VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 Chasing engine noise

I know such ticking noise from a worn solid lifter (to much radial clearance).
It drove me crazy till I found out. Couldn´t imagine that a lifter with to much radial play cause ticking noise till then.

Tino

Some rebuilders leave the springs and retainers off of the lifters in the engines. A lot of lifter noise happens without these parts. They say they are not needed as the valve springs hold the lifters in place. But during the movement when the valve is shut the clearance gap of .013 on exhaust and .006 on inlet valves causes the lifter to chatter. Thus a noisy engine.

Mine are there. Gene suggested that if one is to remove them, he should use stiffer valve springs. Probably for the reasons you're stating.

Stronger valve springs will not change the setting of a "Gap" between the rocker arm and the top of the valve. The valve is all the way closed against the valve seat. The spring can not lift any further due to the keeper holding it. The "Gap" and looseness is there. The Rocker has no pressure on it at that point. The push rod is loose and the lifters are free to travel some of the gap of .013 or .006. They come off of the camshaft. So there is Rocker Arm, Push Rod, and Lifter noise. It sounds like a sewing machine in place of that quite Chevy engine.

If stronger valve springs are not used the valves will float and not seal properly and the exhaust will burn.
If you review the valve spring tension on the extra spring engine it is considerly less tha say a 1938 engine that no longer used the lifter springs
Chevrolet said the lifter sping exerted 41 pounds of pressre that the conventional sprigs that engine used lacked.
The idea of the lifter springs was to keep constant pressure on all valve train parts for less noise. that just didn't work as planed.

As a retired professional mechanic with about 60 years experience, it definitely sounds to me like valve train related! I agree with everything Gene Schneider says, and I would like to add to it. With the engine running, you can
carefully put a finger on a rocker arm and You will feel a
difference if one is loose or worn; the action should be smooth through the entire valve cycle. You can also feel the push rods. If there is a malfunction you should feel a sharp
tap, almost like hitting with a hammer. As for a sticky valve,
Genes' suggestion about MMO through the carburetor is
always a good idea! The other thing I have done is to put
some MMO in an oil can and lube the valve stems while the engine is running! just squirt a little between the spring coils! Good luck! I would like to know the results flip

I am aware of the valve train noise. But nobody seems to hear the toca-toctoca-toc which goes up and down with the engine speed. Have you listened to the second recording in the first post, the one where I drive around the block? Try and ignore the gear grinding and pay attention to the last part when I come back into the driveway.It is more audible at that point but I can hear it all the time when I drive and it gets worse at highway speeds. THAT is what worries me.

As far as MMMO goes, I don't believe it is available here in Canada. So I will do the ATF bit to ensure we aren't looking at a sticky valve. I have started looking for the 1938 or later valve springs and some new lifters if I can find them. Pushrods Too to be sure.

The lifters do not have to be changed (if they are OK)....The same lifter was used from 1929-1939, helper springs or not.

From your description and the video it sounds to me like it may be an exhaust leak perhaps at the manifold to pipe connection or muffler inlet.

But they'd have to be removed and measured wouldn't they? Another thing I must check is the ball studs. I remember changing some because some of the threads had broken. Anyway all this is my fault or at least my compulsion to recycle and reuse. I was hopefully rebuilding this for the following generations. I should have gone all new throughout. What is it the Kanter logo says? Do it right and do it once.

They could be removed and bottom of lifter that contacts cam lobe inspected but do not need to be measured.

Mantonpushrods.com if anyone needs pushrods

Thanks Joe.

If the push rods are not bent (can be straightened) or the top cup the ball fits into not broken out they are OK. If the adjusting screw ball is round it is OK.
Check for a broken valve spring, thats about alll that will break.

Jah! Wer alles hat de swei fennich gesproken! Hapf sei und goodes seit mit dich. Alles die oldest mechanic menschens sprockgefiel macken. Aba alles seint voll. Good luck with your project.

Just to be sure I removed the oil pan and tried to move the rod ends with my hands, no hammer. Two or three move imperceptibly with hand pressure. The only give away is oil welling up on the side. #5 moves enough that I can hear a "tick" . I think that is my knock that no one seems to hear.I think I should remove 1 shim. What is the torque value when putting the cap back on?

On a 1934 engine the rods are adjusted by removing a .001" shim until the rod can not be moved fore and aft by hand but can be moved by tappping lightly with an 8 Oz. hammer. This is when the engine is set up before running. After several hundred miles you WILL be able to move the back and forth by hand.


seeing your engine is fairly fresh I would consider it normal that some will move and some not.
You can inspect them all for melted babbitt by removing the caps. Depending on what thickness shims the rebuilder used (Chevrolet has .001" and .002 have to be a good .010" or more clearence or more (like a burnt out rod) to make that amount of noise.

Rods are torqued to 40-45 foot pounds.

The engine has 1200 miles, almost all of it running around town with the occasional trip down the highway.So I'll check that numnber 5 first. It is noticeably looser than the others.

No.5 had two .002 shims on one side and a Stack on the other side. I ended up with three .002s on each side at which point it didn't move by hand any more but did with the hammer. So I left it like that and buttoned her up. Went for a ride . The knock seems to be gone but the clatter remains of course.

Only one part left. This shoulder bolt fell out of the side pan. It looks like something that should go on the distributor. I looked from above, and from below but can't figure where it goes. I'll have to dig out the parts book.



I'd like to thank everyone for their concerns and advice. I will purchase some pushrods, ball studs, some tappets and 216 valve springs. Everything else was new at the time of the rebuild.

Meanwhile I'll wear earplugs instead of my hearing aids when I drive it and we should be ok for the rest of the summer. Come fall, I'll tear into it again.

The shoulder bolt goes through the distributor manual advance arm into the engine block. The distributor and manual advance arm pivot on the shoulder bolt when the spark knob is pulled out.

Delete "when spark knob is pulled out"....has fullly automatic vacuum advance in 1934.

Correct. In 1929-32 the shoulder screw was used in conjunction with the spark control knob and cable and it was called a "manual advance arm tension screw". However, in 1933 and 1934, since the distributor had an automatic advance, the shoulder screw was then called a "hold down screw". Each screw also had a different part number as well.

From what I can hear and my hearing is not what it use to be...sounds like the fuel pump arm is slapping on the cam. That is what I hear on your video. Also, you are shifting to fast. You must be fully stopped to go into first. Then push in clutch and shift to neutral...let out clutch...then push in and shift to second. Then push in and go to neutral....let out clutch...then push in and shift to third. Movement is like driving on a quite Sunday morning ... slow... working the clutch fast just will not get it in without scratching gears. Good luck with your noise problem.

The 1934 Master has a syncromesh transmission So you can shift without double clutching. A Chevrolet feature starting in 1932 (except 1933-1936 Standard)