Flathead noise! Need help!

Okay, need some help as I am stumped!
Newly rebuilt flathead. Ran fine on test stand. Sat for a few years before firing up in the actual car. Has only ran for about 10 minutes and has a tapping/knocking sound. See video link for sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx3AA93NTRw


Before I tear my hair out and the motor apart, anybody have any thoughts?

50+ lbs oil pressure (full bypass pump)
Not 1 speck of anything in the drained oil.

Does this sound like valve timing or crank timing?



Thx Brandon

 

Sounds like a stuck valve to me.
Dave

 

Dave, wouldn't there be a miss then? It runs like a top except for the noise...

 

2nd that a valve issue...

 

Sounds like something in the valvetrain to me too. Not sure what though.... If it was me Id pull the intake off and take a look inside.

 

Could be the fuel pump pushrod, was it left in?

 

Had a problem once with a fresh flathead rebuild knocking. To make a long story short, it turned out the crank was hitting the side of the pan!
Actually took a 3 ft 2 x 4 while it was running and put pressure between the front cross member (Mustang 11) and the front of the pan and the noise stopped. Loosed all the oil pan bolts off and pushed the pan back a hair and the noise when away. Very close clearances with that Merc crank.
Strange but true!

 

Nope, no pushrod.

I yanked the intake. While it's spotless, I noticed some of the lifters are rotating and some are not. May just be not rotating as I am turning engine over by hand?

Will check lash tomorrow as it seems my feeler gauge is missing... No, its not in the motor!

Seems everyone thinks it's valve train which is actually making me feel better... Lower end would make me puke...

Brandon

 

Make sure to let us know what it turned out to be once you find it.

 

Just did an 8ba had a tappet sound [knock] turned out that it was a spark inside the MSD distributer , MSD claims its normal

 

Sounds just like mine as I broke a flex plate on the speedway C4 to Flathead conversion. Sounded like that each time I broke 3 different Flex plates over the last couple of months. If you have that kit its in your bell housing not your motor. I just switched to the flat o C4 conversion and now have a new noise but it looks like it might just be the lower dust shield that holds the starter, there are several types and mine might be to touching the torque converter bolts.

 

When you find your feeler gauges, take a reading of the valve lash (every one!)
Bear in mind that typical settings will be around .008" intake, .014" exhaust.

.006" is tight for intakes, so .008"+.002" is safe. Exhaust should be .014"+/-.002".
If one is excessive (.004"+) difference, it may be your noise. (sounds like .005" or more)
But I've only heard this a few times. (hundreds?)

Stuck valve is also a good bet. (would sound very similar) After checking adjustment, take a flathead valve bar and 'exercise' the closed valves, opening and releasing one at a time.
(mark with chalk as you check them) The 'sticking' one will show up, being notably stiffer to slide back down in its guide.
Good hunting.

 

valvetrain is my vote.that sound wouldnt scare me.now a hard knock would send me to the nuthouse.which i am already a member.

 

Thanks everyone for the info!!! I have to be on the damn road for a couple days... gotta pay for this "fun" stuff. Will report back later in the week...

Hey Sport Coupe! I do have that kit. But I ran all the measurements and they are all within spec on mine. I really was hoping that was it...

I'm really thinking it's something in the valves... While everything is new and was properly assembled by a reputable builder, it sat for almost 4 years after being run in on the stand... Due to my SLOW project building skills! So there is a good chance something got hung up, dried out etc. I'm really hoping I didn't wipe out the cam becuase of lack of lube from sitting so long...

And literally, this thing was a week away from making it's maiden voyage!!!!!

Just so everyone has an idea what I am playing with:
32 Roadster High Boy (Downs body, Cornhusker chassis)
Interior by me, Sid Chaver Bop top (Sid taught me how to sew via his videos!)
8BA flatty, Edelbrock heads, Winfield SU1A cam, Edmunds intake
C4 automatic

Brando

 

Here it is getting exhaust last week at Henry's in Raleigh...

 

Did you fill the torque converter with fluid before installation ?? Don't ask me how I know about this. I blame the help........

 

It could be there was to much taken of head and some remachined block surface,valve could be hitting head.
You got a 50/50 chance what side.

 

First thing I would do is isolate the sound by using a probe to listen all around the block and bell housing. Don’t forget the fuel pump and distributor areas as well. Then adjust the rocker arms.

 

I feel your pain, my car was ready for its maiden voyage Jan 8th after a 4 year build but my knock was the flex plate. Still waiting for that first real ride. Good luck and now you will really enjoy once its fixed.

 

......Had the same problem in my 36 ford pickup.....turn out to be a valve stuck in the guide.........

 

Definetly a stuck valve or a lifter that has too much clearence ........ scrubba

 

Now that you say that, I have a Flot-O-matic conversion in my Merc.... Ive managed to rip 3 of the studs off the converter and tig welded them back on 3 times now.... It does make a noise REAL familiar to that! Ive checked everything on my conversion and made sure I had the shim in, and the aluminum piece in the crank also. I called Flat-o the last time I did this, and he told me that If I have a pretty stout Flathead, and get on it hard out of the hole now and then that this has been known to happen. I wasnt real impressed with his answer.

 

Hey! For everyone waiting on updates... spent the couple weeks traveling for work and in between that soaking the valve guides and lifters. All the valve clearances came out to spec (basically .012 on the tight side and .014 on the loose...

So, hoefully this thing is just really dry after sitting for so long.

Ran a magnet through the drain oil again to make sure there was no material from the bottom end and there wasnt a spec of anything... So, I got that going for me!

Will button up the intake tonight and fire the bad boy up...

Update later!

Brando

 

Now that's funny right there, I don't care who ya are.

 

Update on noisy flathead... put it all back together and long story short, Chuck Berry is still knocking and somone let him into my motor. It is DEFINITLY coming from #8 cylinder. Sound is basically isolated there... very loud with a probe (screwdriver) and softens as you move from there to other cyliders/block/belhousing etc. Ordered a 50 gal drum of kroil to soak the motor! Well, two cans... It has got to be a valve closing too slow. No miss noticable. I did notice that when I pulled the plug wire off that cylinder, the engine didnt change MUCH. So wondering if that cylinder just isnt building much power.

With the heads and intake off, the valves were closing all the way but very hard to tell if they were closing too slow (sticky) by hand turning. I dont have the nice valve tool to "excercise them" as one Hamber mentioned.

I did find today a nice "experienced" (i will not say old) flathead guy just down the road. "John's Garage" in Wake Forest. He's coming over to rescue me.

If that does not work: Up for sale is a never driven 1932 Ford Roadster with a nice beat you can tap your foot to...

Brandon

 

Hey, it sounds kinda like my flathead. Mine came out of a '49 truck with unknown miles. Now in the roadster, it seem to run fine. Did put a set of main and rod bearings in this winter because we had a knock. No knock now but it still has that clicking sound. My plan is to keep using the zinc oil additive and run it till it dies or we can build the other block we have.....

 

Ok HAMBers! update on the flathead. Intake valve on #8 is "sticky". It hangs up for a mintue or so then slowly slides down to the seat. It's been soaking every day in kroil and turned every hour or so then sprayed again. It's loosening up nicely and SHOULD be good to go this weekend.

What this really came down to is ME being slow on building the car. The engine sat for 3 yrs or so after being built and our guess is a little moisture got in that valve and the rest is history...

NOTE to self: build faster, build motor last, soak the piss out of a motor that wont be used right away... etc etc etc

Thanks for all the advice and responses!

Brandon

 

Glad you found the problem and that it wasn't serious.
Dave