Ahhhhhh.. the dreaded sound of a bad lifter. As I was coming home this am my '78 460 started making that dreaded sound. It was still running fine, so I went the rest of the way home and parked it.

About 2 hours later I went out and started it up to try to pinpoint the general area and the ticka..ticka was a lot less quiet. After running a few minutes it was gone. I heated the truck to operating temp, revved it up and still no ticka..ticka.

So, do i pull it apart and replace the lifters? I really don't want to. I will be driving it 1k miles back to WA in 3 weeks and would hate to break down in some liberal pansy state like CA or OR. The quicker I get through them the better I feel (that was my commentary for the day).

Could it have been a momentary thing and now it is better?

The engine is bone stock, 1978, carbed, and has a total of 80k actual miles on it.

So, what do YOU think?

bob

 

How was the oil pressure when the lifters were complaining?
Has the oil been changed recently?
If all is ok I would try an oil additive that claims to free-up sticking lifters.
Good luck!

 

I would change the oil and double check to make shure that you have decent oil press. did you check the gauge to see if you had press when it was tickin? i would say its fine as long as its not makin that noise anymore. just my opinon.

 

I thought you were calling ducks there for a minute. Sounded like a feeding chuckle to me. Seriously though, as others have said, could just need an oil change. Also may need to go to a thinner oil as it is getting cold out.