I have a ticking sound coming form the passenger side and front valve cover area i think. There was another loud tick coming from the exhaust manifold but i replaced the gasket and that should went away but now there is another ticking. Sometimes i do not year it at idle but when i give it a little gas i do. Now i hear it the most under idle. When i rev the engine it fades out. Lifter? Is it something that can maybe be fixed by tightening something? I just added some seafoam to the oil to see if that does anything.

 

Does the noise change under load?

 

Yes, fades away. In fact if i press the accerator a 1/4 or more i cannot notice any ticking anymore.

 

I had a bad lifter that did that after i rode it hard. Might be collapsed.

 

Yeah, it pumps up with rpm. Which means theres still oil going through it, which means there is still hope for it. Try some Marvel Mystery Oil in the crankcase, 1/2 quart substituted for 1/2 quart of oil. Do this when changing the oil, and use 5w40 Rotella T synthetic. This is diesel rated and has more detergents than regular oil. This should get rid of the lifter tick, if that's what it is.

 

Ahhh tick shmick, LoL, fe's will rattle for ever, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

What do you mean when changing the oil? Add it to the new oil change? Then how long untill i change the oil? I just added half a can of seafoam tonight and thought i would change the oil tomorrow after driving a bit to let the seafoam slosh around.

 

Well yeah, let that slosh around for a day or two, but when that doesn't fix it change the oil. I really meant change it now. Once they get to the point where it doesn't stop ticking it's very difficult / impossible to get 'em to stop. Basically it means the lifter is clogged up with sludge. Yours is partly clogged, so there is still hope.

 

[QUOTE=rusty70f100]Well yeah, let that slosh around for a day or two, but when that doesn't fix it change the oil. I really meant change it now. Once they get to the point where it doesn't stop ticking it's very difficult / impossible to get 'em to stop. Basically it means the lifter is clogged up with sludge. Yours is partly clogged, so there is still hope.[/QUOTA

Anything i can do under the valve cover if needed?

 

My first FE had the same symptoms you are describing. It ran like that the whole time I owned it, and won many races in the meantime. To be honest, I think it is fairly common, and as long as it goes away with some RPMs I wouldn't worry about it. Try the Marvel Mystery Oil thing though. It may help.

-Scouder

 

I've been through this! It's the damn fuel pump! I replaced ALL of my valvetrain, wasted a lot of money doing it, and later found out its my fuel pump! I replaced it, and it's quieted down a lot but still there. Comes and goes, fades, then comes back, who the hell knows why. I even bought a mechanics stethoscope to find out where its coming from, to be sure. It's the haunt of my motor!!!

PS.. Oh yeah, I tried mystery oil, that stuff really works on a lot of things, my dad swears by it... good stuff, I had some just the heck of it on these old motors.

 

Well. Now the ticking does not stop at highter rpms... I took off the valve cover and it is pretty dirty under there. Should i clean it? I tried to move the push rods and the first on in the front had a little play side to side. Is that normal none fo the others had any play accept the last one in the back but not as much.

 

elemint, the pushrods have play depending on which valves are open/closed at the time of shut down. If the noise actually gets louder at higher rpms then that it! Run the motor and put your hand on the fuel pump... you can feel it tap... I've seen this on a lot of them and I'd bet that's it.