Warm/Hot Start-Up Tick

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Okay. I'll see what I can find out here, maybe this weekend. Thanks for all your help fells.

the oil pressure by the way IMMEDIATELY jump to 33-35psi when cold and settles to 28psi or so when completely warmed up.

This is according to the factory gauge on my dash. These reading are right in the middle of the gauge. Oil pressure gauge has a mark and 0, 30, and 60psi. So, it's always hovering around the 30 mark, but clearly drops a bit compared to cold vs. warmed up.
 
It would be interesting to see what a known good gauge reads...but if you've got close to 30 PSI at idle...that's plenty of pressure to pump up the lifters...

Wish I could remember the valve clearance setting procedure on this engine...I put a cam in my '85 T/A (the last SBC I owned), so I know I've done it...thought it was done warm, engine idling, back off the rocker nut until it ticks, then go 1/2 turn past quiet...but I could be wrong, maybe that was for my '70 Fairlane with a 302...

There should be plenty of Chilton's or Hayne's manuals that cover this truck...well worth a few $$ to buy/download...
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
It would be interesting to see what a known good gauge reads...but if you've got close to 30 PSI at idle...that's plenty of pressure to pump up the lifters...

Wish I could remember the valve clearance setting procedure on this engine...I put a cam in my '85 T/A (the last SBC I owned), so I know I've done it...thought it was done warm, engine idling, back off the rocker nut until it ticks, then go 1/2 turn past quiet...but I could be wrong, maybe that was for my '70 Fairlane with a 302...

There should be plenty of Chilton's or Hayne's manuals that cover this truck...well worth a few $$ to buy/download...


IIRC, it has pedestal mount rockers. They are just torqued to a preset value, they are not adjustable.
 
Considering the age of the motor I wouldn't worry about it to much, as long as it has good oil pressure just run it.

Sounds like it could be a lifter or a cam, but I wouldn't worry about it.

The real fix is a rebuild so I'd just run it unless the truck is worth it. Even than I wouldn't be in a rush, that motor could go another 80k miles ticking like that or more.
 
As someone who has run dozens of those to extinction may I please add a comment? DO NOT ignore this!

If this is a roller cam motor and a lifter is going bad it can grind the cam down quickly to the point of misfire. Ticking is always excessive clearance, it just depends on the "why".

If it's just the hydraulic section not pumping up it's no big deal as noted above. But if it's the roller it can be catastrophic.
 
If I remember correctly the SBC in the trucks didn't get Roller Cams until 93-94. At the very least I would pull the lifters and check them, or just replace them as a set of lifters are very cheap.



Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
As someone who has run dozens of those to extinction may I please add a comment? DO NOT ignore this!

If this is a roller cam motor and a lifter is going bad it can grind the cam down quickly to the point of misfire. Ticking is always excessive clearance, it just depends on the "why".

If it's just the hydraulic section not pumping up it's no big deal as noted above. But if it's the roller it can be catastrophic.
 
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: Astro14
It would be interesting to see what a known good gauge reads...but if you've got close to 30 PSI at idle...that's plenty of pressure to pump up the lifters...

Wish I could remember the valve clearance setting procedure on this engine...I put a cam in my '85 T/A (the last SBC I owned), so I know I've done it...thought it was done warm, engine idling, back off the rocker nut until it ticks, then go 1/2 turn past quiet...but I could be wrong, maybe that was for my '70 Fairlane with a 302...

There should be plenty of Chilton's or Hayne's manuals that cover this truck...well worth a few $$ to buy/download...


IIRC, it has pedestal mount rockers. They are just torqued to a preset value, they are not adjustable.


I think Chevy is stud and ball...At least this vintage... Fully adjustable.

The 350 Olds I built was pedestal and non-adjustable - so the machine shop had to keep the valve height the same by trimming the stems once the valve grind ( 3-angle ) was complete.
 
Originally Posted By: Phishin
And most importantly, this truck has flat tappet lifters, not hydraulic (as it was clarified in an earlier post/thread....LOL!!)


What was apparently not clarified in the earlier thread was that "flat tappet" lifters ARE hydraulic lifters in this particular engine. Hydraulic lifters have been around since the 1950s, but ROLLER lifters only began being mainstream in the 1980s. The smallblock Chevy was one of the last American v8s to go roller. Chrysler went roller in ~85, Ford a year or two before that. Chevy stayed with flat (but hydraulic!) lifters well into the late 90s for their truck smallblock engines, and the Jeep 4.0 six never went roller at all.

In contrast, very FEW American v8s since the 50s actually had NON-hydraulic (aka 'mechanical' although that's a misnomer) lifters. The Chrysler Street Hemi had non-hydro lifters up until about 70 or 71. So did the 273 Commando in the early 60s. So did the Chevy 302 in the Z/28 Camaro. And a few others, all high-strung, high-maintenanace engines for the most part. Now quite a few inline 4s and straight sixes had non-hydro lifters, but... you got a v8. With non-roller type hydraulic lifters.
 
