Clicking valves?

[willysjeepseller]

360 rebuilt by a shop that said they could do AMC. I'm not so sure now. Since it was rebuilt (5,000 miles ago) there is a clicking in the valve train. It also takes a second or so for pressure to register on the mechanical gage. I took it back and they essentially fed me some bull and told me to add a pre-lube system. Getting nowhere I have just run it, but I heard my old mans original 60K 304 last weekend and it's ticking me off that mine ticks and his does not.

It's got an intake and Crower Baja Beast cam but that's about it. I have the older bigger valve heads as far as I know and stud type rockers. I don't know as much as I wish I did but can it be valve adjustment of something like that?

Thanks
Matt

[rollen dean montoya]

are the lifters hydraulic or solid? if solid then you have to adjust them roughly every 3 to 6 thousand miles. that is what
my dad does. check the valve lash.
if they are hydraulic then retorque all of the rocker arms. be
sure to use the correct torque setting the tsm has. let us know
how it goes.
later, rollen

[fuzz401]

single stud rockers it sounds like they need adjusted

[AMX69PHATTY]

Just s'long as it's not sumthin' like dis'

http://home.fuse.net/ckthomas/AMC-367-BAD-CAM-Pics.jpg

[willysjeepseller]

What is the adjustment procedure? It's just a set torque correct? Each stud to like 22lbs.ft? I backed them off and then tightened them a while back and it seems the same.

[CJim7]

If they are still tight, thats not where your noise is comeing from.
Now...given my limited experience with this i'll see if i can help. I've been batteling valvetrain noise for a while now with my 401, and i've ran into a lot of symptoms which i've been fixing here and there.
are the lifters oiling the upper valvetrain? run the engine with the valve covers off and check-see. I had an oiling problem and the rockers werent getting oil....made for a lot of clacking and prematurally wears out the rockers/pivots/ and pushrod ends.
The other thing is bad lifters. I replaced all mine and it eliminated the clacking.
Last resort is a bad cam.

Ha...listen to me sound like an AMC powerplant expert :razz: 8)

[willysjeepseller]

Should have said that they are hydraulic lifters that came with the crower cam to my knowledge.

I will pull the valve covers and re-torque. I will also check for oil. After a little reading it seems others have these problems.

[CJim7]

After a little reading it seems others have these problems.
Yeah......ME :mrgreen:
What i discovered initially, was the rockers that werent getting oil, made all the noise....which...makes sense i suppose :roll:
For whatever reason, i had lifter issues...none were collapsed, but several just quite oiling. even though they were pumped up when i removed them :-|

[rollen dean montoya]

definately check to see if the rockers are getting oil. when you do this find a piece of cardboard and use it to minimise the
oil getting all over the place.do not rev the engine or the cleanup will take awhile,found out the hard way.if there is
little or no oil then you need to check all the lifters and push
rods for blockage.

[AMX69PHATTY]

If ya have a pre-oiling tool, the dizzy can be pulled,
and the pre-oiler will work also, just turn the motor
about 90 degrees by hand at least four times
and all the rockers should end up getting oil.

[willysjeepseller]

Thanks guys. I will let you know.

[willysjeepseller]

Pulled the valve cover. Cranked the starter a while. Popped it over a little and finally oil out the pushrod holes of the whole driver side bank. Didn't have a torque wrench that will do 22 lbs but I will try that tomorrow and go from there.

Thanks Guys.

[1980_Cj7]

Read my post just below yours on adjusting rockers. I think the torque is just for bridged rockers. With the single stud type, you adjust until the lash just disappears, then go another 3/4 to 1 additional turn on the nut. The other method is to adjust them with it running as detailed in the thread.

When I just did ours, I found that on every rocker, 3/4 turn bottomed out the nut.

[fuzz401]

I would still do it hot to make sure they are were they need to be and not to tight

[1980_Cj7]

I would still do it hot to make sure they are were they need to be and not to tight

Yep, planning to do that but gotta get it running first. Going to fire it off tonite for the first second time, ha, ha. Cross your fingers and send up a prayer for us.

[AMX69PHATTY]

20 or 25 minutes above 2000 and less than 3500 for first run

[1980_Cj7]

20 or 25 minutes above 2000 and less than 3500 for first run

That's what we planned to do, but...is it really necessary since this cam and lifters were broken in that very way the first first startup, and then were run about 300 mies?

[willysjeepseller]

I was going to ask the same thing. My stuff should already be broke it right?

