I've got a supercharged 383 TPI that has a sticking lifter on the passenger side. The motor is making a loud ticking sound coming from the valve cover but sound isn't as sharp as a lose rocker. Any ideas as how to free it up? Oil additives? Some friends recommended a couple bottles of Marvel's Mystery Oil. Does Marvel's work? Any other methods? I really don't want to teardown the top-end of my motor if not needed, but i want to fix this problem.

 

Blame the lifter after you eliminate the valve lash possibilty. Also, header leaks.

 

add injector to list of things to check

 

Lifters virtually never "stick" or "collapse". Both of those are code words for "mystery noise I can't figure out". They have little or no meaning as far as anything that actually applies to the parts.

Don't think you're going to make the noise go away by "unsticking" something with something you pour in the oil. All that does, is "unstick" your dollars from your wallet.

I'd suggest taking that rocker off and seeing if there's something obviously munged about it, such as a bent push rod, pulled stud, damaged rocker, etc.

Is the cam a flat tappet or a roller?

 

Thats odd cause I have the same sound, but only sometimes, and only on start up for the first 30 seconds or so. I was putting the blame on a bad lifter, but do you guy's think that the rocker may just be too tight?