F-Body Europe

Ok, I pulled my intake off last night to change the gaskets. While it was off, I steam cleaned my lower intake. AFter assembling everything again, I fired the engine and heard a knocking, tick like sound coming from the top half of the motor. There were NO pieces, parts, tools, etc. left in the lifter valley. Eventually this sound went away. Today, the noise was there again when I fired up my car, but went away after about 5 minutes. My timing has been set to 13*BTDC so I know it is not a severe case of detonation. I checked and rechecked my plug wires and firing order. I pulled all my plugs and the #7 plug looked as if something could have nicked it, but could have just been scratched on the way out, and #8 plug was spotted brown. All other plugs were good. The intake was properly torqued in sequence. I did not touch any of the valvetrain, either. Please, any help here would be greatly appreciated. BTW the car is a 1991 with stock 5.0. Motor has 130k miles on it. Thanks y'all.

Sounds like a little valve train noise when it is cold.

Did any coolant get in the lifter valley when you pulled the intake? If so, did you change the oil? Just like Roy said, it does sound like valve train noise. My 94 Camaro's lifters used to tick for a few minutes every morning.

Well, I ran some trans fluid through it, and changed the oil. I also put in a quart of marvel mystery oil with the new oil, and the tick is still there. I'm scratching my head again. Any new ideas, or should I just pull the valve covers and check backlash?

That's probably the next thing you should do

Is it still ticking?

I'm not trying to get you to imitate the sound like on a tv commercial

For sure its top end, not the sound of a main (definatally a differant sound)

off the wall just until you reply, but are you sure you dont have a exhaust leak at the manifold that is pretending to be valvetrain? A mustang generally speaking has a pretty quite valvetrain.

And for sure pull the covers. check to make sure everything is seated properly cuz ya never know. Then just for giggles sacrifice some oil to the manifolds and run the motor without the valve covers to see if that will expose the culprit.

Rob

I saw his car on the truck a couple of weeks ago heading back to the states. It maybe a while before you get a reply on this one.

Yeah, the car is gone now. I'm Picking it up in Baltimore and driving to Michigan, and then Vegas, so she better hold together. I'm thinking about having a mechanic look at it in Michigan, but don't know for sure yet. Either way, I'm thinking about doing at least intake and cam soon. The noise was definitely coming from the top end. I couldn't feel any exhaust leaks. I was told by some good friends in the states that I probably just got some dirt in one of my lifters, and not to worry. Either way, I raced the crap out of it for 2 weekends with the noise, plus i put about 750 miles or more on it, so I think it will live...I hope.