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Here's the story. The PO told me on the telephone before I committed to the purchase that in the 8 years that he had owned the car, the '53 had always had a slight putt, putt, putt, putt, putt sound at the tail pipe. We continued to discuss it in more detail when I arrived to pick the car up. As we went around to the back of the car and I held the palm of my hand up to the pipe, he went on to explain that it ran so smoothly going down the road that he just never worried about how it sounded on an idle. We had already finished a "test drive" and I had noticed a very, VERY slight "roughness" in the idle when we pulled up to a traffic light or stop sign. What I noticed more was the steady tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap metallic sound coming from the right side of the engine after we lifted the hood. I was trying to remember if the 327 had hydraulic or solid lifters but knew that either way, my mind was made up and I would deal with the outcome eventually. I went out after dinner last night and pulled the plugs, checked the burn and commenced with performing a compression test. All the plugs were a little "sutty" around outter rim and electrodes appeared to be a little tan on one side to brown on the other but no indication of oil burn. Compression ranged from about 105 to 120 except for a 90 on the 4th cylinder back. IMO, I see that as an indication of the cylinder with the collapsed lifter and the fact that the valve has not been fully opening for so long that it's probably not closing tightly. Regardless, I'm not really wanting to pull the camshaft and associated parts just to retrieve one defective lifter and wondering if anyone has a suggestion short of devine intervention that might convince that one lifter to pump up again. I performed a search on the subject but struck out so it appears that the hydraulic lifter equipped sraight 8's are fairly trouble free. Any thoughts or ideas on the subject?

Not sure which 327 you have, if you can tell us the serial number on the block that would help. For 1953 it should start with an "L". If you have solid lifters then may need an adjustment. If hydraulic you may have a collapsed one.

The cam does not have to be removed in order to remove a hydraulic plunger, it has to be removed to remove a solid lifter or the cam follower for the hydraulic lifter.

Dear Gator:

Before you condemn lifters, consider these additional causes of your symptoms:

a) Sticky valves caused by corroded stems and guides.

If you think you have a lifter problem then pull a valve cover and check the action from underneath the fender. If you have a lifter problem you should be able to get a feeler gauge under the fully closed valve. Also lifter collapse will be visual.

Somewhere in the Packard manuals they state that your compression readings are most likely caused by to little valve lash, thus I would suspect a sticky valve. Even when hot.

Good luck with your car

Thanks Big Kev, fred and Tim for your responses. First, the engine is #L302309. I suspect a collapsed lifter only because the tap disappears at higher engine speeds but that doesn't mean it couldn't be a partially sticking valve so I certainly don't disagree with your theory Tim and had planned on pulling the valve covers for further inspection and to chack and observe valve train operation. Fred, If it does prove to be a collapsed lifter then the possibility of removing just the plunger would definitely be the most attractive option short of pulling the cam and I was hoping for a confirmation on that approach so at this point, all I need is some extra time and a little luck. Thanks again guys, appreciate the input!

Except in very unusual situations, it is absolutely unnecessary to remove the cam and valve tappett if there is a defective hydraulic lifter. A ticky valve that disappears at higher rpm's may be that it just can't be heard whien the engine is making lots of noise.

Remove the lf wheel and fender apron and valve covers. Yoiu will be able to "feel" the ticky lifter with your fingers or find it with a listening stick or long screw driver.

If the valve is sticky form long storage, spray some WD40 or similar on the bottom of the guide

Fred, I should have said that the "slight roughness" that can be felt at an idle disappears at higher engine speeds...in other words, when sitting in the drivers seat and bringing the RPM's up, the engine smooths out but the tap can still be heard. You really wouldn't suspect anything was wrong when you punch it, it responds instantly with no hesitation but that tap, tap, tap and putt, putt, putt, doesn't belong in the recipe for a correctly running straight 8 or any other engine that's performing like it's supposed to.

Fred, I had a length of vaccuum hose in my ear and held the other end around various points along the valve covers...it's definitely coming from around midway of the valve train which is another reason why I suspect #4. I have a direction to go in now and appreciate your sharing the information about the lifter...a sigh of relief was in order knowing that the lifter plunger can be removed without removing the entire lifter (if it comes to that) but I'm hoping it's a sticking valve as it will be much easier to free up

Your motor is a '53 327, 5 bearing, solid lifter motor. Virtually the same as my '54 M3xxxxx motor. I bet you have a loose valve that needs adjusting. Exactly the same problem I had.

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Well that's a blow to my theory...a solid lifter equipped engine afterall and as loud as the tapping is, I would have bet on it being a collapsed hydraulic lifter. Don't get me wrong though, it's good news in the sense that hopefully, it is just a matter of adjusting the valve and I would certainly count my blessings if it turns out to be just that. I just wonder how far out of adjustment it needs to get in order to cause that off-beat rhythm at the tailpipe...the putt, putt, putt, putt instead of the nice smooth steady sound of a good running straight 8. Did yours have an off beat sound at the tailpipe before you found and adjusted the loose valve Big Kev?