Technical 327 tick has me stumped

Had a friend call me to check a 327 for a lifter noise after a cam change and found no oil to the top. Turned out the cam grabbed one of the cam bearings and turned it enough to cut off the oil.
Tore it down and replaced the cam and cam bearings and no more noise.

 

I like this style of stethoscope made by Lisle

You can pull the black part of and listen with the tube or put a piece of brake line on it to bend to get access to other areas to listen for air sounds and exhaust leaks.

 

End result was when the previous owner of the engine rebuilt the top end they used cheap eBay parts . Source of the tick was one bad lifter and a poorly done valve lash adjustment .

Thanks for the help guys !


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Thanks for posting the results, something that all to often is not done.

 

Exactly.

 

Try the garden hose stethoscope trick for locating your noise.


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I'm with beaner on the bad exhaust gasket, warped or cracked exhaust manifold, or crappy header sealing surfaces. I had the same issue that sounded like a loud lifter tick and it was an exhaust leak at the head. doubled up the header gaskets and it was went away.

PS- I tried the stethoscope trick. It ticked no matter where I put the probe. Doesn't really help with a sound that's coming from technically outside of the engine.

 

Here is one that is not likely but possible. Had the same kind of noise in a SBC years ago and after all the normal choices/possibilities found it to be a badly worn valve stem, with the new/replacement cam it would hit the guide every time the valve opened. Thought for sure bad lifter; wrong! Moral of the story was simple; no matter how long you have been doing this you haven't seen it all. Rather humbling to say the least.

 

A buddy of mine, years ago had the same thing. A tick we couldn't find. He even was doing some bracket racing with it. He would get up about 7000 rpm and it would puff a bit of blue smoke. He just ran it that way until he stuffed in a BBC. Finally tore down the SBC and found a cracked piston. I don't remember how it was cracked it has been so long ago. Not saying it is, but a possibility none the less.

Len

 

In case you missed it.

 

I was of the 'exhaust leak camp' also. My very own meticulous running 350 in my F100 was making a 'clicking' right after replacing the seal in my Toyota P/S box.
I listened closely, placing the tip of my 'trademark' handlebar moustache frightfully close to the hot ramhorn exhaust.
AHA! #7 exhaust flange, Ah, Hell! Just hung those on there in '97! Doesn't anything last any more?
My F100 hates that Chevy in there...think it wants that Hemi.
What is a boy to do???

 

My tick on a 350 turned out to be a slightly loose spark plug! I discovered it after pulling valve covers and adjusting valves.


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