Reply to "Ticking valves?"

The Cleveland valve train has a certain amount of "clack" to it naturally, due to the canted valve geometry, and some Clevelands "clack" more than others. But the clack I'm referring to is not the same as one loud distinct "tick" which would indicate a problem. If you have a collapsed lifter or a worn lobe/lifter, then when that particular lifter is on the base circle, the pushrod will be loose, and I don't mean mean you can twirl it with your fingers, I mean you can rattle it up and down between the rocker arm and the lifter.

One other thing may possibly cause one particular lifter to make noise, if the valve it is actuating has problems, like sticking in its guide, or a bent stem, or it is getting ready to drop.

One other thing to be aware of, a spun rod bearing can make the same sound as a bad lifter. I've seen even the best mechanics mistake one for the other.

My advice is do not drive the car any further, tear the motor down until the true source of the problem is diagnosed, and fix it.

If one lifter is varnished up to the point of collapsing, all 16 lifters are varnished up just as badly. If a lifter "face" is shot, the camshaft lobe will be shot too. If you have to replace the cam, consider converting to a roller cam, also consider roller rocker arms a must. And get a good cam drive gear set, the best being the Roll Master. The harmonic balancer on your 30 year old motor is also a bomb that can explode at any moment. Please do not run your car with a 30 year old harmonic balancer.

cowboy from hell