Sudden onset of extreme lifter tick

[AbandonedBronco]

Hi all,

Out of the blue, my 300 is suddenly have a massive dose of lifter tick.
It's a very loud, rackety, tinny, *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* *clack* from the top end.

As said, it just came out of the blue. It wasn't gradual at all, just one morning, there it was. It's so bad, I can hear it in the exhaust.

I've removed the valve cover and everything looks nice and tight, oiling well, and as it should be. Oil pressure (stock gauge) while driving is healthy and easily within the NORMAL range.

The other strange thing is that it'll sometimes just disappear completely. I'll be driving along and it'll suddenly be whisper quiet again. A couple stop lights later, and it's back and full on noisy. Like the lifters occasionally just lose their prime, and then get it back.

A little lifter tick I could handle, but this turns heads as I drive down the street. Not only that, but the sudden onset has me concerned.

Any ideas? I'm not sure where to start, and the idea of just replacing the lifters and trying to mate them with the cam makes me nervous.

Thanks.

[4DI2D]

It sounds like you have an intermittent obstruction in the lifter oil passage. You might try an internal cleaning with Berryman's B-12 or Seafoam.

[AbandonedBronco]

Thanks for the response. I was thinking it may be something like that.

Only reason I thought it might be something else is because the last oil change, I used 1 quart of Marvels Mystery Oil in place of a quart of regular oil. Though that should have cleaned it out really well.

[kemicalburns]

could there be something in the bottom of the pan that is obstructing the pick up screen?

[AbandonedBronco]

Yikes, I hope not. But wouldn't that affect oil pressure?

[1starvingtrucker]

Yes, that would affect oil pressure. Maybe you have a collapsed lifter. If it is that loud you may have to take it apart and see what the problem is. There is no issue with "mating lifters to the cam" here. Seafoam and Marvel Mystery Junk isn't going to fix a mechanical problem.

[huggyb1972]

Put a pressure gauge on it just to verify the sender is working correctly. It could be just a run of the mill gauge temporarily piped in. But it really sounds like something after the oil pump. is your oil level adequate? My 5.8 had a incorrect dipstick length and was only carrying 2qts of oil when full but it always had good oil pressure but started ticking so bad I had a couple folks asked me if it was a diesel.

[broncobill67]

When I dropped the pan on my 351w The plan was to install a high volume pump.....well there were3 oil-pump drive rodz laying in the muck in the bottom of the pan....The top-end of the engine looked to be in decent shape......all lies!! Judging from the mess in the pan. I wouldnt have guessed the engine to be 100,00 but!!! So rather than continur we installed a good 351...and man does it run good.

[broncobill67]

Where in Oreon are you located?

[garymunson]

Sure just sounds like one bad lifter to me. Luckily with your 300, valve cover, rocker arm shaft then side cover gets you to it. No luck figuring which one it is? Attempting to slip a feeler gauge between the rocker and valve stem while running should smoke it out. A fat gauge won't slip in unless you are at the bad one and the noise would also change once it's in. Only the V8s had clogged pickup screen issues. The 6s used a different type valve seal that didn't fall apart and find it's way to the pan where the pieces clogged screens and fried oil pumps. Broncobill's oil pump driveshafts were because of that. Since they were in his pan, obviously no one bothered to wipe the pan out (probably didn't even clean the screen) and just set up the next fried oil pump. Cheap bastard I am I'd just replace the noisy lifter. Too many 300s go the the junkyard with 300K+ with a full set of quiet lifters to make me think a bad one was anything but a fluke.

[96EB5.8]

Are you sure it is a lifter? you could have a piece of carbon loose in a cylinder making the noise.

[AbandonedBronco]

Originally Posted by garymunson

Sure just sounds like one bad lifter to me. Luckily with your 300, valve cover, rocker arm shaft then side cover gets you to it. No luck figuring which one it is? Attempting to slip a feeler gauge between the rocker and valve stem while running should smoke it out. A fat gauge won't slip in unless you are at the bad one and the noise would also change once it's in. Only the V8s had clogged pickup screen issues. The 6s used a different type valve seal that didn't fall apart and find it's way to the pan where the pieces clogged screens and fried oil pumps. Broncobill's oil pump driveshafts were because of that. Since they were in his pan, obviously no one bothered to wipe the pan out (probably didn't even clean the screen) and just set up the next fried oil pump. Cheap bastard I am I'd just replace the noisy lifter. Too many 300s go the the junkyard with 300K+ with a full set of quiet lifters to make me think a bad one was anything but a fluke.

That sounds like a great way to determine which lifter it is. I'll give that a try! Another thing I forgot to check for when I had the cover off is a cracked rocker arm nut. The older style (non-pedestal) had issues with those fatiguing, and then they wouldn't hold torque on the rockers.

300s only really have issues with clogged screens if they have a fiber timing gear that's going out. They'll start to shred and then can plug it. However, usually they just go all at once, leaving the engine dead. New set of timing gears, and cleaning out the pan and you're good to go. Either way, I had the pan off two years ago for a new gasket and checked the screen then and it was nice and clean.

And yeah, lifters are super easy to get to on the 300.

Originally Posted by 96EB5.8

Are you sure it is a lifter? you could have a piece of carbon loose in a cylinder making the noise.

Pretty sure it's something mechanical. It sounds very metallic and quite like most top end noise I've heard in other engines before that had issues like it.

[96EB5.8]

It is amazing how a piece of carbon sounds like a engine mech knock. I am just making suggestions. I have heard carbon that sounds like a rod knock or lifter tap many times.

[AbandonedBronco]

I'm certainly open for suggestions! It just sounded very much like other lifter ticks I've heard, so I assumed.
How would one get such a piece of carbon out? Or see if a cylinder has some in it?

[1starvingtrucker]

Forget about carbon

[96EB5.8]

Use a mechanics stethoscope to listen closely to isolate the noise if it is a lifter it should be loudest at the lifter cover or the valve cover. Carbon sitting on top of the piston will be loud at the head usually. this could also help you isolate which cyl/lifter it is.

[kemicalburns]

and your sure the exhaust manifold isnt cracked.

I always used a broom stick as a stethascope, works pretty good and is generally easy to find one of those.

[96EB5.8]

broomstick or long prybar could be used also.

[AbandonedBronco]

I'm dealing with a few other issues at the moment, so I haven't gotten back to it, but I'll check to see if it's a cracked manifold. I don't think so considering how it sounds, but you never know. Once I get back to this, I'll update on what I find.

[garymunson]

Manifold noise won't come and go. Only a sticking lifter can do that...