Since the new rocker arms didn't eliminate the ticking noise I knew it was time to get serious about finding the source. I made a massive spreadsheet of every reciprocating component and all possible causes of ticking. I got through everything on my list that didn't require pulling the engine or heads. Bottom line, none of those things were the cause of the ticking. Crap.

Now I have to pull the engine to continue my search. But thats a post for another day. Spoiler alert, I can see that cylinder 3 is galled and I believe the piston is slapping.

Movies

Audible ticking while running.mp4 (43.5MB)


Mechanical advance can click, buts its not the problem.mp4 (19.9MB)


PCV valve ticks slightly, but its not problem.mp4 (95MB)

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Smll Med Lrg	Smll Med Lrg no contact between new rocker arms and springs	Smll Med Lrg	Smll Med Lrg distributor mechanical advance can click, but thats not it
Smll Med Lrg choke cable was wearing away paint on vacuum advance	Smll Med Lrg problem solved in the most ghetto way possible	Smll Med Lrg no signs of contact	Smll Med Lrg
Smll Med Lrg	Smll Med Lrg verified that the valves are all in line	Smll Med Lrg plugs actually look pretty good. These are years old. #1 is hard to get out due to alternator	Smll Med Lrg PCV valve removed for testing. If you shake it, it clicks, but this is not THE tick
Smll Med Lrg presumably my modified motor is now low vacuum, hence PCV valve doesn't get much oil to quiet it	Smll Med Lrg grabbed PCV valve off my original carb. Cleaned it up. Works fine, but so did the old one	Smll Med Lrg PCV valve part number, NoVo 117A83	Smll Med Lrg verified that all lifters spin freely (thank goodness)
Smll Med Lrg	Smll Med Lrg signs of an extremely minor exhaust leak on right side	Smll Med Lrg replaced oil and adding more just to confirm was wasn't high flow pump running out of oil in pan	Smll Med Lrg
Smll Med Lrg will go ahead and replace the plugs even though they don't look too bad, NGK BPR6ES	Smll Med Lrg	Smll Med Lrg Removed PCV valve and blocked opening in manifold, not the source of the ticking	Smll Med Lrg
Smll Med Lrg high zinc oil, ticking slightly quieter but really no change	Smll Med Lrg finally removed alternator to get #1 plug out, looks fine	Smll Med Lrg	Smll Med Lrg installed rockers without oil guide plate in case there was rubbing. No change in ticking
Smll Med Lrg of course I adjusted the valves now that the oil return plates were removed	Smll Med Lrg did a compression test. much improved since initial rebuild now that parts are broken in	Smll Med Lrg	Smll Med Lrg went with the smaller range for the gap, .024
Smll Med Lrg	Smll Med Lrg	Smll Med Lrg got some rubbing in the valve cover	Smll Med Lrg fixed by applying some zip strips to the right side of the coolant pipe
Smll Med Lrg more rubbing	Smll Med Lrg "fixed" with eletrical tape, no change to ticking noise	Smll Med Lrg shrunk valve clearance even further and adjusted per EO/IC method, no change	Smll Med Lrg