Search the Community

Last April, I awoke my 47 DeSoto Suburban from a six-month slumber. The car started right up, after a few jabs to the gas pedal, and ran nicely. But the brakes pulled to the left, until a few miles of panic stops in the neighborhood straightened things out. The car went back to slumber until a few weeks ago. Then I figured I had better prepare the car for crossing an international border for a car show early next month. This time, I inspected the brakes, performed some incantations over them, and the brakes are behaving again. (See a recent thread about brakes pulling.) But since the July awakening, there has been a persistent tick, tick sound from the engine. The vacuum gauge needle reacts to the ticks. I pulled the spark plugs. They are evenly sooted. Compression is 105 to 115 for all cylinders except No. 2: 85 to 90. Perhaps a valve is not fully closing? My one year of mechanical experience, repeated sixty times, suggests some options: 1. Ignore it. It may go away as things free up? Or live with it. (Is the ticking harmless, or is the engine destroying itself?) 2. Put some magic potion in the oil, and let it do its magic. 3. Bite the bullet, jack up the car, remove the wheel and fender access panel and the valve covers, and have a look. Maybe Cylinder No 2 needs some valve adjustment? I have a little over two weeks before the car show. (It may take me that long to put in a full day's work.) Opinions and wise advice would be graciously appreciated.