Problem #2- weird valve noise after oil change **FIXED**

[COCHEV]

so same rig as my other post about distrib. weights- pickup with newer crate 350

in addition to my oil change i pulled the manie and put new gaskets on it cause they were leaking badly. also did the valve cover gaskets while i was at it.

got everything buttoned up and topped off with new oil= delo this time- i use it my big block and its great

however, now i have this valve noise. its only on the pass side. its almost like a thumping. i can feel it when i put my hand on the valve cover. and it speeds up with rpm.

my fist thought is that the rockers are some how hitting the cover. i pulled the cover and could see no signs of that... stock covers, stock stapped rockers.

its pretty audible and i can feel it in that valve cover. does my motor not like the delo? my machinist recommended it and i've been useing it very successfully in my big block ever sense i did a cam swap on it.

maybe a rocker stud comingout? stuck lifter? any suggestions???

 

[4X4HIGH]

Run the engine with the valve cover off and see if the sound is still there. You should not be able to "feel" anything unless a rocker is hitting the inside of the cover or one of the baffles.

 

[COCHEV]

So, one of the rockers was contacting the valve cover. the cover had a very slight dent in it. i pounded it out with my handy dandy harbor fraight $10 body kit. LOL!

now, as to why i never noticed this before... well, when i took off the old valve cover gaskets i noticed they were the very thick rubber kind and the PO had siliconed them to the covers as well. so, i'm thinking with my new cork gaskets it must have lowered things just enough to make contact with the little dented area... Hmmm, well, much better than real valve train probems in my book. thanks for the replies

 

[76zimmer]

If they're hitting the valve covers, you do have a real valvetrain problem....Stock stamped 1.7 rockers right? Screw in studs? Do the rockers arms have the 1/2 ball and nut type to hold their setting, or a nut with a set screw in the middle of it?
Can you tell what part of the rocker arm is hitting? Check the lift at the valve tip to see if its getting full lift compared to another cylinder of the same valve (int. or exh. valve)
Do you know what the cam is?

 

[4X4HIGH]

If they're hitting the valve covers, you do have a real valvetrain problem....Stock stamped 1.7 rockers right? Screw in studs? Do the rockers arms have the 1/2 ball and nut type to hold their setting, or a nut with a set screw in the middle of it?
Can you tell what part of the rocker arm is hitting? Check the lift at the valve tip to see if its getting full lift compared to another cylinder of the same valve (int. or exh. valve)
Do you know what the cam is?

Stock SBC rockers are 1.52:1 ratio and he said that there was a dent in the cover and the cover had thick gaskets which before he worked on it allowed the dent to be high enough that the rocker(s) idn't hit the cover.

 

[76zimmer]

"Quote: got everything buttoned up and topped off with new oil= delo this time- i use it my big block and its great"

I guess I was reading big block into this.
At any rate, the rockers shouldn't be hitting the valve covers right? Makes me think a stud might be pulling out? And then he pounded out the dent....K got it.

 

[blaznjon]

Your valve covers are on upside down.There are little notches cut out of the valve cover edge to clear the intake manifold if there stock.See if you have them pointed down towards the plugs.either that or you had one heck of a dent in them

 

[4xcrazy]

you have alot of miles on that engine with regular oil?

reason i ask, is i wiped out a cam by switching a higher mileage motor to the Delo (15/40 wt) oil, (it was free) from ideas from here and other places, it was determined it was TOO clean of an oil, it cleaned the motor out too well or something along those lines.

didn't even last 1000 miles after that oil change. replaced cam/lifters and ran the old (regular) stuff i always had and never had another issue with that car again.

 

[COCHEV]

i don't think it had many miles on it. i bought it with the crate motor installed. but the oil is always clean and didn't burn any between changes. this will make my 3rd oil change sense i got it. so hopefully it will all be good.

i started running it in my burb with a 454 after i did a cam swap this spring and so far no problems there either. seems to use less oil as well.

you have alot of miles on that engine with regular oil?

reason i ask, is i wiped out a cam by switching a higher mileage motor to the Delo (15/40 wt) oil, (it was free) from ideas from here and other places, it was determined it was TOO clean of an oil, it cleaned the motor out too well or something along those lines.

didn't even last 1000 miles after that oil change. replaced cam/lifters and ran the old (regular) stuff i always had and never had another issue with that car again.