Author Topic: Lifter noise (Read 3803 times)

Leny Mason · « **on:** July 12, 2019, 08:35:16 AM »

A friend built a 390 for a 1969 Cobra clone, when he starts it up it sounds like bad adjusted solid lifters, it has 50 psi oil pressure at start up as it warms up the oil comes down to 40 psi and the lifters start to quiet down one at a time, then you shut it down wait and minute and it starts all over again noisy lifters and then they get quiet again, any Ideas what causes this ? I have never seen this before. Leny Mason

BigBlueIron · « **Reply #1 on:** July 12, 2019, 09:08:09 AM »

What viscosity of oil?

shady · « **Reply #2 on:** July 12, 2019, 09:12:00 AM »

bad filter?

Falcon67 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 12, 2019, 09:23:47 AM »

50 wt is more than a bit much to have in there. I would change the filter and oil to 10w-30 VR1 and see what it does. 50wt is neraly engine assembly lube.

shady · « **Reply #4 on:** July 12, 2019, 10:12:06 AM »

maybe pushrods are on the slightly short side.

Leny Mason · « **Reply #5 on:** July 12, 2019, 11:30:13 AM »

The oil is 10-30 and a remote filter, the filter was my guess I hadn't thought about the pushrods being to short, Thanks Leny Mason

blykins · « **Reply #6 on:** July 12, 2019, 12:35:19 PM »

Roller cam?

Stangman · « **Reply #7 on:** July 12, 2019, 01:38:29 PM »

Maybe the remote filter is draining out and it takes time for it to fill. should there be a drain back valve. 50 oil pressure cold seems low and 40 hot seems high.

338Raptor · « **Reply #8 on:** July 12, 2019, 03:21:48 PM »

I assume they are hydraulic lifters.
Either way, I think the best action is to start my readjusting your lifters making note if anything was out of adjustment. While the valve covers are still off look for signs of proper top end lubrication by pulling the distributor and spinning the oil pump to view the top end oil flow. Doing this will help you eliminate some basic stuff if the noise remains.

67428GT500 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 12, 2019, 04:00:44 PM »

Don't run 10-30 on flat tappet cams. FE's rarely have any issue with valve train oiling. They are fed direct, not push rod oiling with rare exception.

blykins · « **Reply #10 on:** July 13, 2019, 05:58:52 AM »

Quote from: 67428GT500 on July 12, 2019, 04:00:44 PM

Don't run 10-30 on flat tappet cams.

Why?

The camshaft type has absolutely nothing to do with the viscosity of oil that’s used.

Leny Mason · « **Reply #11 on:** July 13, 2019, 09:01:09 AM »

He said it has all kinds of oil with the valve covers off I am not sure if it is a roller I will ask. Leny Mason

427LX · « **Reply #12 on:** July 13, 2019, 10:50:03 AM »

Sounds like it's taking a bit of time for the lifters to get pressurized oil since they quiet down after start up.
Leaky/bad lifters will act up after oil gets hot.

67428GT500 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 13, 2019, 02:24:39 PM »

Quote from: blykins on July 13, 2019, 05:58:52 AM

Quote from: 67428GT500 on July 12, 2019, 04:00:44 PM
Don't run 10-30 on flat tappet cams.

Why?

The camshaft type has absolutely nothing to do with the viscosity of oil that’s used.

Barry and two other builders suggested I stay away from multi-viscosity oil on a flat tappet cam. I run straight Penn Grade 30. I had cold, 35-40 hot idle and 70 at cruise. (3200 @ 65)

-Keith

blykins · « **Reply #14 on:** July 13, 2019, 02:28:58 PM »

Hmm, I'd have to get them to clarify because that makes zero sense.

The viscosity has nothing to do with a flat tappet camshaft. On top of that, the multi-viscosity only means that the oil behaves differently when cold and hot. So, at hot cruise, a straight 30W oil behaves exactly the same as a 10W-30 oil.

Break-in is a different scenario and typically the Brad Penn break-in oil only comes in a straight 30W. However, they (along with Gibbs and a few others) make a 10W-30 for flat tappets that I use on a regular basis. As a matter of fact, if I had built your engine, I'd be recommending Penn non-synthetic 10W-30 oil, or a Valvoline VR1 non-synthetic 10W-30.

My427stang · « **Reply #15 on:** July 13, 2019, 03:06:16 PM »

I run 10w40 or 20w50 is all of my builds, and until recently I was almost exclusively flat tappet. I can’t imagine the original posters problem has to do with multi viscosity oil, I would be looking at preload or sloppy lifters if oil pressure is good

67428GT500 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 13, 2019, 03:14:47 PM »

I always ran Kendall with very good results back in the 80's on my Turbo vehicle. Castrol was pushed but I found it broke down quickly in my SSS 510 and Toyota Truck that Garret Air Research in Torrance used for the intercooler kit prototype and HKS for the Computer and exhaust. I tend to use Dino products in my old stuff and synthetic Mobil 1 in my SAAB 9-3 Nordic convertible I brought home from Sweden. ( 390 HP Cadillac 2.8 V6 Aero)

-Keith

Barry_R · « **Reply #17 on:** July 13, 2019, 05:43:29 PM »

Quote from: 67428GT500 on July 13, 2019, 02:24:39 PM

Barry and two other builders suggested I stay away from multi-viscosity oil on a flat tappet cam. I run straight Penn Grade 30. I had cold, 35-40 hot idle and 70 at cruise. (3200 @ 65)

-Keith

I may have recommended a straight 30 break in oil such as Gibbs or Penngrade (previously known as Brad Penn).

Once broken in any quality oil is fine as long as it has the proper zinc/phosphorus etc formulation for a flat tappet.

Two different statements

wayne · « **Reply #18 on:** July 13, 2019, 06:27:58 PM »

Oil galley plug come loose or left out check the one back of distributor gear.

blykins · « **Reply #19 on:** July 13, 2019, 07:06:02 PM »

I’ve had multiple pairs of hyd lifters be bad out of a batch before. They will do exactly what is described, run good with plenty of pressure behind them but as soon as you shut the engine off, pressure drops and the lifters collapse immediately.

Thumperbird · « **Reply #20 on:** July 14, 2019, 08:10:10 AM »

Can't say for sure but had 1 stuck collapsed Morel, replaced, and another that is not responsive enough causing a light tick at start, gets a little better during run but not much. Will be checking them all this winter, wish I could get inside them to evaluate and clean up without having to remove the rivet.

Anyone have a clever way too re-rivet these after grinding off?
Thanks.

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Author Topic: Lifter noise (Read 3803 times)