I blew my engine....

[Slammed70]

My trucks acting weird....we took a 20 mile trip to get some food. After the truck warmed up it started to make a ticking noise. At first I thought nothing of it due to the fact Ive gone about 8k miles without adjusting my rockers. But after a while it got louder and louder. Then I pulled into Subways parking lot I got to listening around for it. I laid my hand on a HOT valve cover to see if I could feel where to ticking was coming from. Its from the passenger side towards the front of the motor. I killed it, we went in and ate. After a while I forgot about it and when we came back the truck was kind of hard to start. It finally fired up but wasnt ticking. So we started our trek home. After a few miles it started making the same noises again. There was no loss of power, no drivabilty problems....just the goddamn noise. About a mile from home it just stopped. It got quiet again and was quiet all the way home.

Im baffled....what would cause a motor to tick intermentedlty?

[krue]

Did you check the oil level?

[Slammed70]

Its got oil....I can smell it burnin when it leaks onto my headers.

Ill check the level tomarrow though.

[underdog8704]

I was having the same problem for awhile. Ticking was there and got gradually worse. Thought for sure it was a lifter, ended up being that the header was a little loose at the block causing an exhaust leak. Could have swore it was the lifters though.

[Ron 586]

Lifter bleeding down or collapsing. Since there was no power loss would go with bleeding down. Could be a little piece of trash that broke loose and got in the lifter causing it to stick. Might never happen again or may do it at next start up.

[Slammed70]

Originally Posted by underdog8704

I was having the same problem for awhile. Ticking was there and got gradually worse. Thought for sure it was a lifter, ended up being that the header was a little loose at the block causing an exhaust leak. Could have swore it was the lifters though.

I got Sanderson midlength "block hugger" style headers.

[piecesparts]

I know this will sound silly, BUTtake a look at the fuel pump arm. If it is going bad it sounds as bad as a rod knocking and the noise carries through the motor. Had it happen a couple of times.

[skchevota]

I would look at header first. if not , ajust you valves with it running, use those oil deflectir things! I lossen them one at a Time, till its ticking, then slowly runit down till it gets quiet, then go 1/2-3/4 turn more, then go on to the next. I f you find one that was loose or that wont quiet up then you found your problem. I had one on a big block that would pump up and hold the valve open just enough to make a tick at Idle but run fine other wise, I had to bacit off till it was at the point where it had no preload but no gap eather to make it quiet untill I could replace it.

[Hart_Rod]

Originally Posted by piecesparts

I know this will sound silly, BUTtake a look at the fuel pump arm. If it is going bad it sounds as bad as a rod knocking and the noise carries through the motor. Had it happen a couple of times.

Ditto. Ticked me off until I figured it out (pun intended ).

[piecesparts]

I have a grand idea, before tearing anything apart and adjusting anything, get a stethescope and listen for where the noise source is, then go for it. As for adjusting your lifters, how often do you do this? You mention 8K since you had done that the last time. I have a lot more miles than that on most of my engines and haven't done any extra adjusting. Do you have solid lifters????? Maybe over the time of any other adjusting,you have been hiding a failing lifter.

[wolfthing2000]

I would go to the parts store after checking for the exhaust leak, and buy a can of Rislone and dump that in there. Cures stuck or sticking lifters within a few miles or so every time I have had that prob.
I have used ATF before also. It cleans like crazy.

[69CvyPickup4x]

I had the same thing happen on my passenger side, i adjusted my rockers, thinking it was the rockers and nothing changed. Noise was still there. Looked for the noise with a stethascope and couldnt pin point nothing. One day I jumped on it WOT and the noise got loud loud.. I then open the hood and looked at it and the gasket on my choke plate, on my intake manifold had blown out. I pulled it off and replaced the gasket and no more noise. I doubt this is anything close to the problem/noise, since the noise went away, but thats what happend to me.

[stllookn]

Check for a worn/grounding or loose spark plug wire too. Sounds just like a lifter as well.

[russellmarling]

I also had the choke plate problem. When I was building my engine I forgot to plug the hole that was drilled in the choke plate and thought my engine was blown during the break in. I was sooo relieved to find that it was something so simple.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Slammed70

Its got oil....I can smell it burnin when it leaks onto my headers.

Ill check the level tomarrow though.

Bwahahahahaha, um I think you might have solved your own problem. Sorry man.

[Slammed70]

Originally Posted by piecesparts

Do you have solid lifters????? Maybe over the time of any other adjusting,you have been hiding a failing lifter.

Yes, it is indeed a solid lifter motor.

[68C15]

so the pass. side cover was warmer than the driver side? interestingly may lead somewhere.

[MisterMan]

mine did the same thing, bent two rods and threw tho rockers

[bw4sale]

I'm having the same problem with a project truck of mine right now. I just haven't had time to diagnose the problem and I only start it up every couple of weeks right now. Ticking sound from the passenger side of the engine. I hope you figure out what it is.

[Ron 586]

Originally Posted by Ron 586

Lifter bleeding down or collapsing. Since there was no power loss would go with bleeding down. Could be a little piece of trash that broke loose and got in the lifter causing it to stick. Might never happen again or may do it at next start up.

If it's solid lifters that shoots this idea all to Hell!!

[Slammed70]

Yeah, I got it....It was about 3 quarts low on oil.

I put it in this morning, drove to work. Then left for lunch 4 hours later and had a puddle under the truck....a big one. Id say about 2qtz big. I parked in a different spot after lunch, there was just a lot of little spots everywhere.

Ive come to the conclusion its coming from the front, passenger side.....which is where the ticking was coming from. Id say vavle cover but I havent been smelling it burning recently.

I got next Wednesday off so Ill look at it then.

[68C15]

RF corner? is it by chance coming from a bolt hole next to the balancer and around the corner from the fuel pump?

[Slammed70]

Theres a bolt hole down by the balancer?

[Hart_Rod]

Originally Posted by Slammed70

Theres a bolt hole down by the balancer?

Right here:

[Slammed70]

Ewwwww....an LT1!

But no, its coming from the valve cover. All they had last time was the ****ty rubber gaskets in stock. So I had to take them....thats why they leak. I just picked up a set if them $25 Permatorque gaskets. So hopefully Ill never deal with a leak again.