Since I've put in the new HR cam, I have a tick... The tick itself isn't wierd, it's a valve train tick, one single tick only, not more then one. I've adjusted the valves hot and running 3 times, they are perfect.

I'm up to my ears in headers leaks, too, but this one tick has gotta be valvetrain, it's just too metalic and hard to be anything else.

Here's where it gets wierd...

It only happens cold, the first 2 or 3 minutes that the engine has been running.

Sometimes it will just STOP. Instantly gone without a trace. I could be cruising down my street, 2500 rpm in second, and it will just STOP.
It doesn't always stay stopped though.
It will come and go, for 2 or 3 minutes, then it goes away and doesn't come back.
Warm restarts are always quiet.

What do you guys think?
At $65 a pair, I'd hate to think one of my Lunati/Morel lifters is lame.

Flat don't know Jim???

Hope it's just a tick and nothing serious.

Can you take a short piece of garden hose or a piece of 1" wood dowel rod and use it as a listening device to pin-point where it's at??

pdq67

Warm restarts are always quiet.

What do you guys think?
At $65 a pair, I'd hate to think one of my Lunati/Morel lifters is lame.

Hate like hell to think a High$ lifter is bad. And the really bad part of it is you ruin your intake gaskets to get at the damthing.

Did an oil change make any difference at all?

Jim, I thought you had new headers on order a while back?

I need to call that guy... They've been reworking the design for better plug clearance with AFR heads, and it's been several weeks since I heard from him...

I've been ignoring the ticking waiting to get the header situation resolved, and I'm about ready to just order a set of Super Comps and be done with it, or pull my existing headers and weld the tubes around the outside of the flanges to seal them up!

I'll try the hose thing, and/or fire it cold with the valve covers off. I get very little oil to the top end with these lifters anyway, it won't make a mess and maybe I can pinpoint the problem.

The darned intake is about the only thing that's actually sealed up, too...

Jim, My Morel lifters are noisy, morel said to run as much as .050 preload, so I did and they quieted down pretty good. Still kind of sounds like a solid though!
I ended up at 1 1/4 turn from zero lash on 3/8 studs! Sounds crazy but it worked.
(1 turn on 3/8 x 24 thread is .042")
(1 turn on 7/16 x 20 thread is .050")


What headers are you looking to get Jim? I have a set of AFR 210 eliminators on order, so header shopping is in the near future and you know how that can be.

Well, maybe my 3/4 wasn't quite 3/4?

I ran the drivers side cold running, this time I put a hollow steel jack handle on the poly lock and my ear on the other end. Most were clacking a bit. I loosened em up, found zero lash and then tightened em till the clack in the pipe was gone, took around half a turn.

I got lazy on the pass side, engine was pretty warm be then, and "MY LOUD TICK" wasn't heard at all today anyway. I'm not sure I like the pair on #2 at all... Just didn't seem to be behaving right.

Tomorrow I'll run the pass side right, from stone dead cold, and we'll see.

Took her for a pretty long cruise, sounds real good, running great.

Last time I rebuilt my engine, I re-installed a pair of HR lifters backwards, ugh. It was fairly quiet for a couple hundred miles, then developed loud tick and wiped cam lobe at the same time. Put in a new HR cam and new pair of lifters and I still get some occasional ticking. Not too loud, but noticeable.

I've had many high-performance aftermarket cams over the years and it seems like there's always a little ticking. It really ticks me off. :cool:

-

I have morel lifters. I get an intermittent tick too, primarily when cold. It's been like that for 2 years and a few adjustements so I'm not going to worry. But, I hear you! I don't remember the plunger travel on the morels. Does anyone? I remember a thread that arrived at 3/4 turn for mid-travel based on the threads/inch. Mine are adjusted 5/8 turn from zero lash.

Same kinda thing Rick?
Wow that's really weird.

About the only thing I'm worried about is that something is wrong with a lifter that will affect the motors ability to rev.

Does your car wind up ok? How high do you spin her?

This may sound supid but what kind of oil filter are you using. There is a good artical in here about oil filters. Frams are known to lower oil pressure and cause valve train noise i speak form personal exp.

Jim,

I posted over on TC for you, i saw you said its not a mechanical fuel pump. Another thought, Is it possible if your using an old style block that your noise may be the teflon/roller/aluminum button hitting the timing cover when cold and when it warms up you dont hear it due to a small amount of expansion ?

I've got her quieted down pretty well now I think. The guys on Team Chevelle were a lot fo help too.
Bottom line: Morels are noisy when cold, and want some additional preload compared to what I'm used to.
Others using the same voodoo lobes report they are a lil noisy.

I'm not sure what the cam button hitting the timing cover would sound like, but my noise was a definite valvetrain tick.

I only use Napa Gold filters, am currently using rotella 30 wt oil, and have lots of oil pressure.

I've got her quieted down pretty well now I think. The guys on Team Chevelle were a lot fo help too.
Bottom line: Morels are noisy when cold, and want some additional preload compared to what I'm used to.
Others using the same voodoo lobes report they are a lil noisy.

I'm not sure what the cam button hitting the timing cover would sound like, but my noise was a definite valvetrain tick.

I only use Napa Gold filters, am currently using rotella 30 wt oil, and have lots of oil pressure.

30wt break in oil? You may get a little better oil flow with some synthetic 10w30 or something along those lines

How does it run Jim?

How does it run Jim?
It runs REALLY REALLY good!

Wicked idle @ 800 rpm & 11" of vacuum.
Very strong even from idle. She will pull high gear down to 1200 rpm without complaint (.64 OD X 3.08 rear X 26" tire = about 35 MPH!)
Never pings on 91 octane.
Cruises HAPPY at 15.6:1 AFR, smooth and responsive, no surging, nuttin.
Comes "on the pipe" at about 3k.
Revs so quick I can't find time to watch anything but the tach and the road.

I need to get my WOT mixture dialed in better. Right now she starts "popping" at an indicated 6200 on the repro tictoc tach. I fear the tach is lagging and rpm's are really near 7k. I need to datalog a 2 or 3 gear run, but I'm "afeared" of getting a speeding ticket!

I LIKE this setup a lot... Seems I have all of the benefits of a "Hot cam" but without any of the downsides!
The EFI system is FANTASTIC. I need to get her on a dyno and/or to the track soon.

I'm back! Great weekend. Spent yesterday at Lime Rock.

Back to the thread - Jim, my motor runs great, revs fine. Glad you made progress. Mine's quiet enough with 5/8 turn for now.