Lifter, Cam, Valve Location A few questions for the pros.

[hamer]

Okay let me start by saying ive got a "pinging" noise goin on. I used my machinist stethoscope and narrowed it down to the drivers side valve cover. I removed the valve cover. no noticable damage or anything out of the ordinary. Except on the inside of the cover there were two little wear marks like the rockers were rubbin slightly. So i decided to start the motor and see what happens. The VERY LAST rocker arm, at the back of the motor was moving very sporradically. so i shut down and here I am. I am guessin its:
1. A collapsed lifter?
2.sticky valve
3.wiped cam (god i hope not)
4.gunked up or bent pushrod
5.???????
So heres some ?'s. Before i just start throwin $$$$ at it, Im thinkin of tryin the nickle and dime stuff. Maybe Engine Restore with a fresh oil change, my dad suggested MAYBE Lead fuel additive but said find out first of course from you guys, umm any suggestions or tips from somewith this problem. what about penetrating oil down the pushrod bore and the change the oil? As you can see Im stayin away from teardown/rebuild as I dont have the time or facilities to do so. The car does start and run no problems except the previous described. THANK YOU

 

[6SENSE]

Originally posted by hamer
The VERY LAST rocker arm, at the back of the motor was moving very sporradically.

explain. Are you saying that the rocker(s) is moving side to side or jumping quicker than the others?? Seems that the easiest to do first would be to take off the rocker arm shaft and make sure there arent any cracks and that the rocker in question doesnt have a problem. At the same time, check the pushrod for straightness. Also, It is possible to look down the pushrod hole at the lifter to see how it looks. I have done it before, just takes a little light. You can also fit a lifter removal tool down this hole to the lifter so you can move it around and make sure its moving freely (squirt some oil down there too). Just dont pull up to hard on the lifter that you pull it all the way out of its bore, just turn it and move it up and down a bit (take your time). I have pulled one or two all the way out before, but as long as youve got the lifter removal tool hooked up to the lifter right (nice and tight) it isnt too big of a deal, and you can just place it back into the bore.
If a bad cam lobe, I dont think it would move like you described, but would move less than the others (lift not as high).
I guess need to know exactly what you mean by sporradically. I guess you could mean sometimes moves, sometimes doesnt?

 

[hamer]

welp the 1 and 3 cylinder rockers are moving exactly opposit one another. the left rocker on the #5 cyl. (standing on drivers side looking in) looks like it moves like it should but the one on the right moves up and down but not at opposite with the other one. I am not suspecting the cam so much any more cause i only had noise from one side so Im really hoping its the lifter. but it does require a more in depth look than i gave it so far. i , but it was moving just not the full range of motion. it seemed to move slower than the the others and somtimes itd be right in tune with its partner, thats when the idle got real ruff for a sec the itd go back to opposite for a bit. where can i get a lifter removal tool? probly autozone? any specific size or is it a universal tool? Its one of those things youd have to see to completetly understand what i mean but i REALLY APPRECIATE the info. I gotta get on it soon. so youre sayin that you CAN remove and replace the lifters without tearin the motor apart? God i hope so!!!!!

 

[6SENSE]

Tool, you can get from any auto parts place including yes, Auto Zone.

NO...... you cant remove and replace the lifters without at least removing the intake. With the intake, rocker arm shaft, and pushrods out of the way, you can remove them. What I was talking about in the last post was to check them to see if they were "collapsed" as you speculated, and to move them around to make sure that they were moving freely.
Your problem may not be a lifter, but maybe a pushrod(?). Problem Could be in the head: i.e. valve stuck/ bent (maybe guide issues). Or I guess it could be possible that there is a problem with your valve spring(s). They can break, and all are probably weak (if you havent already changed them before).
Just shooting out ideas to you. You need to just take a look and see what you can find out. Like you said its kind of hard to diagnose this type of thing without actually hearing/seeing it. Ive had plenty of those type of deals myself that Ive tried to explain here, but at least I was able to get ideas of what it could be so I could start narrowing it down. Check the easy stuff first.

 

[hamer]

sorry for the misunderstanding. yeah i bought some stuff today that said itd free up lifters and stuff. Gunks Valve somthin. Didnt work. So now im letting it cool down. man it still drives good, but...
As i sit in the driver seat andf listen to the tick ping, and the exhaust tone, they DEFINATLEY are coinciding with eachother. it almost sonds like when the pinging stops, like the valve stuck shut, the exhaust and idle get reasl ruff and stumbly but when the tickin starts again it sounds okay? Probly gonna take it back apart and take off the rocker shaft and go from there thanks for the help.