I have this ticking when starting the 60 super 88 and if you drive for 10-15 minutes it eventually turns into a knock. I really can't figure out what side its coming from its hard to tell. Anything I can do to start isolating it beforehand or do I pull the heads and start running through it. It's smokey, 90k miles, needs a rebuild, but its a 4 door and rebuilding a ford 302 is like $800 but I'm not sure what to expect from this 394. If you have any recommendations or anyone that knows these motors well in/around Connecticut I'd appreciate it!

Thanks,

Raj

 

You can drain the oil, remove and cut open the filter and look for glittery babbitt (bearing material). If the bottom end or cam journals are damaged it will be more than $800 to repair, even if you try to get by with a hone, re-ring and new bearings.

FWIW, I had a 64 98 years ago that blew a freeze plug out of the end of the rocker arm shaft that caused a horrible tick. Replacing the freeze plug fixed the valve tick and I was able to drive the car again.

 

What does your oil pressure look like? If it doesn't have a gauge get a generic one and see what happening once it gets warm before you start unbolting stuff. Do you have knock at cold start up? Does the smoke go away shortly after start up? This is just a few things we need to give you any kind of diagnoses. Let us know what you find. 394's especially at the age they are now need valve guides and seals and will smoke tons on start up. Tedd

 

My first thought is oil thinning out after it's hot. What weight oil are you using? Try a straight 30 weight or a 20w50 since you say it's smoky.

On 394 it could be main or rod bearing knock, rocker shaft slop or even fuel pump drive eccentric on the cam. Could be excessive carbon buildup on pistons or combustion chambers.

Try shorting out the spark plug on individual cylinders at idle. If the noise goes away that's a good indication of a very worn rod bearing on that cylinder or excessive carbon.

Up front- a 394 is not a cheap engine to build. Charlie Jones has a thread on one he built, and 64guy is doing one too.