Squeaking noise after valve adjustment

[surfcity]

Hello,

After a DIY valve adjustment(while warm) all was good and then it seemed like I was getting a squeaking under valve cover. Removed the cover again and still getting it when I ran it. All else seems to be moving good. Checked valves again. A couple of valves were tight prior to the adjustment. There seemed to be some gunk around the valves so I was told to use some brake cleaner to get rid of it, which I did and change oil again later. Could this just be spring noise etc. now that the valves are hopefully adjusted correctly and not tight? Any thoughts? Should I just keep driving it? TIA.

[surfcity]

It's a '73 88, 2.25L petrol.

[stomper]

How is your oil pressure? Start the truck with the valve cover off, and see if oil is flowing to the valves and through the head. Also see if you can isolate the squeak while the cover is off.

[SafeAirOne]

Brake cleaner will get things bone-dry, so what you are hearing is metal-to-metal rubbing.

There should be a film of oil between all the moving metal parts--Rocker shaft and rocker arm bearings, rockers and valve stems, etc.

Not sure what you mean by "gunk around the valves"--I'm guessing that you mean valve stems. The valve stems are on the inside of the valve springs and should have seals around the stems to prevent oil from entering the combustion camber via the valve guides. The bronze valve guides do not require lubrication for smooth operation, but if you somehow got brake cleaner past the seals and in between the valve stems and the guides, that could cause squeaking and potential seizure of the valve. Not sure what you'd have to do about this.

As for all the other bearing surfaces, you might squirt a little engine oil in all the bearing holes on the rocker arms and add some to the ends of the valve stems and see if it helps till engine oil pressure can make it's way back up there (presuming you have any oil pressure like Stomper says).

[I Leak Oil]

Brake cleaner eh? Ouch.....

[surfcity]

see above reply.

[surfcity]

Brake cleaner eh? Ouch.....

Yea, that was recommended by the sales guy at the "other" parts place.

[surfcity]

Oil pressure is good. Everything seems to be working fine when I took the valve cover off and let it run. The culprit probably is the brake cleaner getting past the seals in between the valve stems and guides. I shot them with some lubricant and did the other recommendations. Thanks for the input. I'll probably have to see if it goes away? Keeping fingers crossed it doesn't turn into a bigger problem.

[surfcity]

Found it. One of the tappet push rods was dry on top. Lubed it up along with everything else again and all is good. I'll need to keep an eye on why it seems to be a little rough vs. others when you spin it? May have to come out for cleaning or inspection at some point. Hopefully it stays lubed.

[SafeAirOne]

Good--an easily-identified and fixed issue.

Just make sure the bottom end of that rough-turning push rod is seated correctly in the socket in the tappet before you button everything up. Having one out of it's little socket eventually means a lost weekend plus the purchase of a few new parts for you.