Olds 350 valve adj?

Hi folks!
I put this Olds 350 out of a 77 Cadillac in a friends 56 a while ago.
Granny car,engine condition was like new.

Now he has some lifters tickin on the drivers side bank.
Before we rip everything apart:

Are the rockers adjustable,like on a SBC?
Or do we need new lifters,cause theres no provision for that?

thanks a ton,
Ollie

 

Did you check the oil level? Silly question but ticking was a sign on those motors that the oil was a bit low.

 

Olds use a pedestal mount, so it is neither like a small block chevy, nor is it a rail mount without adjustment. I'd bet the motor has oil blockage from years of idling to church. flush it out and put in some 10-40.

 

Yeah,thats all OK.Engine burns no oil at all too..
thanks,
Ollie

 

Oh,OK!
You mean like on a mopar,right?

Makes sense,then i leave the rocker cover on and flush it and
change oil+filter.

Ollie

 

no adjustment, check out the lifters/valvetrain...tick is not uncommon on these when they get higher miles

comp cam offer an inexpesive bolt-on adjustable roller tip conversion...

 

The pushrods adjacent to the heat riser get plugged up with sludge from dirty oil getting cooked in them. Replace the center two Exhaust pushrods and rocker arms and it should fix it, unless the lifters are plugged too.
Try just the two arm assemblies and rods first.

 

Wow,thats the insider knowledge is was hoping for,dr.j!!

Great i'm gonna clean and replace that stuff first.Makes sense,i saw a lot of very bad oil cake on that spot over the years!On all kinds of V8s..

thanks,
Ollie

 

For years all I did was remove the stand and shorten it (bench grinder) approx .020", stops the racket. Costs nothing and motor runs fine.

 

OLLI...who say's S.B. chevy's are not pedastil. hell pull 1 rocker cover, and see if their adjustibal. but brother there are all kind's of engine ticking. if your not SURE, well get a mechanic to listen...POP.

 

main couse of olds rattleing.

 

Yep, I agree, replace the center 4 pushrods.

Trade it down by putting a screwdriver on the valvecover when it running and put your ear next to it. A old broom handle works good too.

Trace it down to where the noise is coming from, most likely the center.

 

Look at the rocker arm pivots they where bad about wearing out. Replace the pivots and rocker arms curried the problem that I had. Make sure it's oiling.

 

Rather than clogged pushrods, I would be more inclined to suspect the rocker pivots (or bridges) have excessive wear and therefore are creating a valvetrain clearance - rather than a preload on the hydraulic lifters. Due to the heat from the crossovers, the center pivots do tend to wear quicker than the outer ones. Since the factory pivots are made of aluminum, use care when unbolting and installing them if the cylinder you are working on has a valve open or you can break the pivot. If both valves are not in a closed position, remove (and tighten) the bolts back down equally.

 

Also if you replace the pedestal assemblies, be sure to torque them to the correct amount. They are only 5/16ths bolts and torque not over 35 Lbs. They will break easily and then you are in a world of shit.

 

My 330 olds would always remind me it was time to change oil....tick-tick-tick

 

My aunt used to have an olds 350. Seemed I got to change those rocker pivots about once a year for several years. She thought she only had to change the oil at 3,000 miles, only problem, it often took a year to get to that 3,000 mile oil change and by then the rocker pivots were shot. I was real happy to see that one leave. Gene

 

Yeah what Super 442 said. Also make sure the oil return holes at the corner of the heads are clear. If you have burnt oil gunk around valve springs it is going to end up clogging them up.
rtp

 

"Seafoam" it, then drive it on the open road for 30 minutes. If its ticking after that, then open it up.