Sometimes when I start my truck I get a real light ticking sound, albeit loud enough to hear over my engine and exhaust. The frequency of the tick coincides with the RPM's going up and down. People who I have asked opinions on it think it's a loose rocker arm. Some Magical Mystery Oil and the problem goes away for a little bit but eventually comes back. After the truck gets warmed up the ticking gets progressively worse.

Exhaust was changed in April of this year. I did not notice the tick before this time. Could this be an exhaust leak?

Also noticed that the truck will idle pretty rough every once in awhile. I have just recently had the Oil changed, a week ago, and the ticking died down for a few days and has since returned.

I realize that you guys are not here, I realize that you cannot hear the tick.

Opinions? What should I do? How do I check what this may be and how would I go about fixing it?

Engine is a 351w, 4bbl holley carb, offenhauser manifold, 540 lunati lift cam, msd ignition system and distributor. Also has a c6 stall convertor. Hooker short headers and dynamax dual exhaust.

Thanks ahead of time.

 

My bet (if the exhaust is tight) is the cam/lift got trashed during brake in... also I have had the same exact thing happen and it was the valve guides...

Pull the valve covers and find the ticker... go from there.. I use a long screw driver to my ear and the rocker bolt, if it's ticking you will hear it through the screw driver clear as a bell.. then check the lift at the rocker.. best way would be remove the rocker get the pushrod to full lift and mark it by the hole in the head. Then bring it around to where it's at it's lowest point and mark it again then measure the marks and X by 1.6

Good luck..

 

also when it's ticking pull a spark plug wire one at a time see if it changes the sound of the tick.. pull on wire listen, replace it then pull another one listen, replace it.... go all the way around the cap...