V8 tappet set-up noise

just completed a new tappet pre-load set-up (shimmed rocker-shaft posts 18 thou each); now, after starting-up I am getting noisy lifters (although quietening down a bit) and a lot of chirping. I am concerned that valve gear is not getting its oil but shims all had holes cut to permit oil flow (which takes place on end posts). Now to be accurate - I should admit to having cleaned and blown all crud out of rocker assembly as some lube points (i.e., where pushrod seats)had old sludge in them and oil could not feed in off of rocker shaft. Shims were even across the board so warping valve-train shaft should not be a problem.

Engine has run 15 minutes and then 20 minutes and some squawking is persisting (noise is definitely coming from valve train or lifters).

Any ideas of what I should be looking for and/or doing to get rid of the noise?

what cam you got, why did you do the preload? what engine too btw

fett said:

what cam you got, why did you do the preload? what engine too btw

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Hi Fett;

Cam is a John Eales about a stage 1) made to work with Mark Adam's Tornado chip for my GEMS 4.00 liter NAS. Lifters were either from John or MM 4X4 (I can't remember now [LoL].

Reason for shim/preload setup was that Mark Adams thought I should given some of the history of engine (i.e., chipped, new injectors from Five-O Motor-Sports, and top-end rebuild [tappets, push-rods, valve-stem seals, valve springs, cam, cam gears and chain, new oil pump and front cover, new inlet manifiold and trumpet-base] but fuel mileage down by 80 to 100 kliks per tank)- sure enough - I checked preload gap as it was and it stood at about 64 thou (on average) which was just over the 60 thou limit (some say the limit is closer to 50 thou). Anyway, the racket has gone away so I am thinking it was simply old valves complaining about being forced to seat a little bit different and perhaps some initial lifter noise as I did not re-lube as well as I should have?

I should add that both John Eales and Mark Adams are extremely knowledgeable and very helpful fellows - when you actually can catch one on the phone (LoL).

I will post some pix soon.

They will always clatter a bit - till they settle down

I take it you have a JE 101 - great camshaft, especially with auto box

I bought a turners kit to do the preload on mine as its soon to be a combination of 4.4 p76 block and lifters with late uk rv8 10 bolt heads. my cam is a camtech which specs 40 preload.

I did wonder however if its before the first run and the lifters have only been soaked in oil how can we be sure what they will pump to when the engine is running?

I know dunsfolds dont do comp tests on rv8s that have not run for a while as they say the lifters will have drained and give erroneous readings.

Whats your thoughts on this guys?

fett said:

I bought a turners kit to do the preload on mine as its soon to be a combination of 4.4 p76 block and lifters with late uk rv8 10 bolt heads. my cam is a camtech which specs 40 preload.

I did wonder however if its before the first run and the lifters have only been soaked in oil how can we be sure what they will pump to when the engine is running?

I know dunsfolds dont do comp tests on rv8s that have not run for a while as they say the lifters will have drained and give erroneous readings.

Whats your thoughts on this guys?

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,

That makes perfect sense on the comp test, however, the preload test is best done with lifters drained (thus, a real pain to oil them up properly again without taking the rocker shafts off - after setting the preload).

BTW - some of my valve-train squawking was owing to rockers not being used to having crud removed (indicating a bit of play/wear) but they seem to have settled right down (plus I lubed them down with Xado).

Hmm ok, thats a quandary. Darn preload- why cant just parts fit out of the box lol.

I was surprised how much play there was in the brand new all steel rockers and rocker shafts from turners tbh