i just rebuilt my 96 460 kb137 flat tops crane 353901 cam sealed power lifters all new everything but crank rods and heads. i had a fried #5 piston was the reason for the rebuild no noise in the motor what so ever. i fired it up broke the cam in had lifters makin noise for a little bit all but one went away untill the 20min mark then it quieted down. changed the oil buttoned a few things up fired it back up and it was back ticking drove it home still ticking now i have about 55 miles on the motor and if you drive it 15 or so miles it quiets down but doesnt go away but if you shut it off and fire it up it comes right back i have marvel in it now but it doesnt seem to be doing anything for it any suggestions? no other noise has plenty of power runs smooth idles smooth

 

Are you 100% sure its the valve train? My first reaction would be you wiped a lobe of the cam but, that wouldnt get quieter i wouldnt think. What was your cam break in procedure you followed?

 

7qts valvoline VR-1 SAE30 1 bottle of STP supra wear control with plenty of ZDDP fired it up brought it straight to 2K varied it between 2 and 3 for 30 mins and im almost 100% its a lifter im a mechanic by trade my boss thinks is a lifter and i dropped by the machine shop here in town and talked to him and he said the same thing. i would also think it wouldn't run as smooth as it does with a wiped lobe

 

Did you check lifter preload when you were putting it together ?

 

i did not check preload i never have and never had a problem

 

I am under the assumption that as long as, whichever cam you choose, is on the same base circle as stock you dont need to change valvetrain components unless you have valve to piston clearence issues or you need springs. With that being said Im guesing you did mill the heads? Always, always check lifter preload because it will save you from tearing back apart twice. Im wondering if something isnt to tight? Or it could be a lifter that just isnt doing its job.

 

Most all if not all aftermarket cams do not use the same base circle, so you must at the least check lifter preload. There is no way to know for sure unless you check it. All top end machining processes (milling, valve seat work, reground valves, etc) will all effect push rod length and preload as well as adding aftermarket speed parts. This is not a process that should be overlooked in engine building.

 

i had the heads milled 2600 miles before the rebuild due to what i thought was a head gasket problem but was actually a toasted piston/rings putting condensation into the crank case no noise after reassembly. would preload cause this problem? the fact that it goes away when it feels like it has me leaning towards a lifter that wont pump up and if it does pump up it looses prime when the truck is shut off

 

the ticking is probably going away because the engine is warmed up and everything has expanded a bit to take away the slack (for want of a better term) in the valve train (much the same reason why you have a gap on solid lifter applications). on the 460's, Ford used a non adjustable valvetrain setup, so any changes to the valvetrain require either longer/shorter pushrods or shimming/milling of the pedastals to get the correct lifter preload back. also changing the cam will require the same thing.

Rgds
Mike