Got the lowered truck ready to drive, then THIS!

[66patrick]

Got the '68 on the ground, off the stands and ready to drive! Started right up with two pumps of the gas, and this after 14 months of sitting on the jackstands! Problem is, it sounds like $#!t with the rockers sounding like they are not getting lubrication. So, I changed oil filters (Fram to WIX) and poured new oil in the filter, then restarted it. Same noises. Then, I removed the rocker covers and watched to see if all of the valves were opening and closing properly, and to check for bent pushrods. Plenty of lube getting up there, nothing appears amiss. I also have 65 pounds of oil pressure, so the pump is working and the filter is good.

It is a bone-stock 318LA engine with automatic and a 2-bbl carb. No smoke, no ill noises other that what sounds like is happening toward the front of the cam valley. The truck sounds ok, it starts right up, and seems to be fine other than the friggin' valvetrain noises.

Ideas, guys???

[BBAIL]

Not the best answer here as I have no experience with your specific engine but a cheapo $7 mechanic's stethoscope can do wonders when trying to isolate a noise. Usually you can even clearly hear if it's a gear based noise vs grinding or something else.

[hevyspeed]

The lifters are probably partialy collapsed. Run it like normal, but put a pint of Automatic trans fluid in with the oil. That will act as a detergent and quiet the lifters.

[dodgeboykim]

The lifters are probably partialy collapsed. Run it like normal, but put a pint of Automatic trans fluid in with the oil. That will act as a detergent and quiet the lifters.

My thoughts exactly. Have had that happen from sitting engines and have done the ATF addition . It works.

[Roxyflash]

Sea foam and marvels mystery oil rislone also may help.

[DavidWymore]

I had the same thing happen when I drained my 318 to drop pan and check brgs, etc., and left it empty until I swapped it into the '70...lifter noise for quite a while. It eventually quit on it's own, ran it several times for a few minutes.

[66patrick]

I'll toss some Seafoam or ATF in it today. Each time I've ran it (three) has been for less than a minute at idle, or slightly above. I'll let you know what happens.

[WD]

You sure the cam and lifter set wasn't swapped from juice to mechanical? May need to reset the valve clearances on a couple cylinders...

[DavidWymore]

Probably just need to run it longer

[wally426ci]

I'm with sea foam or rislone. I keep something in mine to this day. Still starts up with noisy
Lifters and quiets down.

[66patrick]

I put the Seafoam in it this afternoon and started it. I let it run for about three minutes before there was little gushers of oil coming off the rocker arms, so I then cleaned things up and reattached the valve covers. Now that I had more then just a trickle of oil to the rockers, it was time to restart it and let it idle for a few minutes. Nice and quiet now! I let it run enough to burn the oil off the exhaust manifolds, turned it off, the restarted it about ten minutes later. Still have not driven it!

All together, I let the truck run for about 25 minutes or so. It idles well, and the oil pressure holds steady at 50 psi. Tomorrow or Tuesday, it'll head down to the car wash a mile away to see how it steers, runs and stops. It'll be ready for its first social engagement - a reliability run a local hot rod club puts on every October for 1978 and earlier cars and trucks. It's a hundred-mile run with four stops. It's not a poker run. Should be fun!

I figured the lifters were the issue.

[oklamopar]

When and all the info Pat. lets do it. 100 miles, no sweat, did that last saturday just in the county.