Noisy Engine

[Noah H]

Hello gang, 

 

My 230 flatty engine clatters but it’s very intermittent. It’ll run quiet and smooth for about 15-20 minuets. Then it will start clicking pretty loudly. I’ve had the valves adjusted about 3 times. I also I am running a bottle of Lucas with 20w-50 vr1. Any ideas? 

[Sniper]

Valve adjustment noises don't usually come and go.  Maybe a video of it making the noise?

[dpollo]

Take a compression test.  If it is  within specs then you can rule out the specter of broken piston rings causing fragments to enter and bounce around in the combustion chambers.  Another possibility is a faulty fuel pump.   Clicking can also , occasionally, be traced to the oil pressure bypass.  Speeding the engine up would make it stop.

 

 

[Noah H]

44 minutes ago, dpollo said:

Take a compression test.  If it is  within specs then you can rule out the specter of broken piston rings causing fragments to enter and bounce around in the combustion chambers.  Another possibility is a faulty fuel pump.   Clicking can also , occasionally, be traced to the oil pressure bypass.  Speeding the engine up would make it stop.

 

 

It clicks no matter what rpms, I have an automotive stethoscope and there is a clicking noise coming from the fuel pump area that sounds in rhythm from what I hear without the scope, but also if I place the probe on head over the valves I hear distinctive clicking as well. 

[dpollo]

my next guess is an intermittently  sticking valve but this would also cause a noticeable miss.    Have a listen at the tailpipe when the clicking is taking place.

 

[Noah H]

13 hours ago, dpollo said:

my next guess is an intermittently  sticking valve but this would also cause a noticeable miss.    Have a listen at the tailpipe when the clicking is taking place.

 

Listening to the exhaust there is a puff  every couple seconds. Should defiantly be smoother. I can also hear the tick through the tail pipe. 

[Frank Gooz]

Ii had a big block chevy that would do the same thing sound great then sputter idle rough.

I found a broken valve spring. as the spring turned is would get tall sounded good then short sounded bad.

 

Good luck.

Frank

[Noah H]

It is a rhythm and has gotten quite annoying 

tick tick tick tick————-tick tick tick tick my stethoscope is leading me astrey. Motor has been rebuilt had the valve covers off last month and some tappets seemed like they were not moving. I didn’t check for broken valve springs though. Might have to tear into it again 

[JerseyHarold]

I've heard of cases where the engine oil crossover pipe was installed backwards during a rebuild and then it would get hit by the crankshaft throw and make a noise.  The noise may be intermittent due to the engine being cold or hot.

[dpollo]

The oil cross over pipe stung me once, and almost twice but although the contact between the pipe and crankshaft was slight, the noise was continuous.It you shine a strobe timing light on the valve springs and tappets, it may "freeze frame " the trouble. Move the  pickup  1 5 3 6 2 4 .