Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Started about 800miles on a rebuild. Opened it up last week and reset all valves and triple checked them but the noise is still there. So far put MMO in tank & carbs, pulled plug wires, used stethoscope and cannot find origin of noise. It only clicks during idle. Any suggestions? Could it be a weak or broke valve spring?

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Old ford, the noise is a much more tinny sound than piston lap. Thanks for the thought though.

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

I also had a clicking/ticking noise after a rebuild on a '35 21 stud engine that I could not pin down. Drove the car like that for about 1k-2k miles and the fiber timing gear failed. Replaced that gear with an aluminum version and no more ticking/clicking in the last 22k miles. The fiber timing gear was a reproduction part with an off shore origin.

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Had a tick on a 59ab and found the sound coming from the fuel pump stand area. The fuel pump push rod had some slop and would tick. Placed a small piece of leather in the cup and tick went away.

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Thanks for the reply but am running an electric fuel pump and have that hole blocked.

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Thanks, I'll put the stethoscope on it in the next 15 min. Have not focused on that area.

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Put stethoscope on timing gear cover and do not detect any louder noise. Beginning to wonder if I should get a young guy with good hearing to go over it for me.

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Today I checked the compression and all cylinders were between 95 & 100. Then I ran the engine to get it warm and added a bottle of STP to the oil. Then I took it for a 3 mile ride and no change. earlier when I tore the engine down because of this noise I set all valves at .012. I saw on another post where he set the intakes at .009 and the exhaust at .012 and fixed his problem. What do you guys think?

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I had a small clicking type noise in the 33 yesterday after a drive over to my mates place,it came from the front of the engine,took the belt off ,noise gone,it was a loose crank pulley,the nut was tight ,BUT the pulley was the same length as the front of the crank and therefor the crank nut and washer pulled up on the crank,I machined a .040 recess in the washer and that fixed it.and yes the slinger was in place.
Lawrie

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

I had a clicking, tinny like sound that I almost never found. The pipe that goes from the bottom of the fuel pump stand, that the push rod goes through, that had dropped loose and was bouncing on the cam. Replaced it to where it should be after expanding it slightly, and the sound disappeared, never to return.

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Lots of tricky little "it happened to me" type answers, coming up in this thread. All good points to remember.

Mart.

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Had a wrist pin that had a ticky sound at idle ,can't remember what the machines shop did but noise went away when put back together .

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

This thread should be a "sticky".

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Hey Cecil,
I've read here in the past that ...if no longer using the stock fuel pump, still leave the pushrod in place to block excess oil flow that flows from galley thru small hole around pushrod. I've always wondered about that and about that 'loose' push rod bouncing on the cam lobe. What wear problem, besides ticking noise that that would make ?
Did you leave push rod in there ?

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Hardtimes, I thought the same but in post #6 he says "Thanks for the reply but am running an electric fuel pump and have that hole blocked." to the same question.

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Here is my intermittent ticking noise on a 54 Mercury.
Broken head bolt. Would pop up and tick on the valve cover, then slide back down in the head.
Bruce

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

If an engine has split guides it has been known for one half of the guide to be above the guide retainer and it will sometimes go up and down intermitantly with the valve making a clicky noise.Cheers Geoff.

Re: Clicking noise in engine during idle
 

Update: pulled intake, heads and timing gear and all 16 valve assemblies. No problem found. Does seem to be a lot of clearance between the end of the cam and the cover. Should there be a spring in the cover to keep some tension on the end of the cam? Now I'm wondering if I've gotten a chip in my oil pump gear. Any other suggestions?

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Try checking the exhaust gaskets between the block and header/manifold. I have a '36 21 stud with Red's Headers and the front gasket on the passenger side has a slight leak that sounds like a valve tick. I've run the header over the big belt sander to the flanges are all on one plain and new gasket and tighter than I really want to tighten but it still leaks. It's slight enough to not be noticeable except to someone who is listening for it. Good luck. Rod