Mark71

I've been helping a buddy on his 85 Chevy 305 engine in his C-10. He's got an annoying lifter tick that happens when it is hot and in neutral and at idle. Give it a little gas is goes away. Shift into gear and it goes away. Start it up cold and it takes at least 5 minutes before it starts. Engine runs great otherwise.

Do I have any options here or do I need to convince him to let me pull the intake and valve covers and replace the lifters? I was thinking maybe seafoam or some other "magic can" but who knows if that would work...?

Any ideas appreciated...

oldcutlass

Ok, couple of thoughts here, how many miles on the engine? If it has a lot of miles on it, chances are the lifters are concave and worn out. Pull the valve covers and run the engine listen for the offending rockers. Then pull the manifold and inspect those lifters first and the cam. Then the MAWS will kick in and you will end up doing a cam, lifters, timing set, water pump,. and possibly lead to a complete valve job

If there is minimal budget, you can pull the valve covers and listen for the offending ones while running the engine. Tighten the adjustment nut till it quiets and give it another half turn. While your in there, loosen each one with the engine running till they start to clack, then tighten till they get quiet and then tighten another 1/2 turn.

jcdynamic88

I've heard fuel pumps sound like a lifter ticking on many chevy small blocks

442

I have an 85' Caprice with the 305 and it had the lifter tick when I bought it. After 3 oil changes (about 10,000 miles) it went away on its own. You never know...

Mark71

Hmm... Well, let's see. Mileage on the 305 is really low. The title shows 70K actual miles. ODO is showing 72xxx. The way it runs - I believe it. He's the second owner - original one was family as well, so he seems pretty sure on the mileage. Biggest problem the truck had was a broken door handle.

I helped him out a bit. I changed his oil and helped him replace the door handle. It was running right around 29 psi on oil pressure before and now is around 35, warm and at idle. I put in fresh 10w-40 and a NAPA gold filter. Thinking that there was something thinner in there before because of the rise in oil pressure.

So here's the strange part - the tick is gone. We tried a few times to get it to come back. We let it cool down and started it up fresh, drove it around, did everything that made it show up before... now its gone.

Any good reason that might happen? I was considering throwing in a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil () to try to help clean up the lifters... Is that maybe still a good idea? Or some other mechanic in a can? Seafoam?

As for tightening up the valve train - setting the preload on the lifters... I've only ever done that with the engine stopped. Doesn't doing it with the engine running result in an oil bath under the hood?

I don't think it is the fuel pump because it seems quiet now. If we can get it to happen again, I'll try and listen directly with a screwdriver (using one as a stethoscope - and probably drinking one as well).

Thanks!

oldcutlass

Ok, basically what happened is 1 or more of the lifters had gotten some dirt or something in there. It happens, and then they collapse. Eventually the debri works its way out if your lucky. 70k miles is not hi, so I would not tear into it yet.

Since it has cleared itself, I'd leave it alone for now. Running Rislone, Marvel, transmission fluid, etc, I'd wait until 2 weeks before the next oil change and do it then.

The valve adjustment thing for me is easier with the engine running and yes it can make mess if you don't have something to keep the oil from running all over. But doing it this way takes only a few minutes per side.