1961 bel air 235 engine tick.common?

when I first got my Bel Air an old gearhead was checking it out and ask what it had in it.I told him,he snickerd and said the old ticking time bomb.I said it don't tick! he said ,hell they ticked when they were almost new.I told him that the motor had been gone through and maybe they had fixed whatever gm missed 'cause it didn't tick.about 3 months later someone else asked if it had the lifter tick.so guess what after about a year of driving her,she has started a slight tick.not all the time and never after a run on the highway or anything just seems whenever she wants to she will.am I in store for a rebuild or engine swap?is this something that was a flaw from GM.bad oiling setup or just the engine getting weak?the ol' gearhead told me that it won't blow but will just keep on ticking.cute huh!?this car is a daily driver and don't want to take off on a road trip if the oil pump is going out.yeah I know I need to hook up a gauge.just wonder if you guys have a ticking time bomb too?

 

In a word...yep.
That's not to say you can't resolve or minimize the causes. But it IS a very common problem with these engines. I have an old review article from about '56 that talks about 235's - the loud lifters etc. Same conclusion, irritating, but often not a big deal.
silas

And here's this too: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114155&highlight=235+lifter+noise

 

Each one of those engines has a peculiar click, rattle, knock, or some little thing about it unless it's absolutely fresh. Drive it, keep the oil clean, and don't worry about it unless it gets worse fast.

 

hydraulic lifter motors in cars were quieter than the truck and earlier car solid lifter ones, but they still usually had some valve noise.

sometimes rebuilt rocker assemblies will quiet them down.

 

I have a '54 235, and it ticks a little too, but then when the oil starts circulating and it warms up it usually goes away..
just get a good oil pressure and temp guage, and make sure there are absolutely no leaks! they are good motors but they can blow pretty easy.

 

I had a 55 suburban with a 235,same ticking noise,always wondered about it ,now I know.

 

My first car was a '57 210 2 door, 6 cylinder/stick. It had a ticking valve train when I bought it, and after two years of beating the hell out of it, it ticked the same way the day I yanked it out to replace it with a 283. Nature of the beast, I suppose.