cam on it's base circle and using a screw driver to pop them out and re-install. The first couple times you do it, it's tricky but you get good at it. I just did this a few weeks ago. No special tools needed, and no scratched cam lobes.
 

Wings65288

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I checked all the pulleys and they seemed good, water pulley seemed great.

I started this thing up 3 different times today and ran it up to operating temp (from a cold start) and it only ticked during one of those runs. The other 2 times not a sound. Ran it 30 mins each time. I guess I'll take the let it develop approach. Even checked the spark plugs on passenger side (where tick sounds like it's coming from).

Does this sound more like lifter or timing chain tensioner?
 

olympic

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The randomness of it makes me think it's not rocker/lash adjuster related. A problem in that area is usually a steady rhythmic noise. I'm leaning towards the timing chain system or something in the belt drive(a/c compressor dying maybe?). Start with the stethoscope and if that doesn't find it then maybe try removing one belt at a time and running it to see if the noise is still there. Just dont over heat it with the inner belt off!
 

wckdvnm

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Mine makes the same noise from time to time; depends on outside temp but it sounds just like yours. When I probed the VC bolts I found out it was coming from a lash adjuster that seems to be getting weak. Threw some sea foam in the oil and it helped it not do it as often but they still have to come out.
It’s a rather embarrassing noise but hasn’t affected performance on my car at all.


Sent from my iPhone using svtperformance.com
 

Wings65288

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The AC was deleted. But yeah I agree could see something with the timing tensioners/guides possibly being the issue. I'm just baffled by how random this is, I'll rev it hard and it still won't tick no matter how long I run it. But then sometimes it will tick...it's just random
 

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