While roller lifters were not "mainstream" until the 80s...

My 1932 Packard has roller lifters.

But then, engineering excellence was always a Packard hallmark!
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
As someone who has run dozens of those to extinction may I please add a comment? DO NOT ignore this!

If this is a roller cam motor and a lifter is going bad it can grind the cam down quickly to the point of misfire. Ticking is always excessive clearance, it just depends on the "why".

If it's just the hydraulic section not pumping up it's no big deal as noted above. But if it's the roller it can be catastrophic.


Either way its an old lose SBC, your going to put a cam in a motor like that? If it was a few year old motor yeah, but come on. I highly doubt its a roller motor unless a PO somewhere along the line put them on.

Its throwing good money and parts after bad.

I have seen ticking lifters last for years, how much is the truck worth? Is it worth a rebuilt motor?
 
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No idea what this old truck is worth. But I know what a new Silverado extended cab is worth.

I paid $2k for it last year with 158k.

Put about 2k more into it: All new ignition (distribitor, coil, plugs and wires), radiator (with new hoses and thermostat), rebuilt rear end (ring and pinion gears, spider gears, and front and rear bearings), all new brakes, replaced (intake manifold gasket, and lots off odds and ends. This fall the front end is being rebuilt with new tires.

If I had to spend $5k for a new motor and trans, I would. I don't mind spending some money keeping older vehicle on the road. To me, it makes financial sense. For $10k (bought the truck for $2k, put $2k more into it, $2 for new tires, shocks, and rebuild front suspension this fall, and $4-6k for new motor and tranny), I'm gonna have basically a new truck, mechanically. The body is great. Interior better.

It's a fun project. Parts are cheap. I would just like to see how far I can nurse this motor along. I know it's super worn out.....because driving around town, it burns like 1 qt. of oil every 1200-1500 miles. But pulling my heavy fiberglass boat to the lake, it can burn a quart of oil in 200 miles on the freeway doing 75mph. Low oil pressure, no burn. High pressure/high revving, it burns oil real fast.
 
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How much a truck is WORTH depends on how much money it can MAKE you.

Who cares about retail value? I want to use the vehicle to make money. So I always look at the cash flow picture.
 
Well, I just use it to haul my boat up to the lake, drive to work in the winter (I have scooter to get me there cheaply when it's warm/not raining), and occasionally get some landscaping material for my yard or help someone move.

It isn't a "working" truck. She's been put to pasture to live the easy life.
 
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
How much a truck is WORTH depends on how much money it can MAKE you.

Who cares about retail value? I want to use the vehicle to make money. So I always look at the cash flow picture.


This is a point many people forget.
 
Originally Posted By: Phishin
Well, I just use it to haul my boat up to the lake, drive to work in the winter (I have scooter to get me there cheaply when it's warm/not raining), and occasionally get some landscaping material for my yard or help someone move.

It isn't a "working" truck. She's been put to pasture to live the easy life.


If you plan on keeping your truck for some time and can keep rust from eating the body a reman engine is the way to go just make sure the transmission has some life left in her.
 
If a lifter was leaking down and therefore ticked at warm start up, it would still be at the leaked down condition when left alone and started cold. it would tick then.

Injectors on modern cars can be loud -not sure of what system is on your car.
Exhaust manifold leaks? When small, they will tick and not roar.
 
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
Originally Posted By: Astro14
It would be interesting to see what a known good gauge reads...but if you've got close to 30 PSI at idle...that's plenty of pressure to pump up the lifters...

Wish I could remember the valve clearance setting procedure on this engine...I put a cam in my '85 T/A (the last SBC I owned), so I know I've done it...thought it was done warm, engine idling, back off the rocker nut until it ticks, then go 1/2 turn past quiet...but I could be wrong, maybe that was for my '70 Fairlane with a 302...

There should be plenty of Chilton's or Hayne's manuals that cover this truck...well worth a few $$ to buy/download...


IIRC, it has pedestal mount rockers. They are just torqued to a preset value, they are not adjustable.


I think Chevy is stud and ball...At least this vintage... Fully adjustable.

The 350 Olds I built was pedestal and non-adjustable - so the machine shop had to keep the valve height the same by trimming the stems once the valve grind ( 3-angle ) was complete.


You could be correct there. I've seen GM use both setups.
 
Well than if its in good shape than I'd just drive it and figure on having to do a motor at some point down the road.

Crate SBC's are pretty cheap, you could put a pretty freaken nice motor in that truck for a few grand when the time comes.
 
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Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
How much a truck is WORTH depends on how much money it can MAKE you.

Who cares about retail value? I want to use the vehicle to make money. So I always look at the cash flow picture.


The OP never said it was a work vehicle, but a personal vehicle.

ROI is a bit different in that case.
 
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