Lifter rattle

Smokinnjokin · Jul 1, 2019

Gentlemen,
My tired 360 (smog, probably rebuilt but looks mostly stock) has a ticking sound coming from under the front passenger side of the valve cover, sounds like a lifter ticking. Gets better after a long drive (several hours at freeway speeds) but does not go away. I have done MMO in oil and gas to no avail.

I have the intake off and front end apart (fresh timing chain) so now is the time to address this. What am I looking for? None of the pushrods in the noisy area seem overly loose, nothing looks amiss with the lifters or cam. Rockers seem fine too. I don't want to mess with the valvetrain if nothing is really wrong. Is there a procedure to check each lifter in sequence? I assume that with the valve closed and pressure off the lifter, the pushrod should spin freely but have no slop, correct?

Photon440 · Jul 1, 2019

I was sure I had a ticking lifter once (it was a Pontiac 400) but in the end it turned out to be a tiny leak in the exhaust gasket. It was less noticeable when the engine was hot.

68Moparmaniac · Jul 1, 2019

If you can, just replace the lifters while you have access to the lifter valley. Older lifters tend to gum up internally and ultimately start letting you know their un-happy. Take them out and give them a good visual inspection, looking for cracks or abnormal wear. If your strapped for cash and can't afford new ones just remove the snap ring and pull the guts out, clean, (I used carb cleaner) lube and re-assemble. Be sure to return the lifter to the hole you got it from, if you don't you run a high chance of wiping out the bump stick or worse. I've had to do this before for a friend who was strapped for cash but needed the car for transportation, last I heard it was still running on the old lifters...

Dennis H · Jul 1, 2019

Spin rods to ensure not bent.

slepr1 · Jul 1, 2019

I agree with Photon440. Cross your fingers and hope its an exhaust leak.

R413 · Jul 1, 2019

Try this. LOOK at the cam lobes and see if they are worn, or if any look much worse than the others. Lifters don’t seem to get gummed up these days now that oil has such high detergent in it.

I’d look it over and if nothing stands out as bad keep driving it.

Don Frelier · Jul 1, 2019

You should check your fuel pump and pushrod as well.

R413 · Jul 1, 2019

Don Frelier said:
You should check your fuel pump and pushrod as well.

360 small block doesn’t have a fuel pump pushrod. It is run from an eccentric bolted to the front of the timing gear.

Call the auto parts store and ask for a fuel pump pushrod for a 1970’s 360 mopar and see what they tell ya.

Big blocks have the pushrod for fuel pump.

mopar 3 B · Jul 1, 2019

We use to just add some automatic transmission fluid when the oil level got low before a oil change. Drive a few hundred miles and change the oil. The high detergent in the trans fluid would clean the lifters.

R413 · Jul 1, 2019

toolmanmike said:
Yes it does. 5.2 and 5.9 Magnums don't.

Perhaps you can show us some photo evidence of your claim. I just updated my post.

khryslerkid · Jul 1, 2019

Yes it does...no it doesn't...yes it does...

Small blocks have the long leaver that runs on the timing gear eccentric.

https://www.summitracing.com/search...e/5-9l-360/engine-family/mopar-small-block-la

I had a ford fuel pump that sounded like a bad connecting rod. The owner was about to pull the engine until I took the pump off and started it. Noise gone!

33 IMP · Jul 1, 2019

I would really look for an exhaust leak. It will be a lot harder to find with the motor apart however. With headers, look for a loose header bolt or two, or a crack near the flange. With manifolds, look for a crack. Maybe as the manifold gets really warm, it closes up a bit.
If you are sure its a lifter tick, now is the time to replace them all. Do an oil change after, zinc in the new oil.

Smokinnjokin · Jul 1, 2019

Not the fuel pump, that is recently replaced. I will remove and clean lifters, and check for bent pushrods.

khryslerkid · Jul 1, 2019

Here's a quick way to check your valve train. It is more precise than this but this way might find any loose rockers/lifters.

I like to use a remote button on the starter solenoid to turn the engine. You don't need to have the key on.

With valve covers and spark plugs removed, turn the engine watching each set of rockers, one set at a time. When watching a set, one goes down then back up. Then the other goes down and back up. Now both are back up, check the rockers for up and down play. It's normal for the rockers to have side to side movement. You're looking for up and down play. Do each set this way looking for one that has excessive play.

toolmanmike · Jul 1, 2019

Carbureted 360's have a mechanical fuel pump. Fuel injected 360's (5.9 Magnums) have electric fuel pumps and no fuel pump eccentric on the cam and no pushrod. Sorry if I misspoke about the pushrod. That's a Chevy thing.

khryslerkid · Jul 1, 2019

toolmanmike said:
That's a Chevy thing.

And a Mopar B and RB engine.

mopar 3 B · Jul 1, 2019

toolmanmike said:
Carbureted 360's have a mechanical fuel pump. Fuel injected 360's (5.9 Magnums) have electric fuel pumps and no fuel pump eccentric on the cam and no pushrod. Sorry if I misspoke about the pushrod. That's a Chevy thing.

Not all efi 360's were magnums and they did have an eccentric on the cam with a pump block off plate. A std small block mechanical pump bolts right on and functions as if it were meant to be there. They were also roller cam engines. Just to throw a wrench into it. Years 89-92.

toolmanmike · Jul 2, 2019

mopar 3 B said:
Not all efi 360's were magnums and they did have an eccentric on the cam with a pump block off plate. A std small block mechanical pump bolts right on and functions as if it were meant to be there. They were also roller cam engines. Just to throw a wrench into it. Years 89-92.

Ya there's exceptions to every rule especially during the transition years. There were 318's produced that used the roller cam block but were hydraulic flat tappet cams and carbed instead of tbi. The cars switched to roller first in 85.

Jcharger · Jul 2, 2019

I know you said rockers seem fine. But the stamped steel ones can wear and produce noise. If your comment about them being fine was a check like the one just described, I would rule that out. If that test hasn't been done, I would leave them in the mix. Fine if there is some other reason to rule them out.

Dennis H · Jul 2, 2019

A little late, but did the rattle develop or suddenly happen? When The Rod bent and broke the tip off, it was sudden and pronounced. More like a tap than a rattle. Mechanics stethoscope helped after confirming it was not exhaust. Relatively easy fix.

Lifter rattle

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