Hello Gurus'

I have a question on lifter clatter on my #6 exhaust valve. I've had this noise since I bought the car this winter. I've read all the good information in this forum about valve adjustments so I attemped to do the hot adjustment. Old #6 clattered until I was down to .006. I was getting little to no oil the lifters. Soooo... I decided to pull the rocker arm and then I decided to pull the head off get a valve job done with the hardened valves and seats. Today was put together day. I did a cold valve adjustment and then a hot one. Old #6 still clatters away as before. I used the same pushrods am using 10-30 Chevron 5000 oil.
Does anyone have any ideas what may be wrong here?

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Ken

65 Dart Convertible Super Sixed

Ideas:

1. Did somebody put a hydraulic lifter in there?

2. Did you examine the lifters for wear prior to reinstalling the pushrods?

3. Are the pushrods straight? If you have a bent one, it can flex and clatter.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Maybe the long clattering caused the rocker-arm to develope a recessed tip on the valve end.

Richard

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

I didn't examine the lifers but I checked the rods for straightness. Will a hydraulic lifter even fit? It looks like the engine was rebuilt and then the car was parked under a big pine tree long enough for the gas to turn into varnish. The cylinder walls still had the cris-cross pattern on the walls. Even the machine shop said that the head looked as though it had been worked on.
Can I reach in the spark plug hole with a magnet and pull the lifter out? If it is the lifter, can you replace only one or do I need to replace all of them?

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Ken

65 Dart Convertible Super Sixed

With the valve cover off, you should be able to pull the lifter straight up once the rockers and spark plug tubes are out of the way. If there is damage to the lifter face, you may need to replace the cam. Inspect it carefully.
If somebody put a hydraulic lifter in there, replace it with a mechanical. Just in case, I'd replace all of them with new lifters. Check the rockers for damage. If the tip of the one on number six has a bad tip, like Fopar suggested, you should replace that rocker.

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

If you find a lifter down the spark plug hole you've got bigger problems than a noisy valve.

If you had a valve job done the tip of the valve should be in good shape, but what does the tip of that rocker arm look like?

Yes, a hydraulic lifter is the same diameter as the solid and will go in the hole. If the cylinder head has spark plug tubes you should be able to pull the lifter once the valve cover and valve gear are removed. If the other pushrods are spinning as the engine runs they're probably fine.

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Joshua

I was referring to the spark plug tube. Even this retired County worker knows not to go poken into the spark plug holes, looking for lifters. LOL ... Thanks All for the input.

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Ken

65 Dart Convertible Super Sixed

Are the oil distribution holes along the rocker shaft pointing in the correct direction: to valve springs? Also did you clean out oil passages in all rockers, being carful to keep them in same order on shaft?

Do the push rods rotate when engine is running? If some don’t, there is a lifter or cam surface problem at those rod locations.

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67' Dart GT Convertible; the old Chrysler Corp.
82' LeBaron Convertible; the new Chrysler Corp
07' 300 C AWD; Now by Fiat, the old new Chrysler LLC

I pulled the last to lifters to compare and all seems good there. I also checked the rockers sockets and oil passages. The oil passages are plugged. (I didn't even know they were there) I tried to clean one with a piece of spring wire which worked good until I got to where the hole curves to the inner hole. I had already soaked all the lifters in carbureator cleaner when I was having the head done. Do anyone have a method that works to clean these things?

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Ken

65 Dart Convertible Super Sixed

krosan,
Click on articles on the home page and go to Slant Sixness Hot Rod Magazine article from Nov, 2000 and click on page 3...says if you find a rocker arm that is plugged it is best to replace it. Glad you found the problem.

Thanks for everyones input. It looks like I'll be buying new lifters..

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Ken

65 Dart Convertible Super Sixed

I guess I should have said rocker arms....

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Ken

65 Dart Convertible Super Sixed

You might be able to salvage some by dunking them for a few days in carburetor cleaner. I'm talking the real stuff that comes in pails and eats paint and carbon like buttered popcorn.

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Joshua

i got some of that stuff! it works great!

just make sure u blast it with compressed air to make sure ur passages r good and clean. but if u r left with any doubt when ur done. . . replace.

Josh you might note he lives in Calif and most good items have been known by the state to cause cancer.
They might have banned the sale of such good stuff.

Richard

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing