Noisy Valve Train

[Logan Hughes]

Calling all Mopar BB gear heads for ideas/suggestions. First some background. We did a complete rebuild on my 440 2 years ago and I have about 2,500 miles on it. (Build details covered in earlier posts.) The cam is a CompCams XE-268H with Sealed Power HT976 hydraulic lifters. I went with the stock valve train and inspected everything for wear. I expected a noisier valve train due to the rapid ramp rate and also based on various forum comments. However, I have a definite tick, tick, tick! It is engine speed related from idle to full speed. I checked my fuel pump rod and it was worn badly. I hoped after replacement, that would be the cure. NOT! I'm going to pull the valve covers and re-inspect the rocker shafts, stamped steel rockers, and pushrods. Am I on the right track? Also, I am running Mobile 1 10W30 with Lucas Zinc additive and I'm going up in oil weight with my oil change. So, let me hear your suggestions/ideas. Thanks in advance for y'alls feedback.

 

[Jerry Hall]

Calling all Mopar BB gear heads for ideas/suggestions. First some background. We did a complete rebuild on my 440 2 years ago and I have about 2,500 miles on it. (Build details covered in earlier posts.) The cam is a CompCams XE-268H with Sealed Power HT976 hydraulic lifters. I went with the stock valve train and inspected everything for wear. I expected a noisier valve train due to the rapid ramp rate and also based on various forum comments. However, I have a definite tick, tick, tick! It is engine speed related from idle to full speed. I checked my fuel pump rod and it was worn badly. I hoped after replacement, that would be the cure. NOT! I'm going to pull the valve covers and re-inspect the rocker shafts, stamped steel rockers, and pushrods. Am I on the right track? Also, I am running Mobile 1 10W30 with Lucas Zinc additive and I'm going up in oil weight with my oil change. So, let me hear your suggestions/ideas. Thanks in advance for y'alls feedback.

One tick, tick, tick, or multiple, or all?

 

[68Moparmaniac]

Make sure your headers or exhaust manifolds aren't leaking. Sometimes those leaks can sound kind of like valve train noise.

 

[monaco66coupe]

I had noisy lifters in my 440 so I switched to mobil delvac diesel 15-45 as the diesel oils have great additives that prevent drain back.(plus I added Lucas zinc) Now I can't hear any noise. The bad news is I installed the same comp cam and lifters as you in a 383 Charger, and the cam and lifters ate each other up. I had to completely rebuild my 383 engine as a result. I have heard ford guys and chevy guys say the same thing. Apparently
comp cam lifter quality has gone to crap. My 440 was a purple shaft mopar cam, and it had no issues.So, I am venturing out to another brand
for my next 383 engine build. I don't know yet where that will lead.

 

[wyrmrider]

I do not like adding to a SN oil you can actually get less ep
use an oil with the ep built in- blended by the blender
oil changes all the time so stay on top of it

BTW UDHarold designed that cam for a chevy and did several others later
" I remember that the 256 VooDoo had 19" in the dyno engine,
the same engine where the 268 VooDoo had 28 BHP over the Xtreme Energy 268."
Harold learned along the way, he said he was going to retire in 2020Too bad he did not make it

The above quote is Chevy vs chevy
The mopar version makes even more torque
and contrary to popular folklore the Mopar version uses exactly the same paramaters- the difference is the larger lifter

 

[PRHeads]

If that’s the oil you used for cam break in, don’t be surprised if it’s going away.
Std passenger car oils(Like Mobil One)are loaded with detergents that just scrub the zinc right off.
It’s just the wrong stuff for your old school muscle car motor.

Check for lash at each valve, with them fully closed.
If you find some loose, cam is likely toast.

Fast rate cams, along with the associated higher spring loads, being run with factory rockers are not a match made in heaven either...... so I wouldn’t count on that as being a reliable long term option.

My preference for quiet hyd cam operation is to just leave a few hp on the table and run some slower, smoother, older school type lobes.

Slow bleed lifters are usually quieter too.

