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My engine started making some unhealthy noises.

I had driven yesterday about 100 miles to a show in Friedrichshafen Germany in the rain with no problems. Today was a beautiful day sunshine 75 degrees, and cruising at about 55 mph on a secondary highway heading back to munich. (327 with 3 speed manual trans) I heard a high frequency brdbrdbdr, a real buzzing noise for a second, and though it was the radio or something, then 5 min later, another 1/2 second long buzz, and now a rythmic valve tapping noise coming from one of the rear 2 cyls. A friendly guy stopped to help and took us to an American Car garage 3 miles away (some good luck there) The owner of the shop came out to look at the car and confirmed my diagnosis as valve noise. I was able to drive the car to his garage and leave it there overnight.
Tomorrow I will go back and open the valve covers and see what is wrong. Any thoughts first of all?
Valve guide loose in the block? Spring,lifter...Motor number is M301759 (mechanical lifters)
What can I fix with the motor still in the car? Pretty much anything short of a new valve guide right?
To get the lifters out I have to remove the cam correct?
Oil pressure is good(light goes off right at start up) fresh 20w50 is in there, and is clean, no water or anything. Water temp was also right in the middle. Idle is a little rough and engine runs a little bit rougher now since this valve noise started.....
OK, thanks for all advice, hope I can afford to get on the road again soon.
Viele Gr??e!
Mike

Loose valve guide in the block is almost a certain impossibility unless it fractured from some other issue, and even then it's VERY unlikely. And they can be changed with the engine in the car, though not an enjoyable job. I'd think the problem is not related to a guide.

Did the car develop an engine miss at the same time? Does it have a pronounced miss now at idle or otherwise? Perhaps a broken valve spring which would then allow the keepers to fall out and the spring and retainer to drop, and there'd be plenty in there to make noise, including the valve slamming up and hitting the head! Should be easy enough to ascertain with the valve covers removed which I'd think would be your first step.

You can completely service the valve train with the engine in the car. Even if you need to remove the camshaft which I'd think unlikely, once the radiator is removed it will just barely pass thru an opening in the grille, though you might have to jiggle the engine a bit on the mounts for clearance.

Keep us posted; if it's a valve problem I've done many valve jobs on these engines and should be able to help.

You have the exact same motor I do; 1954 327, 5 Bearing, Solid-Lifters. I agree with Dave, pull the valve cover and take a look at what is going on in there. I would think the worst that would have to happen is the head has to come off to service the valve. But thats all "in-car" serviceable.

There is a bit of a miss now, but not very bad. At idle the hood shakes a little, before I wanted to try balancing a nickle on the engine It does not seem to be spitting back up through the intake, so perhaps an exhaust valve...I reviewed my shop manual and parts list from the known suppliers. Parts don't seem too bad. Hope I can do this myself -with the help of my girlfriend
Just a sanity check here, driving 50 miles back home would be a bad idea without getting that valve secure. Correct?
Thanks for the 'virtual' support.

I would advise against it. If there is a wayward valve in there, I wouldn't think you would want it bouncing around and possible getting jammed or bent, and causing additional damage.

When I first got my car I had dropped the oil pan and found several valve keepers in the bottom of the pan. So right away I feared the worst. But after removing the valve cover I discovered everything was in place. So when the engine was rebuilt in the past, someone must have dropped some keepers down into the pan, and just left them there. Must easier to just use another set of keepers, than it is to pull that damn pan off.

Have you done a compression check on the motor?

I wouldn't drive the car back home. If it is a valve that has lost it's spring and keepers, it's going to bang around, certainly ruining itself (the head will bend on the stem, at the least), but far worse could happen. Call a flat bed.

When doing valve work on any of these engines, those who have been there before use corks or rags to block off the oil drain holes to the crankcase to prevent errant keepers from falling into the engine.

Assuming it's a valve that has lost its keeper, you might want to go beyond a simple repair and do a full valve grind. I don't know your mechanical abilities or what tools you might have access to (like a valve seat grinder for the seats in the block), but if you're careful, studious, and seek and get good advice, I'd think you might be able to do a credible valve job, and all the better if you get your girlfriend to help! I recently stood by as an advisor and helped another Packard owner do his first job, he had good mechanical skills but it was all new to him, and he managed just fine, all I did for him was the seat grinding, and all he farmed out was the refacing of the valves.

I'll post a little primer here which might serve to familiarize you with the work. Feel free to email or PM me if you find it's a valve problem and you want further advice. If I was a bit closer, I'd be glad to assist hands-on.

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Now I'm a little confused, nothing showed up on inspection after removing the valve covers. I checked all the clearances cold, and the rear-most exhaust valve was .030 while all others were about .010-.014. I warmed up the engine, and reset the valve clearances, all springs and retainers seemed to be in order. No parts loose or missing. Noise and miss are still very much there. One cyl is definately not good. More noise with load, less noise at idle.
You know, I was at a show yesterday and thought about buying a compression tester, and didn't. Wish I had now....Anyway. I have to organize a place where I can do some longer term work on the car and remove the head and look at the valves. That job I did about 20 years ago as a teenager on my first packard...This packard I plan on putting back together
In good news, the girlfriend learned how to remove air filter, heater fan, and inner-fender splash guard, as well as how to cut new gaskets for the valve covers. Working on the car is a place where I can boss her around
Anyway, here is a video of the valves that doesn't really have the 'bad noise'.

youtube.com/watch?v=s2mzG-eQkZM

Sound is still more of a clack clack than a deeper (Rod/Piston) tone, but now I am not so certain the problem lies in the valve train.
Oh, and in case anybody is in souther Germany and needs their Small Block Chevy repaired, go to Frankie's Garage. Nice guy.frankiesgarage.com
In german we say, 'keep your ears stiff' instead of 'keep your chin up' That's what I'll do!

You should do a compression test before you remove the head. There may be nothing wrong with the valves at all.

Wonder if you might have broken a ring or piece off the ring groove and that is what is hitting and rattling. Agree about the compression check though. Any chance you or your mechanic could borrow or get access to an inspection camera you could stick in the plug hole before tearing things apart. Rigid has a small one called SeeSnake Micro designed for that and other purposes. The smaller head would fit right in the plug hole.ridgid.com/Tools/SeeSnake-micro and am sure Germany would have something similar and probably better.

All stores except gas stations are closed on sundays in southern (and most) germany, but monday I will have some time and will try and get a compression tester locally and a 'USB endoscope'. The USB cameras are pretty cheap, and I can plug into the laptop. Then I can tell any passers-bye that the Packard is OBD conform, and I am reading trouble codes. haha
I had pulled the 4 rear plugs and none were damaged, so at least the combustion chamber carnage hasn't gotten too bad.