Just got my engine back the other day(289 mostly stock). Everything seems fine, except the loud valve tick coming from the the right valve cover. What steps should i take to fix this? Thanks guys!
Forgot to include..........If the valves are adjusted too tight, can that be the reason i'm only getting 10 inches of manifold vacuum? Cam specs: .448 lift, 212 duration intake/exhaust. Thanks Guys!
If the valves are not closing properly, sure. A cam that mild should have a nice strong vacuum at idle. When you adjust the valves, don't spin the pushrods, wiggle them up-and-down. Spinning makes it really easy to get a false reading, with the lifter compressing while the pushrod can still spin. Tighten the nut 3/4 turn past the 'no wiggle' point.
the best way I've found to adjust valves is to take the covers off, and with the engine running, tighten the rockers down till you can't feel/hear a tick or slap anymore
We adjusted ours running.
Here is a write up and pictures of the valve cover we cut to gain access to the rockers and keep oil off the exhaust pipes. Valves
Sure its not a header leak. When putting exhaust manifold back on need to go back and retighten after a couple heats. Header leak can sound like a valve tick but louder.
I hope to get 20 inches of vacuum. I put the vacuum gauge to full ported manifold vacuum and i was only getting 12. My cam specs are .448 lift and .212 duration. I should be getting way more vacuum than that. I'm wondering when i get the valves adjusted, if the vacuum will increase?
if it winds up not being the adjustment, try some seafoam in the oil. For both me and my friend it cured the most stubborn valve tick, and we were both ready to pull the intake off to replace the lifters.
My b cam at 480/224 pulls 11 pounds of vacuum at idle, and that's normal for that cam.
Oil pressure seems to be good. I'm using the stock oil pressure gauge on the cluster(the needle towards the H side). I'm going to change the oil to the recommended straight 30 weight (still has break- in oil) that the engine builder suggested and see what happens.