Inliners International Forums General Discussion Engines Noisy valve train / 250 Chevy

I can't keep my valve train quite. I adjust the rockers and they are nice and quite. Then I drive and after the engine warms up they begin to tap, only a little and still acceptable. But I live on a pretty steep hill and when the engine is under a load one or two (push rods, rockers, valves ?) really get very loud. It seems as though the engine is running slightly rough but with that much noise it is hard to tell for sure. I limp the rest of the way home hoping nothing is going to break. When the car cools and I restart it is quite again. I pretty sure the #6 exhaust is the problem but I'm not totally sure. Could be a bad lifter? Any ideas?
The engine has maybe 4000 miles after a complete rebuild. The problem only just started.

Me again. I mistated the year of my 250. It's a 67 or 68, I haven't fully reserched the numbers.

First off with that much play in the valve lash It will start to run on the ruff side. Here something you can do to try and figure out what maybe happening. 1 Either the lifters are giving
up( collapsing?) 2 the rocker nuts are backing off? 3 the studs are being pulled from the head? Mark the bottom of the studs at the boss With something you can still see once covered with oil.
If the line is higher then what you marked them at Then the stud is moving/being pulled from the head. If no movement Then it is one of the other two oppions.

Larry,
Thanks. I'm looking at the stud right now, I'll mark it.

If you don't have a good marker, a spot of paint (a bright color) works too. Make it overlap the stud and the boss on the head and look for a gap after it runs. Just a small spot.

Now I've got a problem.
I have just removed the valve cover and coolent poured out of the hole for the
third (from the front of the engine) valve cover bolt on the driver side. How can this happen? Do I have a crack or a bad gasket? I don't see water in the oil although a little must had entered threw the oil returns when I took off the valve cover. The engine has never overheated.
confused

Now I've got a problem.
I have just removed the valve cover and coolent poured out of the hole for the
third (from the front of the engine) valve cover bolt on the driver side. How can this happen? Do I have a crack or a bad gasket? I don't see water in the oil although a little must had entered threw the oil returns when I took off the valve cover. The engine has never overheated.
confused

Now I've got a problem.
I have just removed the valve cover and coolent poured out of the hole for the
third (from the front of the engine) valve cover bolt on the driver side. How can this happen? Do I have a crack or a bad gasket? I don't see water in the oil although a little must had entered threw the oil returns when I took off the valve cover. The engine has never overheated.
confused

U*TME
Please go back and remove a few of these post no need for 3 of them being all the same thank you.

As to you leak at one time or another a bolt or stud may have been threaded in to deeply and pushed out the bottom of the hole
Or just due to age the casting has rotted away. Easy fix is to use thread sealer and a stud for your valve cover this way it will not leak.

You mentioned only 4000 miles since a complete rebuild. That could mean anything. They may or may not have put new lifters and pushrods in there. With the inline 6 it would not be too difficult since the lifters are accessible from the side.

New Lifters + New Pushrods + Valve cover Gasket + side cover gaskets = Less than $100

That would be my suggestion. Also I recommend running 40W or 50W Motor Oil in these engines. Inline 6 engines should sound like a sewing machine when running properly, so you will hear some soft lifter chatter... very soft.