 

[Ernie ingling]

Use a stethoscope to help pin point source of tick. Will save time money and Tums

 

[wyrmrider]

sorta agree with prH but old school lobes need correct oil too
Redline used to be a sponsor- they will give you correct advice
268 comp is not a high rate cam but it an lunati etc tend to overspring
The MP and one of Engles and one of Crane's .904 series are endurance lobes
other series are track only and one is tear down every week heads up race type
BVVC and do not buy from the bottom of the catalog or the most lift for duration out of a lobe list
check the spring requirements- that's where the clue is

 

[Curiousyellow71]

It seems like it's a crap shoot with the quality of hydraulic lifters that are available now. Rather than doing Walmart brand lifters the last 2 hydraulics we have been using vmax rhoades lifters. Instead of the cheap internal wire clip ring Rhoades use a heavier external snap ring. They are well put together and high quality. The vmax takes adjustable valve train. They are more money.....but I don't know of a hydr. lifter of better quality. The original rhoads are not adjustable and the sewing machine noise is what is. I've never run them for that reason. The vmax you can run them tight with no sewing machine noise or run them loose for bottom end. We settled on .010 lash resulting good torque, and a slight sewing machine noise. Set that way it still has less valvetrain noise then a 268xe.

 

[Dennis H]

Mine was a bent rod passenger bank. Spin them and see. Put some Mantons in and lowered the rev limiter. Running Amsoil high zinc 10-40. Tap went away and overall quieter top end now.

 

[matthon]

I used a length of fuel line held to my ear and went searching.
Sure it was valvetrain related, header gasket had a very small leak.

 

[wagonman]

I have the same cam, it has been noisy after about 1500 miles. Same deal on the FP pushrod also. I tried some isky ductile rockers and Smith Bros pushrods and went back to the OEM stuff, still has a noise when cold. Just got back from a 1700 mile trip with no issues. I think it is the Comp HE lifters as they have a bad reputation. I hear the Crane anti pump ups are better but it seems like they all are a crap shoot nowadays. Called Comp when the noise first started and they said we never heard of that before, LOL. Did a search and there are many posts on noisy Comp Hydro lifters. Going to leave it for now as is. Oh yeah change your oil to one of the above. Lucas hot rod 10-30 works for me

 

[dvw]

Pull the covers. With the engine running put a finger on each rocker. One at a time. If there is any play in the valve train you will feel it. Go quick, its messy. One bank at a time. An old cover with the top cut helps.
Doug

 

[wyrmrider]

cut the top out of a valve cover and shield against cuts (bend cut edge) much less mess
use them to adj valves running if you need to

 

[PRHeads]

Cam manufacturers don’t make hydraulic flat lifters..... they buy them.

At this point in time, for American made Mopar normal hydraulic flat tappets(not specialty limited travel tool steel, etc), I believe there is only one source..... Hylift Johnson out of Michigan.

 

[wyrmrider]

johnsonlifters.com
delphi?
http://www.hbassociates.us/Lifters.html for reference
eaton and standyne are bought out/ sold

 

[PRHeads]

My understanding is Delphi never made lifters for Mopars.

Eaton got out of the flat tappet business around 15 years ago.
A few years back they got back into that market, but if you do some digging around it appears those pieces are made in Mexico(Eaton bought an existing lifter manufacturer there).

Stanadyne did other things besides lifters, and those were the things the company that bought them was interested in.
The Stanadyne name is still out there I believe, but they don’t make lifters anymore.

 

[Bubba0]

Same cam I put in my GTX. Be awhile yet before it's fired up. Is the a XE-268H a stock sounding cam or does it have a little lobe to it?

 

[Logan Hughes]

Same cam I put in my GTX. Be awhile yet before it's fired up. Is the a XE-268H a stock sounding cam or does it have a little lobe to it?

It definitely has a nice lope to it...sounds mean and that's with stock HP exhaust manifolds and 2.5 inch TTI exhaust with X cross-over and Summit performance mufflers.

 

[copper67sat]

I've been running the CC 268H (didn't have the XE prefix back then) with stock rockers in my 383 Satellite since '92. Don't remember which lifters and springs I used - would have to dig up the receipts. Put a little over 30k miles on it since then. Valve train has been noisy from the start, but hasn't gotten noticeably worse to my ear. Motor hasn't been apart since then so I don't if there is any wear. Runs good, but maybe not as strong as when it was fresh.