On the drivers side there is a very loud ticking noise coming from the first valve. I don't really know how else to describe it, but I have a video.

 

Sounds like an exhaust leak.

 

I have ruled an exhaust leak completely out of the equation. It is also louder with the valve cover off.

 

Yup. That's what I was thinking.

 

The ticking is MUCH louder with the valve cover off.

 

I tell you one thing I don't see any oil up top!

 

It is not very visible in the video but the rockers are oiling.

 

Sounds like exhaust to me also but you say it isn't so I have no clue. I know one thing if those rockers are oiling it isn't doing a very good job of it. I would be extremely concerned about that. My 292 with the covers off will splatter oil to the inner fenders at idle

 

"DOWN IN THE DIP SHE STARTED A KNOCKING"
You said it is the first valve, to me it sounds like metal to metal noise. You may have a bad lifter or a plugged one that is allowing the push rod to have too much clearance and make that noise.
Does the engine miss a little bit?
Did you rebuild your engine lately?
Did this noise happen all of a sudden?
Could also be the rocker on that valve that is not happy, worn or lacking oil.
Could be the spring or the keeper.
Hope you don't have a problem with a bad valve guide.

Turn over your engine without starting it and make sure the cam lobe is at the top of that first valve and see how much slop is there. Valve should be all the way open if not it's a lifter or cam lobe. Watch the rocker as you turn the engine slowly to see if it closes the valve. Check to see if anything is loose.

Hope that may help you solve the problem.
Best of luck.

 

We just put a new cam and lifters in and it made the noise right away. We had new guides put in so I hope that's not it. It backfires through the carb when you smack the gas pedal.

 

Not an authority, I would not run the engine but for minimal amount of time in order to locate effected cylinder.

Had similar issue and used a hose, since replaced w/ a cheap stethoscope, and within seconds narrowed the problem to specific cylinder. Suggest recheck the adjustment on the effected cylinder. If set to spec's then suggest pulling the intake manifold and check the condition of the lifter, push rod, etc., on the effected cylinder. Seem to recall there's a break-in procedure for newly installed cam and lifter's, if this has not been done then I would not do it until the problem has been located. Found the lifter on the effected cylinder froze and damaged the cam. Replaced w/ need cam and lifter once I started the engine there were a couple of issues and found it primarily had to do with determining, by feel, the amount of 'backlash' to set on the push rod before tightening valve adjustment according to engine spec's, a mechanic friend gave me a demonstration and went back and reset adjustment and all is well. I have not had to replace the cam or lifter on the 352/390, so not familiar w/ the adjustment procedure.

 

Misfire? Check plug wires to see if you have two crossed-up.

 

The ford fe motors throw a lot of oil to the shaft rockers. You should see a lot more oil coming from your rocker arms. I just rebuilt a 390 fe and at idle I have 20psi and a lot more oil from my rockers than your video shows. Did you restrict your oil in your head passage?

 

My comments assume you have follow correct procedure for tourqe of the rocker shaft assembles / push-rod clearance / start up break in, etc: As long as all plug wires are correct for firing order, it sounds to me like a collapsed / defective lifter, debris stuck between intake valve and seat, etc. The popping noise sounds like a mis-fire due possibly to aforementioned --- and the popping back through carb under acceleration would also be an indication of the same. On outside chance you may have gotten some debris down an intake port when you pulled the intake manifold and the debris is not letting an intake valve seat all the way closed causing the pop / intake mis-fire. A burnt intake valve sounds the same. I also agree with the rest of the comments that from the video you appear not have a good amount of oil making its way up to the rockers but hard to confirm from video alone. If you just replaced the cam and lifters, did you replace cam bearings? What was the clearance between cam and bearings? Excuse my ignorance on the 352 but possibly you have a cam bearing mis-aligned and your oil passage is blocked. Check and compare your compression between different cylinders, and check your oil pressure with gauges. Another test is to pull all the plugs, turn the motor over by hand (socket on harm balancer bolt) until affected cylinder has both valves in closed position. Take a blow gun with rubber tip, no more than 100 psi on your compressor. Blow air into the spark plug hole on the affected cylinder and see if air passes the intake (or exhaust) valve. If it does you'll hear it come up into the carb. If you have a good seal the air will psih back out of the spark plug hole. Just use short bursts, don't go crazy and over-pressurize the cylinder. Most likely it will blow the air gun off before blowing a head gasket, but you never know. My 2 cents from seeing and hearing many a problem with engines brought to me over the years and making / correcting many mistakes on my own as well...good luck.

 

That was one of the problems I've read when I had my 352 is to much oil going topside. Hell I put jets in my oil gallery to reduce the flow of oil to the topside. But from the video there sure doesn't look like a whole hell of alot of oil up there. Whats your oil pressure at?

I'd finger each rocker to see if I could feel anything abnormal.

Have you looked at the other side with the valve cover off to compare?

Did you check timing?