[AMX69PHATTY]

Well I wonder.
If allready did 20 min cam break-in then well not sure.
But it's so much FUN to start a motor just put together
and run it at 2500 rpm like that for 20 minutes.
Make friends with all the neighbors and all
:?:

[82Waggy]

I'd treat it like a new cam break in anyway, especially if you added new lifters.

Need to grind those new bearings in and flush ' er out good too!! :lo1l:

[willysjeepseller]

Alright. If I run this thing till it's warm and then keep it running I can back off then tighten the stud nuts one at a time from clacking to not then 3/4 turn and i'm done?

What's up with the cam base stuff? Or is that a cold procedure?

I is confuseded?

[82Waggy]

Alright. If I run this thing till it's warm and then keep it running I can back off then tighten the stud nuts one at a time from clacking to not then 3/4 turn and i'm done?

What's up with the cam base stuff? Or is that a cold procedure?

I is confuseded?

The base circle stuff was part of a cold setting procedure for adjustable rockers.

Make sure you have an adjustable valve train. The early non-bridged rocker AMC heads ( the ones with stock studs) ARE NOT adjustable - not enough thread depth on the studs unless you have changed something else. And if you are running guide plates but have not shaved down the stud bosses to make room for them, chances are your studs are too high to crank them down enough.

If you do in fact have an adjustable stud set-up, you can run until warm, back off and then tighten till the clacking stops, and then go 1/2 to 3/4 turn more.

[82Waggy]

20 or 25 minutes above 2000 and less than 3500 for first run

That's what we planned to do, but...is it really necessary since this cam and lifters were broken in that very way the first first startup, and then were run about 300 mies?

Did you keep the lifters organized and reinstall matched to the cam lobes they came from?

I'd still treat it like new.

[willysjeepseller]

Oh. So your telling me I'm stuck with clicky clicky for now. I assume that it's stock stuff since the rebuilder did not tell me differently.

So I just go to 22 lbs and if that's not it then it's something else?????

[82Waggy]

Oh. So your telling me I'm stuck with clicky clicky for now. I assume that it's stock stuff since the rebuilder did not tell me differently.

So I just go to 22 lbs and if that's not it then it's something else?????

If your bottoming out then yes. Sorry but I just don't know what you have. You can tell by looking at the stud - If it has a shoulder on it that the pivot washer seats against, they are non-adjustable. There will barely be a thread or two protruding from the lock nut when seated.

Did you install new stock style rockers? Wear on these can cause clicky clicky too.

[willysjeepseller]

The rebuilder replaced the rockers I know that.

I shure looks like the rocker is down hard on the cast part of the base of the stud. THere is a 75 stamped on some of the rockers. Does this mean anything??

[82Waggy]

Also, a clicky clicky that comes and goes is often an exhaust manifold leak - sounds similar sometimes and is often mistaken for valvetrain noise - comes and goes due to heat expansion/contraction.

[82Waggy]

The rebuilder replaced the rockers I know that.

I shure looks like the rocker is down hard on the cast part of the base of the stud.

The rocker is touching the stud base or the pivot washer is bottomed out on the shoulder?


THere is a 75 stamped on some of the rockers. Does this mean anything??

Not sure about that. I have some stock stud mounted rockers from a '69 390 that have no numbers on them.

[willysjeepseller]

It's pretty much always there at all rpm's. I will get a good torque wrench that does the 22 and try to re-torque. I will torque the manifolds also and see what happens.

Maybe noisy lifters?

[82Waggy]

Here is an idea to test for valvetrain noise.

If you are willing to run at idle with the valve cover off, get a wood dowel and push on the rockers while running to see if the noise goes away or changes.

[AMX69PHATTY]

Still not clear to me if you have
Stud Mounted or Bridge Mounted Rocker Arms.
If bridge mounted, then not adjustable.
if stud mounted, may or may not be adjustable, check stud.

By Noisey Lifters,
you mean the bleed down or anti-pump-up kind ?

[willysjeepseller]

They are single stud rockers. Not bridged to the best of my knowledge. Thread on the stud goes down to a cast section that is bigger in diameter and has a hex shape for using a wrench for screwing it into the head.

[willysjeepseller]

As far as noisy lifters I am probably talking out my back side. I don't know much about lifters. Just something that someone said.

[1980_Cj7]

Did you keep the lifters organized and reinstall matched to the cam lobes they came from?

I'd still treat it like new.

No. That was the plan, but the block tipped over in the back of the truck and about half of the lifters dumped out. So, we basically had no clue as to where they came from, so didn't worry about putting any of them back in their original positions.

And we did do the break in all over again...tonite! She's back on the road again!!!