Lifter noise?

[Alk-3]

My 2.25 petrol has developed a ticking that I though was tappet noise. I checked the clearance with feeler gauges and one of them had very little clearance. Maybe a few thou, but not tightened right down. I thought maybe I had burned the valve because it was a bit tight, so I pulled the head, replaced all the valves, and ground them in properly, replaced the head gasket and got everything adjusted perfectly. The tappet noise has not changed. I am now wondering whet else it might be. It really sounds like tappet noise, and it sounds like just one loud one, not across the whole bunch. Could this be lifter noise? Any other suggestions? It developed fairly quickly over a period of a few weeks and has not gotten worse, but is pretty distinct.
The noise it not very noticeable when the engine first starts up, but once it's warm it makes the noise.
I'm running 10w40.

[SafeAirOne]

Did you also replace the valve guides while you were in there? It sounds like a sticking valve. I THINK this is one of the many symptoms that you can confirm with a vacuum gauge.

[Alk-3]

No I did not replace the guides. Can I do that now? Do they need to be done at the same time as the valves? Do I have to redo all the valves?
I did notice a few were a bit tight, and seemed to require a bit more force to slide through the guide.

I do have a vacuum gauge, but I don't know how to use it to check for a sticky valve.

[JimCT]

sticky valves

try marvel mystery oil in your fuel. might just free up the valves

[westcoastkevin]

Camshaft lobes/followers perhaps...

[Alk-3]

Does anyone know if I need to redo the valves now if I replace the guides?

[bkreutz]

No I did not replace the guides. Can I do that now? Do they need to be done at the same time as the valves? Do I have to redo all the valves?
I did notice a few were a bit tight, and seemed to require a bit more force to slide through the guide.

I do have a vacuum gauge, but I don't know how to use it to check for a sticky valve.

The vacuum gauge needle will fluctuate rapidly if the valves are sticking (after you hook it up to the engine) You should not have had to force the valves to move the main reason for the spec clearance is that the exhaust valve (and to a lesser extent the intake) will expand from heat and get too tight if the clearances aren't correct. If I was replacing the guides I would redo the valves as well since the guides have to be reamed to spec after installation.

[Alk-3]

The vacuum gauge needle will fluctuate rapidly if the valves are sticking (after you hook it up to the engine) You should not have had to force the valves to move the main reason for the spec clearance is that the exhaust valve (and to a lesser extent the intake) will expand from heat and get too tight if the clearances aren't correct. If I was replacing the guides I would redo the valves as well since the guides have to be reamed to spec after installation.

well, I have solved this problem, in a round about way. I was on my way home and about 50km's into a 300km trip the heat stopped working, so I pulled over, and sure enough, there was very little coolant in the rad. I noticed there was a bit of moisture around the engine bay, and when I checked under the valve cover breather, there was foamy oil. yup coolant in the oil.
I added what coolant I had to the rad, and limped to a service centre to assess the damage. under proper lighting I could see the crankcase was taking on a lot of coolant. The oil pressure was still fine, didn't change at all. the temperature gauge stopped working when I did the valves/gasket last week. I assumed I had damaged the sensor while I was woking on it, but now I wonder if that's the case at all. I will have to test it to see is I get a reading in boiling water.
I had enough supplies to do a full oil change, and could have purchased enough oil to do another if I wanted to limp home, doing oils changes along the way, but I decided I'd rather not risk a spun bearing. So my wife, myself, our two dogs all piled into a tow truck for a $440 ride home.
So, I'm going to drain the engine of coolant, and do an oil change tomorrow to flush out the water from the crank case.
Last week I replaced the head gasket while doing a valve job. When I had the head off I foolishly didn't even check it for flatness, and just put it back on. there is coolant seeping out from between the head and block near the front of the engine.
I did retorque the head bolts to 65 foot lbs, after warming up the truck when I did the head gasket, and assumed everything was fine.
so, by the time a remove the head again, and refit another set of new valves, and install new guides, and ream them to fit.. which I have never done before, so I don't even know that I could do it, and I'm sure I don't have the required tools to do the job. Then I still have to get the head machined flat again, and hope that it didn't over heat enough to cause any serious damage..
I think at this point I would be ahead of the game to remove the old head, set it aside and buy a new turner high performance head complete ready to drop onto the engine.
I know it will cost more money to do it this way, but I know it will be done right, and done faster than I could otherwise do it, if I tried to rebuild the old head…
Anyway, it's been a frustrating ordeal, and this is the first time the truck has ever let me down. but in the end, I will not have a sticky valve, and will not have to go through the trouble and time of rebuilding the head on my only vehicle.
now for a follow up question.. should I replace the head bolts while I'm at it? I will be ordering what I need tomorrow, and my shopping list is as follows:

turner HP head
head gasket
intake and exhaust manifold gaskets
intake and exhaust studs

anything else I might need?
I think I should start a new thread about this..

[SafeAirOne]

Eh...If you just put new valves in it, you should be able to get away with just ordering new guides and using the old valves, have a machine shop check the head for flatness and install the new valve guides and seals and reinstall the existing valves. You can check the flatness of the block with a straightedge and feeler gauges.

Next time you reinstall the head and "fill" the coolant, leave the cap loose and drive it around for a few miles to open the thermostat, then pull over, shut down and CAREFULLY top it up with more coolant/water mix. You might be able to add as much as another gallon + once the air is out of the cooling system.

PS: I'd be surprised if the new guides would need custom fitting to new valves, but you never know...

[o2batsea]

anything else I might need?
I think I should start a new thread about this..

I'd venture to say a new long block. What you are dealing with there is a pile of shyte. Why prolong the agony?

[antichrist]

The new guides only need to be reamed if they are not within spec.
It shouldn't take a machine shop long to check the block for flatness, mill if needed, and install the new guides.

Get your temperature gauge working.

[SafeAirOne]

I'd venture to say a new long block. What you are dealing with there is a pile of shyte. Why prolong the agony?

[sigh...]

[o2batsea]

Diminishing returns and all that. Rebuilding an engine is not cost effective. A new Turner engine will better serve and be less expense, and add value to the vehicle. If the truck is just a quirky beater and you don't mind spending hours futzing with it, well...drive on, my friend.

[jac04]

Diminishing returns and all that. Rebuilding an engine is not cost effective. A new Turner engine will better serve and be less expense, and add value to the vehicle. If the truck is just a quirky beater and you don't mind spending hours futzing with it, well...drive on, my friend.

[sigh x2]

[Alk-3]

I pulled the head, and the gasket seems to be in fine shape, no obvious signs of where the leak was. I have a straightedge and the head seems flat, but the block is a bit cupped.. how much out of flat is too much? it might be only one or two thousandths, I will check and get back to you guys.
I have to say, I'm getting really frustrated here. what started out as a noisy valve has turned into a real problem.
now my fear is the block is too cupped to be okay, and secondly, since there is no obvious signs of where the gasket was leaning, I am afraid of maybe a crack in the block causing the coolant to get into the oil.
Can someone run down the possibilities of how coolant could get into the oil, besides a bad head gasket?
EDIT Okay, I just checked for flatness. My feelers only go down to .002" and they don't fit under the straightedge, on both the block and the head.
Is it possible the head gasket just didn't take properly? I am fearing the worst, which is a cracked block. I don't know how that would have happened though, and the timing of it would be too perfect, given it only leaked after replacing the head gasket..
maybe i'm over thinking this, and should just get new valve guides, and reinstall..