Engine makes ticking sound

[Pete74]

Hi All.
Just noticed a ticking sound, from the motor, when driving my moke. Is it normal for it to make this sound? If not what should i be looking at? I assume it would be valve rockers if anything. BUt the gaps were set when I rebuilt the motor. I have done about 300 KM since the rebuild, so will look to drop the oil soon.

Thanks

[Drakman]

Not an exhaust leak at the manifold? loose rocker adjuster/ roller rockers hitting the valve cover, did you re tension the head, timing chain hitting the cover. Is it a regular sound or intermittent.  Fan belt picked something up or a piece missing. 

I just rebuilt my engine and i had a ticking sound that was the manifold gasket, turns out that the inlet manifold is thicker than the extractors so the washers were not compressing the gasket on the exhaust side.

Good luck with it.

Dave

[cheezle]

Hi Pete
I wouldn't drive till you find the tick just incase

Dave I have just fitted my intake manifold and extractors and noted the different thickness ,I wasn't happy with the way it tightened ,I feel I should take back off and weld little spacers on the extractors , what did you do

[Drakman]

Hi Cheezle,  I have a set of the large thick washers for the manifold nuts so i used the linisher to grind them down .5 mm on one side.  It was a  pain keeping the ground side in the correct orientation while doing them up but it worked ok.

[Pete74]

Thanks guys.
I have not yet retensioned the head. That will happen this weekend. I checked the valve clearance on #1 valve ad found it a bit large. Adjusted and the ticking quietened down. I think it is just the tappets. It is running great. Will recheck all valve clearances and the manifold as I too have extractors fitted.

Thanks for the info.

[winabbey]

Are the rockers getting oil? The rocker shaft and pedestals need to be correctly positioned in order to get an oil feed from the head. A common mistake by the uninitiated.

[Pete74]

Winabbey,
Given I am not sure what that means, I would suggest it is something I should check. How do I know if they are correctly positioned?

[AlanS]

Hi Pete74
I have a inline PCV valve that likes to click or tick thought I would just mention that in case it might be of help.

AlanS   

[winabbey]

Winabbey,
Given I am not sure what that means, I would suggest it is something I should check. How do I know if they are correctly positioned?

Pete - the rockers and rocker shaft are lubricated via a hole through one of the rocker posts that is aligned with a corresponding hole in the head surface that goes into an oil gallery. If the rocker posts have been swapped around one may be blocking off the oil feed.

Easiest way to check is to simply remove the oil filler cap on the rocker cover while the engine is running and see if oil is splashing around inside, or even take the rocker cover off and watch. Have a rag handy though.

If the rockers and underneath the rocker cover are dry after running the engine for a period you have a lack of lubrication problem that needs to be investigated quick smart.

If all that looks OK then maybe try a stethoscope (piece of flexible tube to your ear) as a way to pinpoint exactly where the clicking/ticking sound is coming from.

Forgot to ask - is the ticking present only when driving or whenever the engine is running?

[Pete74]

Winabby,

I retorqued the head and adjusted the valve clearances last night and all sounds quiet. The top of head and rockers do have iil over them but I have only checked cold. Will run tomorrow and check. But it seems to have gone. Might have just been the engine loosened up sfter run in. Thanks for your input. The info will nake a better moker out of me.

[Pete74]

Well, Looks like I have an issue. I went for a spin to the shops. When I got back I took the oil cap off while engine was running and no signs of oil running off the rockers. Guess I will need to get a head gasket and take the rockers off to see the issue.

[Halfpint]

Pete, have you got an oil pressure gauge?
It might be that the oil pump wasn’t primed prior to starting up.
HP

[Terry]

Hi,

you don't need a head gasket at this stage.

Remove the rocker cover and look for oil puddles around the head and valve stems. As suggested you can run the engine with the rocker cover off and you should see the oil splashing around.

The oil passes into the rocker assembly through the post closets to the radiator. There should be a grub screw with a rectangular head in the top of the same post that locates the rocker shaft so that oil can pass through to the shaft to the rockers.

Unless you have dismantled the rocker assembly it would be rare that oil is not getting through because you would have to have swapped posts around, you can't put them on backwards.

Terry

[Drakman]

Hi Terry,

 I think on my engine, the post with the locking taper is the second one from the radiator i remember when i built them up, with a new shaft, i had to drill one of the other posts for the oil way to match.  I just had a look at some spare posts and the post with the taper isn't drilled for the oil way.

I thought the posts were all the same, the part numbers for the posts are the same across the engine range.

Now i am discombobulated.  (my favourite word)

Cheers
Dave

[Terry]

Hi Terry,

 I think on my engine, the post with the locking taper is the second one from the radiator i remember when i built them up, with a new shaft, i had to drill one of the other posts for the oil way to match.  I just had a look at some spare posts and the post with the taper isn't drilled for the oil way.

I thought the posts were all the same, the part numbers for the posts are the same across the engine range.

Now i am discombobulated.  (my favourite word)

Cheers
Dave

Drak,

I thought it was the second one also but when I was replying last night I went out to the shed and took a rocker cover off and it was on the first post. I will have another look today.

Terry