valvetrain help?!?

**WSICK** · 08-20-2008, 09:49 PM

alright guys i need some help and info was be great. last month or so i noticed my car started a light ticking noise coming from my driver side valve cover, when the rpm's increased the ticking was go faster. i was told by a good buddy of mine that its a great chance that one of the rockers could have gotten loose. after that i have not driven the car much. well today we decided to get some work done and tighten the rockers (drivers side), we tightened them to 22 ft lbs and hoped for the best but when we got everything back together and started her up she sounded the same. what does everyone think??? is it ok to drive on not beating on it??

**Bouvers** · 08-21-2008, 06:17 AM

I'm certainly no expert so I'm just going to take a swing at this... bent pushrod? not making proper swipes and thereby putting sloppy tolorences in your valvetrain?...

I'm interested to see how this resolves...

**WSICK** · 08-21-2008, 06:54 PM

anyone else have some ideas?

**Wesman** · 08-21-2008, 07:54 PM

Bent pushrods or bad lifter.

Pull the pushrods out one by one and roll them accross a glass table. If they flop over as you roll them, they are bent, theres your problem.

If they are straight, it may be a noisy lifter. Does the noise only come from one side of the engine, or both??

And also, do you have headers??

**ggino85** · 08-21-2008, 09:39 PM

anyone know wat 22 ft/lbs is in inch/lbs???

**Bottesini** · 08-21-2008, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by ggino85

anyone know wat 22 ft/lbs is in inch/lbs???

Pretty sure that is 22 ft/lbs * 12 = 264 in/lbs

**vettenuts** · 08-22-2008, 02:15 PM

**WSICK** · 08-22-2008, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by Wesman

Bent pushrods or bad lifter.

Pull the pushrods out one by one and roll them accross a glass table. If they flop over as you roll them, they are bent, theres your problem.

If they are straight, it may be a noisy lifter. Does the noise only come from one side of the engine, or both??

And also, do you have headers??

it only comes from the driver side of the motor, and as far as exhaust i have the stock headers on w/ slp catback

**TransAm11973** · 08-23-2008, 05:49 AM

Originally Posted by Wesman

Bent pushrods or bad lifter.

Pull the pushrods out one by one and roll them accross a glass table. If they flop over as you roll them, they are bent, theres your problem.

If they are straight, it may be a noisy lifter. Does the noise only come from one side of the engine, or both??

And also, do you have headers??

**COJO_24** · 08-23-2008, 10:47 AM

there may be something sticking more than it should mainly the valvespring which would cause you lifter or lifters to float and chatter on the cam

just a guess if its not your pushrods or lifters

**98formy** · 08-23-2008, 11:31 AM

I had the roller bearings come out of one of my rockers on one side and that caused a ticking noise because it was not sitting leveel anymore. It also caused a collapdes lifter later down the road and had to fix that as well.

**WSICK** · 08-24-2008, 04:15 PM

if its a bent push rod or bad lifter is it bad to drive it?? not that i do much

**COJO_24** · 08-24-2008, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by WSICK

if its a bent push rod or bad lifter is it bad to drive it?? not that i do much

it would most likely affect the performance of your engine

**Z28Thunder** · 08-24-2008, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by WSICK

if its a bent push rod or bad lifter is it bad to drive it?? not that i do much

While you could drive it I personally would look into it or fix it. Either could fail to a point where the valve is in a down position. That could create alot more damage.

**Wesman** · 08-24-2008, 07:37 PM

Originally Posted by WSICK

if its a bent push rod or bad lifter is it bad to drive it?? not that i do much

If the pushrod is bent very badly (unlikely based on what you described) it could contact the sides of the pushrod guide hole and damage the block. A bad lifter can prevent the valve from fully opening, as can a bent pushrod, negatively affecting engine performance and efficiency.

**Wesman** · 08-24-2008, 07:39 PM

Originally Posted by WSICK

it only comes from the driver side of the motor, and as far as exhaust i have the stock headers on w/ slp catback

Definitely sound like valvetrain noise then, since its only on the drivers side. There is probably something wrong if you can hear the noise with stock manifolds as well, headers tend to make small valvetrain noises more apparent since they have thinner tubing walls and are longer.

**WSICK** · 08-27-2008, 06:56 PM

so then theres a possibility that one of my rockers are not sitting correctly???

**vettenuts** · 08-28-2008, 07:50 AM

If the rocker loses some bearings, it will be sloppy and make noise. I would pull the valve covers and looks for signs that a rocker has a problem. There is a GM TSB on this and it is a known problem. Check known and simple things first, don't immediately jump to "bad lifter".

**WSICK** · 09-02-2008, 12:38 PM

i plan on pulling some of the rockers this weekend just to check them to see if there messed up, is it possible that i can just order some EOM rockers???

**WSICK** · 09-03-2008, 08:56 PM

found out that i can get EOM rockers for $14 each not bad, im prob. gonna end up painting my valve covers while there off, car is white what color should i paint them??