Assuming my compression and oil pressure numbers are ok (I haven't checked in 10 years or more) I have no intention of rebuilding my 87 van motor, or pulling the head, for any reason.

I was wondering (and could not find anything on the site to answer the question) is there some maintenance I can/should do to the valve train: i.e. pull rockers/shaft/springs/pushrods, soak in solvent and reinstall?

As far as I understand it, pre-load can only be changed by changing pushrod length. Since I am changing nothing about the motor, pre-load should be fine, assuming rocker arm is torqued to head to spec, right?

I'm getting a noise that sort of sounds like tappets rattling around. I sometimes dismiss it as the hood prop rod rattling around (it is no longer properly attached to the hood. I have a replacement hood w/rod, but am not going to install it anytime soon. I really need to take a ride with the rod removed to be sure it is not the source.)

Providing it is not the hood prop rod, I guess I can pull the valve cover, check the rocker shaft bolt torque, disassemble and check the pushrods for clogs.

Is there any way to clean the lifters themselves without pulling the head to remove them (and/or buying a valve removal tool)?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Be very careful not to pull the lifters out of thier bores when removing pushrods. If they pop out, it's very difficult to get them back in without removing the head. Not impossible, but adult language often accompanies putting them back in.

There are some cleaning soup's that are commercially available that are used to remove contaminates from the oiling system. These work with varying levels of success. Rislone for example.
Another easily accessible method is to add a quart of ATF to the engine oil. This works best with a fresh change and filter. Replace one quart of engine oil with ATF. Drive normally, but short cycle the change, and change out the filter with the change. Say, 500 miles. Use inexpensive detergent oil. You may have to do this several times, depending on how gunked up things are.

Another method, that I do not recommend, is the use of Diesel fuel to replace some of the oil change. Film strength is fairly low, and tappet and cam wear could be significant, depending on condition of the wear pattern, and how the engine is run while the diesel fuel is in the oil. Once again, I don't like this method, and won't use it with any of my engines.

Dan posted a thread about some soup that many folks have reported good results with. I just yank the engines out of my vehicles, tear them down, and have them tanked. Not daily drivers, so a different paradigm.

Hope that helps!

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Try adding a can of Marvel Mystery Oil to the crankcase.

A few years ago I switched the valvetrain in the 225 in my brother's van from a mechanical system to a hydraulic system. I used a complete 1983 hydraulic lifter system that I got for free. I did use resurfaced lifters (I got them for somelthing like $2 per lifter at my local cam shop).

The cam, rocker arm assembly, and pushrods were a bit gunky and dirty because they had been sitting in a shed for several years. On first startup the engine ran a bit rough and was very noisy. The lifters obviously weren't pressurizing. Oil was getting to the top end, but the pushrods were clogged and not letting oil get down to the lifters. Not wanting to tear it all apart agina and clean out the pushrods, I told my brother to add a quart of MMO and run the motor and see how it did. After a few days the lifters were smooth and quiet. The van has run great ever since.

The slant is a very bulletproof design. I would suspect something rattling in the exhaust or hitting the radiator fanor torque converter before I believed you had a collapsed lifter. If you have been runnign the correct temp thermostat and have done routine oil changes, then I doubt you have a lifter problem. Still, try adding a can of MMO and see if the noise goes away.

MMO is the only aftermarket oil additive that I believe is worth anything.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Thanks.

The thing that gets me, is it's not a terribly gunky engine.

Waste oil is always brown with no solids, not black, PCV valve stays clean. Breather stays reasonably clean. I've had the valve cover off a few times and everything has always been pretty clean (for a never-been-rebuilt 27 year old motor).

I just ran ATF for a couple weeks before the last oil change (rear main seal leaks, so i let it get a full quart down, then topped off w/ATF, ran for a couple weeks, then changed oil & filter.

I really just need to pull out that prop rod ASAP in case that is the source of the noise feeding my paranoia.

Noise isn't very old, either. It has come up since I recently changed manifolds and rebuilt carb. (Could also be that the engine is quieter now, so I can just hear stuff rattling around better.)

Thanks again.

I thnk we have a winner. If the noise didn't appear unti you changed the manifolds, ten I would suspect you have a small exhaust leak somewher. If small enough, exhaust leaks can sound like a ticking noise. Since in a van you sit basically on top of the manifold side of the engine, you can really hear any engine noises.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Actually, I have to re-bush the heat riser valve since it leaks around the shaft. I totally forgot about that. Thanks.

Also check for the head pipe clear back to the tailpipe being close to something. The exhaust can make intermittent contact clear back to behind the axle due to a small change of angle up at the head pipe, and transmit all the way back to your doghouse.

Could be normal noises too.

Hope you find it before it drives you crazy!

CJ

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

Thanks.

The noise doesn't bother me as much as having to worry about driving it causing further damage.

I got stuck driving today without the doghouse on. (see post in transmission and rearend as to why...)

It seems the sound may well be the heat riser valve. I could not locate a stop for the valve, so it is running without one. The valve flap seems to rattle against the inside of riser sometimes.