VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 216 Valve Train Noise

I know this may be a tough question to definatively answer, but here goes: I recently sold my 51 Sedan with a 235 and bought a much nicer 48 Coupe with the original 216. Seems to me my old 235 was much quieter. I've been told this is due to the 48's mechanical lifters vs the 51's hydraulic lifters. The valve train clatter just seems a little excessive to me. The engine was rebuilt sometime prior to my aquiring the car (unsure how long ago) and runs fine. Perhaps I need to find someone who can adjust the valves? Will it ever be as quiet as a 235?

No, it will never be as quiet as an engine with hydraulic lifters.
Engine with solid lifters require perodic valve adjustments. It was customary and recommended by Chevvrolet to ad just the "valves" with every tune-up which was every 10,000 miles or oftener back then.During warm-up the noise will be greater , then settle down. That is why the adjustment must be made with the engine completely warmed-up.
When new the noise what not excessive and most cars had solid lifters in 1948 (almost all cars).
Today with rocker arm wear, etc. it becaomes more difficult to quiet down the noise but can be brought down to an acceptable level.
My cars were always very quiet and I used the recommended .oo6" intake and .014" exhaust valve clearences.....but I installed new rocker arms, etc.

One more comment here.

If you are farming out this valve adjustment, you will be better served if the individual you hire has a background with 216 / 235 engines.

That's for sure. As Gene says,the engine must be hot enough to have expanded the metals to their best operating temperature.

Best done with the proper combination adjusting tool and a slow engine speed.

I know how to adjust them but still leave them too loose for some reason. Mine clatter like thrashing machine.

The club should get a dosimeter(sp) and, at meets, run a contest for the noisiest engine. I'd run away with the prize.

The quietest old 30s engine I ever heard was one of John's that he brought to Hershey one year. You could hardly hear it run. I think it was a 32. He said he used it for rabbit hunting. Said he could sneak up on the critters without their ever hearing him a-coming. I think he sold it to a safari company.

Charlie

Many of the present day 'mechcanics' are completely stumped when it comes to adjusting valves or replacing points.

Yes sir, you are correct, thus my comment about experienced 216 /235 techs.

I clearly recall when H.E.I. came out. The "points and condenser" techs were mumbling and grumbling about this "newfangled idea" ..... then there were ready to pack up their tool boxes when they heard about the 50,000 volts from this new system.

And now very few know anything about the old HEI systems.
....and cars with a distrtibutor....and setting timing.

The same is true with carburetors as well.

[quote=41specialdeluxe]

The club should get a dosimeter(sp) and, at meets, run a contest for the noisiest engine. I'd run away with the prize.

I believe you meant to spell "decibel meter". A dosimeter measures radiation. You don't want to run away with that prize

Caveat: I know next to nothing about Chevy engines newer than 1928.

My '28 engine is pretty quiet, even with worn rocker bushings. Could the felt pad in my engine be acting as a sound dampener? If so, could laying a felt strip on the six cylinder rockers quiet things down? I don't think it would hurt anything.

Okay, sling the arrows.

Cheers, Dean

I had the rocker arms on my 1930 Chevy welded up and resurfaced with the correct radius and my valve train is whisper quiet.

Do not put a ceiling pad in a 216 fibers from the pad will plug the oil pump screen, I know someone that tried it and soon after had a rod out. No oil from the top on the 4 cylinder gets to the pan.

Thanks for the good advice! Is the adjustment done with the at temperature engine running or off?

The proper way is to adjust the valves with the engine running and at a slow idle.

Hardaground,

Well, I did put the (sp) next to the word just in case i spelled it wrong.

I meant to spell "dosimeter." And that is what i spelled. See below:

A noise dosimeter (American) or noise dosemeter (British) is a specialized sound level meter intended specifically to measure the noise exposure of a person integrated over a period of time; usually to comply with Health and Safety regulations such as the Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) 29 CFR 1910.95 Occupational Noise Exposure Standard [1] or EU Directive 2003/10/EC.[2]

How about them apples? Would I still have a chance at the prize?

Charlie

JD,

I was thinking that clearance is clearance and no matter the curve of the tappet the noise would be the same. But that got me thinking. (I know, I know)

Anyway maybe your are on to something. Could be that because the rub between the tappet and the valve stem is more of a cam action than a straight-on action we sometimes get the clearance wrong when adjusting the valves. Thus, the correct curve of the tappet is critical to a quieter engine.

Thanks for your insight.

Charlie

We have Holden engines which basically follow the design of the Chev engines. My son has a 1960 Holden and we could never get the tappet clearances right. The reason was that the rocker shaft was worn and that meant that the clearances were never right.we actually had to have a new shaft made up and that solved the problem.