I can't for the life of me trace this tick on a cold start. This is after 6 days of no starting so it's as cold as it gets. I have new Johnson lifters and 1.6 scorpion roller rockers. I have adjusted to valves 4 times. It's a cold start tick. It also changes in severity. This time it wasn't as bad as other times. I don't know if it's an exhaust leak or a lifter. When it warms up it's all but gone. Usually will only last around 30 seconds. This roller valve train is louder than the stock stamped rockers, but there's a heavier tick beyond that. Driving me insane.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vIZ8d9H0FNGKRJnqKTA_MKPRRboz0dW_/view?usp=drivesdk

 

Probably the lifters pumping back up with oil. I get the same thing... yeah for about 10-15 seconds or so.

 

Nothing like starting up at a car show and it sounds like Iron workers slamming rivets into metal beams.

 

Mine isn't that bad... lol

mine basically get a little audible and then become inaudible after about 10-15 sec.

Maybe a faulty lifter or something? Or incorrect ring gaps on the pistons?

 

I thought about piston slap but since it changes so much I don't think it is and it's not as fast as piston slap. It's literally ticking at 1/2 the engine RPM. So it's got to be either a lifter or an exhaust leak. But sometimes it's barely there and sometimes it's quite loud in the beginning when it's dead cold. I do believe, at least from what I've read that rollers are typically nosier than stock.

 

Roller rockers are a little noisier than stock, yeah. So it could be amplifying the noise too...

 

Does the oil filter that you are using have an anti-drainback valve?

 

I have a WIX 51069 filter. No Anti drain back in those. I thought they weren't necessary on filters that hang down like ours.

 

I wonder myself. But if the oil was somehow draining back into the pan, then that could be the cause of your 30 second tick.

 

It's a valid point. I wouldn't say somehow, I'd say that it is. What's to stop it? The filter is the low point. I know the valve is supposed to keep oil in the filter for upside down or sideways installs but it will also hold back whatever is in the oil galleries, at least for quite some time. For what a filter costs it's worth a try.

 

If your running a Carb and a block mounted fuel pump, it *MIGHT* be the fuel pump. ( If running an electrical fuel pump - disregard this advise !! )

I restored a Camaro once and and just about drove myself crazy trying to find the "clicking' noise once I got it back up and running. The sound didn't go away fully once it warmed up,.. but it was not as nearly pronounced as it was when it was a cold start. The sound seemed to be coming from the back of the engine so when sitting in the car while running - it sounded like it was directly behind the radio. At first I thought it was a collapsed Lifter, so I replaced all of them with new. (didn't hel) Then I thought maybe it was a bad roller rocker so I pulled them all off for stamped steel (didn't help) then I figured the flywheel *must* have had a crack in it I didn't notice,.... prepared myself for pulling the tranny to swap the flywheel. I got under the car to listen while it was running before pulling the tranny and noticed the "tick" was also heard along the body - and that blew my mind.

Turns out the "ticking" was the result of a weak spring in the block-mounted fuel pump. The weak spring caused the pump lever to tick and the tick was being transmitted along the entire fuel line. It was most pronounce along the transmission tunnel because the carb fuel lines pass from the drivers side to the pass side in this location. ( the tick was heard where-ever the metal fuel line made contact with something.... just most noticeable at the tranny tunnel.) If your running a Carb and a block mounted pump you could use a bunch of ZIP ties to try and better secure the fuel lines and this *might* help. Block mounted fuel pumps are cheap and replacing it with another pump is the next step. Inspect the spring & lever in the new pump before installing - mine was BRAND NEW but there was just a little bit of "play" and that was all it took.

Hope this helps !

 

I'm TPI so in tank and I've converted to a 5 speed so I have a flywheel, no flex plate. It is peculiar because the sound does seem to come from the rear of the engine somewhere.

 

I feel your pain. I too have a ticking noise coming from drivers side rear/collector area, but the tick isn't the whole bank of 4 leaking - it's steady rpm-driven from one cylinder (judging by the amount of ticks per second). And it isn't lifters or rockers. It started when i changed intake, heads and went with guide plates. It fades when the engine is up to temp. It didnt tick with the old stock tpi intake and iron heads. I have tried everything (but the correct thing). Tried different load settings on the lifters/rockers, retorqued header bolts, checked everything for clearance. So, something is not "happy". I will go back to self aligning rockers and ditch the guide plates to see if anything changes. Following this thread with excitement!!

 

You've described verbatim exactly my problem. Aluminum heads, rollers and guide plates. I don't know WTF the issue is.

 

I'll let you know if anything changes after going back to self aligning rockers

 

Please do. It's bizzare. There are days I think it's an exhaust leak. Sometimes it's a hard tap or a soft tick. It's all over the place. Usually settles out after 30 seconds to as long as a minute but that's rare. The valve train is however generally noisy with these scorpions.

 

Been thinking about the guide plates. I'm wondering if the sound is the pushrod rattling off the sides of the guide plate until the lifter is fully pumped up and things kind of stabilize. It's really the only big change in the head. I've never had the guides before.

 

Same. I have to know! If it STILL ticks after I change - I will 1.) curse for five hours, and 2.) probably go back to plates since those rockers are cheaper and has a lot more options.

My self aligning are aluminum jegs narrow body 1.6. Bought those to clear the center bolt valve covers but after changing heads I went to perimeter bolt covers.

Fingers crossed!

 

Been digging into this and set the valves..again...using the EOIC method. They quieted down a little bit still ticks on cold starts. I have the proform blue plastic check tool and an adjustable pushrod. Everything I've done including a valve sweep where the mark is dead center on the stem puts me at 7.200 pushrods, which is what I have. However once the preload is set, say somewhere are .035 to .045, is that pushrod now not .035 or so shorter? Should I be adding the preload to the pushrod and get a longer Rod?