joeyt11

i have a 1964 390 that has rebuilt heads -new lifters and push rods but the same cam and rocker arms i was told. the engine runs good some smoke out the drivers exhaust when you lay on the gas but runs strong.But i have a lifter noise i believe some say exhaust leaks sound like lifters but how do i check for an exhaust leak?it might be a lifter but the noise is there sometimes when you start it and gets noisy with higher rpm and sometimes i start it and its not there.When it warms up it sounds quiter but can be heard when the gas is really applied.I took off the valve covers but with a stethascope and heater hose could not isolate which lifter is making noise they all sound the same and i see oil in them.is it possible i just have a noisy 390? well i know this is probally long and confusing but to anyone who can read this thanks for any and all help.
joe

kdtrucker

First off are you working with Hydraulic or solid lifters? More than likely they are hydrualic. Did you pull out the cam and inspect it for lobe wear? You said you reused the old cam. Check to make sure all the valves are opening, a worn lobe on the cam will make a lifter noisey. Whenever I overhaul or even a cam change, lifters, rockers.... I always preload all the gallies, lifters, rockers with oil first. Use a shaft from an old dicarded distributor, set the shaft in the oil pump driveshaft, and with a drill turn it counterclockwise untill you see oil pumping up to the rockers. As far as an exhaust leak, it would be very loud and easy to identify. Did you make sure that all the pushrods were in the rocker cup? Any diviation, and you'll have noise. If your still having a hard time finding the noise, check your fuel pump. When the arm wears out it tends to bang on the eccentric and make sounds like a lifter tick.

joeyt11

hello,
thanks for the response-i did do any of the work so i did not have the cam out to see if there were any low spots.these are hydraulic lifters with a non adjustable rocker arm.push rods that i can see which are the middle three on both sides look seated.there is plenty of oil getting around-i started the car with the covers off to see that oil was flowing.thanks