Noisy Lifters even though they are new

Posted by JeromeSolberg On 2021/10/12 23:01:24

Hi Folks,

So when I rebuilt my engine (1953 327 Cavalier, 5 main bearings) over this past year, I put in all new lifters, e.g. the hydraulic plunger, not the tappet. I didn't replace the tappets or the camshaft, though the shop refaced the tappets lightly.

Now about 200 or 250 miles in, I start to get tappet noise after the thing has been run for 45 minutes or so. Up to that point it is pretty quiet. Upon listening to it with a stethoscope, it seems to be limited to a certain couple of valves, I'm thinking 6 and 7, I can't really tell with the stethoscope beyond that.

I had checked the clearance with the handy gauge I got from the Pacific Northwest Packard club and everything was in spec, though perhaps a few of them were on the margin.

I started to notice this recently, and this last run it seemed like it had gotten louder, and it didn't clear up when the engine revs increased, like it had in the past. I guess I will try again tomorrow when I get home from work. The issue seems to coincide with when, at idle, the red oil pressure light blinks a little, which only happens after having run the engine for, again, 45 minutes or more. I recently did an oil change and replaced the oil I put in after the rebuild, 10W30, with 15W40 Diesel Engine oil. It seemed like that had improved things, or maybe I just hadn't driven it long enough.

Anyhow, anybody have problems with new lifters? Does what I said make sense? Any other remedies besides simply popping the head and replacing them, which doesn't seem to be a very fun job but hopefully I can accomplish without having to take off the manifolds.

Thanks in advance for all everyone's advice and insight.

JS