Big blocks, liftern noise and revelations!

[briscuba]

For several years I have been baffled at how 'noisy' my lifters are in my 1970 CST factory BB 402. I've changed out lifters and all exhaust gaskets. Still the same ticking, clicking noises. I've gone through the entire engine looking for the source, and keep coming back to the valve train.

THEN...

I was at a family gathering this past weekend. My cousin bought (and brought) a sweet 1972 Impala '400'. It has the exact same 402 BB that came in my truck. Lo and behold, it also had the exact same ticking and clicking noises!

Just goes to show that some engines and cars just have inherent personalities that go along with them. I am no longer worried that I have missed something, it was just born that way.

[davepl]

Does it sound like you have a baseball card in the spokes? I have a ticking like that, sort of from in front of the driver's feet, and I'm fairly sure nothing is wrong. 402 also.

[briscuba]

I would not say baseball cards, but the location seems to be the left side of engine well, coming in through the foot area. I don't have any insulation at the moment on the floor either.

[Boog]

Lifter noise was a common occurence in the 70s big blocks. There were service bulletins on this. As i remember it was oil not draining out of the lifter galley soon enough and was thinning out in the #1 cylinder lifters. One fix was to drill a small hole in the oil galley plug at the front of engine. We did this mod to my dads wrecker and cured his ticking. Im sure you can google this and find the info from GM.