Re: 1951 300 ticking noise

Posted by JeromeSolberg On 2022/11/2 17:30:15

If it's a 300 you should I think have hydraulic lifters.

My experience is this is with a "ticking" hydraulic lifter. They wear out over time, or you may have issues with oil pressure. Sometimes a higher-viscosity oil (especially at temperature) helps, like 20w40.

Both Max Merrit and Kanter sell new (reproduction) lifters. Some people have had better luck than others in both figuring out which one(s) are ticking and in putting in a repro one that gets rid of the problem.

You get the right front of the car up on jack stands (helps to just have the whole thing up on ramps except for the right front on jack stands, then you can keep the car level), remove the right front wheel, then you can then remove the inner fender cover and then the valve covers.

You can then use a stethoscope to listen to the valve lifters. Put the stethoscope right onto each lifter, even though they are moving up and down.

To take the lifters out you have to take the head off, so you need a new head gasket too.

You need a flathead-style valve spring compressor. You can find them on Ebay

This is the style I used:

Flathead-Style Valve Spring Compressor, Jeep, Ford V-8

Ross has this nice video that shows how to adjust non-hydraulic lifters, but it also shows how to reach in there through the fender cover, etc.

Speedwell Garage, Ross Miller, how to adjust valves on a 1953 Packard w/ solid lifters