[Steves LX]

O.K. guys I am about 5 seconds short of blowing this thing up and buying a VW beetle because it chatters because its suppose to. I have a 89 LX stock motor and heads and a F cam. I had some head work and block work done and for 2 months now I have yet to be able to get this valve train noise to go away. I have had my preload anywhere from ,.020 to .080 and it doesn't change the noise at all. I have replaced lifters and valve springs and still no results. I dont know what else to do. If the car is just idleing its quiet but as soon as you give it gas or you drive it it just ticks away until you come back down to an idle. The parts aren't getting any cheaper and I am sick of parts chasing and nothing changing not to mention spending all my evenings in the garage for 2 months replacing valve train crap and starting the car back up to hear the same thing. I have been told so many differn't things from Crane and comp and have tried it all and nothing. The only thing I haven't done is spend money on new heads but I shouldn't have to. When I changed the lifters about a month or so ago I had gas getting into my oil which I was finally last weekened able to get that straightened out. I have been told that the gas ruined the roller lifters that I had put in there but I talk to someone else and they say no when you changed the oil that would of cleaned that out. So I need some help here if possible.

[ujslost]

did you reinstall the valve lash caps? you running pedestal rockers ? did you adjust the valves properly? Need more info here

[NottyBoy93]

Curious....is you motor stock? if so how many miles? and STock or aftermarket cam? We need specifics as above stated.

[Steves LX]

This is a stock block stock crank rods and pistons. It has a 303F cam. Stock heads pedestal mounted factory rockers. The motor was just rebuilt 2 months ago. And like I said I have replaced lifters valve springs I even stuck a set of roller rockers on and still just as noisy. I tried thicker oil20/50 with 1 QT of lucas oil and still just as noisy. I have adjusted my valves every way I know possible. I have done it by the haynes manual, I have done it by when the exhaust valve just starts to open tighten the intake and when the intake is just about to close tighten the ehaust on that cylinder, and I have done it also by the firing order and getting TDC on the cylinder and tighting both valves. It doesn't matter how I do it It sounds like crap. And its only when you rev it up or drive it. If its just idleing its quiet.

[ujslost]

Ok man here is your problem I bet.

there are suppose to be little caps that go over the ends of the valves. If you dont know what Im talking about you probly never knew they were there and lost them.

2nd thing, did you have your heads shaved at all? if so you have to buy a flat spacer that sets between the rocker arm and the pedestal. ( you have to buy the spacer that is the thickness of whatever you had shaved off your heads).
If you shaved the heads the valve geometry is off now and the push rod is pushing the rocker tip over the tip of the valve to much.

Keep driving it and I guarantee you will bend/break a valve.

[Steves LX]

That doesnt get caps on the valve stems and something else people keep telling me is the high volume oil pump that is in there is probably the whole problem. I am not quite sure how that could be the problem but I do know my oil pressure is out of the world all the time. When I am driving 55 or faster its between 70 and 80 and if I run it hard its around 90. When I idle its around 40 or so. A couple guys say that high volume pump is probably causing air bubbles and its creating air pockets in the lifters.

[ujslost]

sounds like a line of bullshit to me

[1slo5.0]

The pump could be the problem. I've heard that before with hi volume pumps and hydraulic lifters.