Ticking Sound

[R4K 10]

Okay, so there I was, there I was...in the Congo!

 

No, no wrong story.

 

Okay, so I admit I'm a noob at all this wrench-stuff. That's why I bought a classic car (other than my lifelong desire to own one): so I could learn. I'm not the idiot I jokingly claim to be, I'm just ignorant.

 

But here's the story, it's really short, so bear with me. No, really, it is.

 

Actually, I'll make it bullits, so I'm not tempted to stretch it out. See? I'm on the 5th paragraph and haven't told you all anything. *sigh*

• I Ebayed the car in April (from my hometown!). Drove it home about 500 miles. It consumed about 1 quart of oil per tank of gas, which obviously needed addressed.
  
• Found that there was an external leak, traced it to the valve covers.
  
• Took it to my mechanic, he replaced valve cover gaskets (from cork to rubber), but told me that the valve covers had been over-torqued and were bent at the bolt-holes, and they might need to be replaced.
  
• Still leaked from the valve covers, so I replaced the valve covers (with equally crappy stamped chrome from NPD).
  
• Still leaked, so I bought new (cork) valve cover gaskets along with a heapin' helpin' of silicone gasket sealant.
  
• That fixed the external leaking...

But UGH!

 

Now I have a ticking sound coming from inside my driver's side valve cover.

 

What the hell could I have done just replacing valve cover gaskets to cause that? I'm new at this stuff, but really...replacing valve cover gaskets is kid stuff.

 

I know the valve covers are tall enough to clear everything inside, because I had them on there already with the rubber gaskets.

 

Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I did skimp a little bit on the "getting stuff out of the way" department. Reattaching the middle spark plug wires is a trial (anybody who has a big block knows what I'm talking about), so I didn't apply the valve covers in a "direct-down" approach pattern, but more like a "slip it under the plug wires and sneak it on" approach pattern. All I can think of is that maybe I got some sealant on top of one of the valve-spring-topper-thingies and it gelled and is tapping on the top of the valve cover?

 

Any suggestions on what to look for when I crack the valve cover next would be appreciated.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

(Jeez I'm wordy)

[TStone 10]

Unfortunately your question falls under the category of asking a doctor over the phone why your leg hurts.

 

You need to pull the cover and soon - if you you pushed a rocker out of alignment or got gms on it, it needs to be taken care of. Otherwise you may have a sticky lifter which may still be salvagable. Either way I'd check it out sooner than later before doing any permenant damage big or small.

[coz 108]

Are the VC's baffled? If so you may have a baffle touching a rocker. This can occur when you take the short cut and slip a VC around wires instead of a straight on install. Regardless, pull wires out of the way and pull the VC the right way and look for worn spots on the inside of the VC and on the rockers.

[R4K 10]

Jeez, can't a guy take a shortcut anymore!?! :sneaky2:

 

Yeah, I was sloppy. I just pulled it off and redid that side, and there was some gsm on the rocker thingy. Cleaned it off, gooped up a new gasket, and reapplied, this time without the wires and the export brace in the way. :1eye:

 

It was still a tough direct approach even with that stuff out of the way, but I hope I did a better job this time.

 

Apparently, reattaching the wires wasn't as hard as I made it out to be once the brace was out of the way! Although, it still was a tight damned fit, and I have little girl hands!

 

Good thing I bought a second pair of gaskets, on the hunch that I might screw something up, lol.

 

Thanks for the input guys. Nothing looked out of whack inside (not that I would know what that would like like anyways...duh, should have taken pictures...*sigh*), so here's to hoping! I'll crank it all down good in about a half hour and hope for no ticking!

[R4K 10]

T'was the baffle, not my (admitted) sloppiness! :thumbup1:

 

I started her up with the VC off, and no ticking.

 

So I hammered the s**t out of the baffle to flatten it, reinstalled, still a ticking. So I took it off and hammered the s**t out of it again, this time enough apparently!

 

So heads-up to anybody buying crappy aftermarket stamped chrome VCs for the FE from NPD...as always, you get what you pay for!

 

Thanks for the input, guys!

 

Now, on to the fun stuff! Next stop: front suspension! :thumbup1:

[dawtips 10]

Excuse my ignorance, but I have the same clicking you are describing from one of my VC's. What's a baffle?

[R4K 10]

I had to look it up myself. :yes:

 

It's the metal piece inside the valve cover that covers the PCV valve hole or the filler/breather hole (depending on which side the VC is installed) so that splashing oil doesn't escape.

 

I was able to mash the driver's side baffle down enough that it cleared the lifters, but still left enough clearance for gasses to escape into the PCV valve.

 

I shoulda taken pictures. Again.

 

I swear I should just leave my camera down in the garage! :death:

[R4K 10]

Found a pic of one...

 

 

They will look different, but you'll know it when you see it. They were totally different between the blue stamped ford racing VCs the car came with, and the chrome stamped ones I just bought.