Hey guys - I just put some timing tape on my 71 Olds 350. I used a piston stop to make sure I was getting TDC as exactly as I can.

Anyhow, I had to crank the motor over forwards (using the center bolt of the crank) to find the compression stroke. Then I had to crank it forwards some more to get it to touch the piston stop and then backwards to touch it again.

When I started it up, I got a lot of ticking / clatter initially which slowly faded away. After a minute, maybe even less, it was gone.

Is this normal? Is it because oil got "squeezed out" of the hydraulic lifters or something? I certainly didn't crank the engine fast enough to build up any oil pressure...

 

Its normal to have some noise on a first start up. It takes a short time for air to purge the system and the oil to flow.

Turning it over by hand probably didn't have any thing to do with the noise

 

It is exactly as you said. You bleed down the lifter as you hand crank the engine. Because of valve spring pressure and turning slow. You are not turning fast enough to create oil pressure . Hence, the lifter bleeds down and when you start the engine oil pressure brings it all back to normal.
Gene

 

Thanks, guys... I was hoping it was something that I didn't need to worry too much about.