Valve stem tip tap?

Coolen · Apr 6, 2025

I've read through a lot on valve train. It's still fairly new to me. I have a HO 302 non roller. It has had a slight tap since I put the motor in the car. I ended up changing out lifters and no change. I dug into it some more today, swapped out pushrods. And rockers and it still taps. Would it be safe to say that the valve stem is too worn? They are non adjustable rockers.

I did notice with the engine running as I slacked off the mounting bolt, and started snugging it up, it would stop tapping for a few seconds then tap again. I could go a bit tighter it would stop tapping as I am turning the bolt. Then start tapping again.

Listening with a live of hose the tap is on the valve stem if that makes any difference.

Thank you

General karthief · Apr 6, 2025

Lifter is what I would guess, pedestal mount rockers, right?

Coolen · Apr 6, 2025

General karthief said:
Lifter is what I would guess, pedestal mount rockers, right?

Yep, no adjustment. I do have other lifters in the garage new. I really thought I changed that one last year. But I guess it's not impossible for it to be bad out of the box. I tried pushing down on the lifter but it didn't seem to want to collapse any.

Coolen · Apr 6, 2025

Is there a way to confirm it isn't a lobe on the cam? I forgot to mention as far as piling goes there's certainly no shortage. Definitely equal to the rest of them.

I don't mind changing the lifter. But if I could confirm it wasn't an issue that lies deeper I'd feel better about taking it apart again.

Thanks

limp · Apr 6, 2025

How did you figure out your pushrod length??

Coolen · Apr 6, 2025

limp said:
How did you figure out your pushrod length??

I ordered the rods based on what that engine called for. I just went out to the garage and grabbed a new lifter and I'm going to check part numbers. Also today I tried the original pushrod that I removed last year with no change

rednotch · Apr 6, 2025

Coolen said:
Yep, no adjustment. I do have other lifters in the garage new. I really thought I changed that one last year. But I guess it's not impossible for it to be bad out of the box. I tried pushing down on the lifter but it didn't seem to want to collapse any.

Probably need to shim one or two rockers....

nickyb · Apr 6, 2025

Did you break the cam in when the engine was first started? This is done so the lifters wear to the cam. If not and you wiped out a cam lobe then new lifters won't do

Noobz347 · Apr 6, 2025

When you go to replace the lifters, you can visually check the lobes.

Coolen said:
I did notice with the engine running as I slacked off the mounting bolt, and started snugging it up, it would stop tapping for a few seconds then tap again. I could go a bit tighter it would stop tapping as I am turning the bolt. Then start tapping again.

This portion suggests a lifter problem to me.

If you had the wrong length pushrods, the whole thing would sound like a sewing machine.

rednotch said:
Probably need to shim one or two rockers....

This too.

Coolen · Apr 6, 2025

nickyb said:
Did you break the cam in when the engine was first started? This is done so the lifters wear to the cam. If not and you wiped out a cam lobe then new lifters won't do

When I originally put this engine in it sat in a garage for a number of years. I know the previous owner and it always ran strong. Then I got it, found a foxbody with no running gear in it and used this engine. When I noticed the tap I put a new lifter and push rod in. Heard it tapping late last summer and well, it's spring so I'm going to figure out how bad of an issue it is.

Coolen · Apr 6, 2025

rednotch said:
Probably need to shim one or two rockers....

Sorry, again not very knowledgeable in this particular subject. However wouldn't shims increase the distance of whatever is actually tapping? Increase preload is what I'm looking for...isn't it?

Coolen · Apr 6, 2025

Noobz347 said:
When you go to replace the lifters, you can visually check the lobes.

This portion suggests a lifter problem to me.

If you had the wrong length pushrods, the whole thing would sound like a sewing machine.

This too.

That's why put that detail in there as in was very noticeable and consistent as I repeated it over a few times to make sure it was quiet for a few seconds.

Noobz347 · Apr 6, 2025

Since it sounds like you're planning to replace the lifters anyway, you have an opportunity to check into shims and to look the cam lobes over.

Win Win

Coolen · Apr 7, 2025

Noobz347 said:
Since it sounds like you're planning to replace the lifters anyway, you have an opportunity to check into shims and to look the cam lobes over.

Win Win

Wouldn't adding shims do the opposite of what I need to quiet it down?

limp · Apr 7, 2025

Coolen said:
I ordered the rods based on what that engine called for. I just went out to the garage and grabbed a new lifter and I'm going to check part numbers. Also today I tried the original pushrod that I removed last year with no change

So you didn't measure what pushrod length you needed??

limp · Apr 7, 2025

Coolen said:
Wouldn't adding shims do the opposite of what I need to quiet it down?

If your pushrods are too short then yes to your question....

General karthief · Apr 7, 2025

Ahh, dog.... Pop the lifter out, look at the bottom of the lifter, shiny smooth surface with a slight cup, and I mean slight, if excess wear, galling, or pitting toss it, look down the lifter bore (if you can) same with the cam lobe, flat tappet cams (non-roller) the lifter spins on the cam, why the bottom of the lifter is cupped (concave). Engineers
Go figure. How many lifter/cam lobes did they wipeout before they figured that out??? Anyway you get the idea show some pics of the lifter and cam lobe (if you can)

Chuckster101 · Apr 13, 2025

Coolen said:
I've read through a lot on valve train. It's still fairly new to me. I have a HO 302 non roller. It has had a slight tap since I put the motor in the car. I ended up changing out lifters and no change. I dug into it some more today, swapped out pushrods. And rockers and it still taps. Would it be safe to say that the valve stem is too worn? They are non adjustable rockers.

I did notice with the engine running as I slacked off the mounting bolt, and started snugging it up, it would stop tapping for a few seconds then tap again. I could go a bit tighter it would stop tapping as I am turning the bolt. Then start tapping again.

Listening with a live of hose the tap is on the valve stem if that makes any difference.

Thank you

Are these rocker shafts held with studs or bolts ? As I have had studs move and bolts stretch? Also for my old 4.99 they sell pushrods by the thousandths. I have the pushrod that you adjust then pull and measure when correct. Hey just guessing here , my 95 5.0 has roller cam and adj. rockers .

Coolen · Apr 14, 2025

So I decided to swap 302's. That will give me some time to remove the intake and look at the cam. I had a 302 I could put in. That part is done, and it's running, but the engine I used I believe has a standard rotation pump and I THINK the HO I removed had reverse rotation. Is there a way to easily solve this? The motor I used had a v belt setup and the removed motor is not. I can't wrap my head around this. Thoughts?

Thanks

Coolen · Apr 14, 2025

After removal of both pumps I came to the conclusion that I can run the water pump that was on the engine with that tap. The orientation of the water pump holes are the same. My question now is does any of the bolts pass through water passages or am I good there?

Thank you

Valve stem tip tap?

New Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

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wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

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I'd like to remain having one chocolate starfish

I gotta say i never painted my nuts, Never Ever

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

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Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

New Member

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

wrap a little cheese around it and its a done

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

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