# Valve tick or ?



## Cals (Jul 13, 2016)

What's this noise? Today I was sitting in traffic on a long hill on my commute home. Just idling for a long time as we slowly rolled down, for like 5 to 10 mins. After about 5 mins I started to hear what sounded like valve tick or the like. It was loud and rpm related. It lasted for about 5 mins until I started driving again on the flat. It hasn't come back again. Ideas? Temporary lack of oil due to the hill?

Thanks,
Jon


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## Beeroni (Oct 4, 2021)

Cals said:


> What's this noise? Today I was sitting in traffic on a long hill on my commute home. Just idling for a long time as we slowly rolled down, for like 5 to 10 mins. After about 5 mins I started to hear what sounded like valve tick or the like. It was loud and rpm related. It lasted for about 5 mins until I started driving again on the flat. It hasn't come back again. Ideas? Temporary lack of oil due to the hill?
> 
> Thanks,
> Jon


Hi, I know this is a dated post..jusy wondering if you ever figured out what it was? I also got a tick/knocking noise the other day. Thanks.


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## Sick467 (Oct 29, 2019)

Cals has not been around since 2017, but her is my 2¢...

A steep incline can cause a lack of oil that could cause lifter tick. It's got to be pretty steep and/or accompanied by a low oil level.

A bad/dead spark plug wire could cause the distributor to tick internally as well. This will sound like a lifter tick, but upon real close inspection can be heard coming from the cap rather than the intake area. I believe it is the current that is supposed to go to the plug jumping in the cap since the plug wire is not allowing it to go to the plug. This ticking scenario does not usually happen with a plug wire that is arcing to ground, but rather when the wire has a internal cut where it is just not allowing the electrical flow. I have experienced this with a HEI distributor and I'm not sure if the points style would act the same way.

There's a couple "tick" possibilities, but a "knock" is usually in the lower end.


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## Lemans guy (Oct 14, 2014)

You can check your spark plugs wires with the engine off in your garage. Use an ohmmeter, look for 8 to 10,000 OHms per foot. If any wire has higher resistance. Replace it and retest.

also make sure all of your wires are seated right on the plugs, and cap and rotor are fresh and clean. This should help you find the tick if it is as sick467 pointed out.

Making sure your engine oil is fresh and the right level and the right viscosity to get up to your heads and rockers during a long idle. Sometimes it can be too thick.

10W - 30, (the W is for Winter not “weight”) flows better than a 20W - 40 at colder temps for example.


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## Beeroni (Oct 4, 2021)

Sick467 said:


> Cals has not been around since 2017, but her is my 2¢...
> 
> A steep incline can cause a lack of oil that could cause lifter tick. It's got to be pretty steep and/or accompanied by a low oil level.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info and reply!


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## mharris1984 (Oct 26, 2021)

This is a highly common issue with the LS lifters. They will collapse and then build up with oil as pressure builds, usually goes away 5-10 min after started driving from cold. You will need to replace the lifters to fix it.


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## Beeroni (Oct 4, 2021)

Yeah had to replace my lifters since one was collapsed. Unfortunately in my case also spun a bearing😖


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