Lifter or leak noise

[70NPORT]

I have either an exhaust leak (right side exhaust log) OR noisy, sticking lifter. I've had exhaust leaks before; that slight tick, tick, tick sound,-I'm sure all are familiar with that. However, although it is a bit louder, the noise calms down after driving a distance. You can barely hear it, and only if your listening real hard. Therefore I'm kind of doubting its an exhaust leak. All the leaks I've every had were even louder at higher rpms.

If approaching this as a noisy/sticking lifter, would using a heavier oil be the first way to try and alleviate the problem? I'm using a 10W40 oil. Maybe something with a thicker viscosity at lower speeds since it pretty much disappears at higher rpms?? Suggestions?? 383 cu. in. w/ Ebrock 4bbl

:sad7:

 

[commando1]

Don't freak out on what I say until you read my entire response.
Throw a qt. of acetone into the crankcase and drive it for a few hundred miles.
If the ticking stops, it was a stuck lifter. If it doesn't, it's a collapsed lifter and needs to be replaced.
OK. Why acetone?
Marvel Mystery Oil (mechanic in a can) is 50/50 solvent and motor oil and a touch of aromatic oil so as to give it its distinct smell. The solvent is of the acetone/xylene/naptha family.
Oh, and after a few hundred miles change the oil - lol.

 

[has2bmopar]

If this is the car that you drive often, I would doubt it was a sticking lifter.

If you can isolate the area that the noise is coming from, pull that valve cover, and roll the engine over with the belts or a breaker bar and check your individual rockers for preload while the valves are fully closed and well onto the baseline of the cam.

If you find a loose one, roll the pushrod to see if it is bent, as you have run this pretty hard recently, while humiliating some Camaro dork...not? If the pushrods are straight and you still have no preload, start trying to compress the lifters. If you have a spongy one that has bled down, it is likely your culprit. If you have higher pressure valve springs and don't run an oil with higher levels of zinc, or a zinc additive, it could be a lobe on your cam giving up. If you can't pull that lifter.... Not good.

 

[70NPORT]

Alright, I'm done freaking out. I've seen that MMO stuff before here and there, never had an occasion to try it. Figured it was like all the other "snake oil" stuff you see on Pep Boys shelves that the 22" rim crowd loves to use, but what the hell 5-6bucks is cheap enough. If the problem is worse than that, nothing gained, nothing hurt.
H2B - if nothing changes after the MMO, I'll be pulling into the dry dock for some down time. Curiously, this started two or so days after that event. I stopped at a supermarket directly after spanking the guy, I mean literally right afterwards. I came back outside a 1/2 hr or so and she turned right over (two cranks) as if nothing had happened....no "unusual" noises, or anything to say something was wrong.

 

[BillGrissom]

You can usually feel an exhaust leak with your hand. Wait a few weeks and it will get more noticeable. Try holding a rubber hose to your ear to use as a funnel to isolate the location of the sound. If it comes to it, you can remove the lifters with just the valve cover off, using a special tool that hooks their keeper springs. They are easy to take apart and clean, plus you can look for scores on the bottom to tell if you wiped a cam lobe.

 

[70NPORT]

You can usually feel an exhaust leak with your hand. Wait a few weeks and it will get more noticeable. Try holding a rubber hose to your ear to use as a funnel to isolate the location of the sound. If it comes to it, you can remove the lifters with just the valve cover off, using a special tool that hooks their keeper springs. They are easy to take apart and clean, plus you can look for scores on the bottom to tell if you wiped a cam lobe.

I'm leaning towards it being a lifter. I've had too many PITA exhaust leaks before, and they sound a bit different....PFT, PFT PFT....while this is more of a full fledged Tap, Tap, Tap.....although it has calmed down a little since I dumped some of Commando's MMO concoction into the motor.....but I can still hear it since I know exactly how my motor sounds, anyone else would probably just scoff at the whole affair.

 

[polara71]

anyone else would probably just scoff at the whole affair.

That would be me...........

 

[70NPORT]

It just bother's me to no end when I hear something that shouldn't be there, how ever small it might be.

 

[70NPORT]

Dumped a bottle of the MMO stuff into the engine about two weeks ago. Seems like its actually worked, that annoying lifter has quieted down substantially. Temp cure for now.