when you say "bad' you mean it's just not how it's supposed to sound, not "bad" as in something is gonna break?

 

That's a pretty good description. When mine were not adjusted right I got a lot of "clacking". After getting them right it's more of a light, even "ticking" sound.

 

I have that problem with the clacking. But the weird thing is it comes and goes. More than not it is clacking but on occasion it is fairly quiet. So i don't know what would cause that.

 

http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/jpolzn...01.MPG&.src=bc

OK...there the clip...lemme know what you think. I'm pretty sure I have a rocker or two that needs to be tightened down a little more.

 

jpolz - i just listened to it.

sounds like the rockers are clacking pretty badly, although its kind of hard with the audio of the mpeg - it muffles the clack a lot.

but it definitley sounds abnormal, the engine sound sound smooth with no abrupt "clacks" happening like that..

here's an easy check.. turn the engine off, take the driver's side valve cover off, and just crank the engine up and see if the ticking is even louder. turn engine back off, and try taking each pushrod and wiggling it up and down/side to side with your fingers. you should be able to tell if any of them are loose. You can do this to your passenger side valve cover also, but you'll have to remove the alternator to get the vc off..

good luck, and keep us posted!

 

Yeah I kinda figured a have a few loose ones. Is hurting my performance at all, because the car screams, or is it just a nuisance thing.

Secondly, I think I'm gonna go ahead and try to adjust them with the engine running. Is there a trick to isolate which ones are the offenders? I don't wanna tighten one that's fine.

 

well your pcm is probably picking up false knock from the clacking roller rockers.. and at higher rpms , with the rpms clacking, you could collapse a lifter, nick the cam, bend a pushrod, what not..

get them fixed With the car running, if more than one or two rockers are clacking, its pretty hard to tell which is the bad one. I hold a short tube to my ear, with the other end to each rocker - you'll be able to hear which one's doing the clacking.

 

Good deal! I'm all over it this weekend.

 

When adjusting them when running be careful! My dad came to visit me and told me that mine where making too much noise when they where just barely clicking. So he said he would adjust them for me, he ended up collapsing a lifter and it flattened out the roller and cam lobe. Good excuse to do a cam change but that gave me more problems down the road. Also don't drive around with the rockers making that noise becuse the rocker could come off the stud and do a 180. NOT GOOD! But when you adjust it while running do an 1/8 of a turn at a time and get a couple pieces of cardboard to block the oil from going everywhere, or go buy the rocker clips at a parts store. BE CAREFUL!

 

They do sound a little more noisey than what I'd expect to hear. How far past zero lash did you adjust them? half or 3/4 turn?
You will do more harm with them too tight than with them a little too loose.

To listen to each RR, I'd suggest you purchase a stethescope for about $10 from the auto parts store. Even with the valve covers on you can place the tip on each header tube (assuming you have headers) to listen to each cylinder. With the valve covers off you can place the tip on each RR. I use a few sheets of alum foil from the kitchen and shape the foil to protect oil from coming off the head and down onto the block or headers. Don't touch the headers, but put a lip on the folded foil along the uncovered head.

Go gett'm!