alright so i have been having the most awful tapping sound coming from the engine. i cant really pin-point when it started but its definitly there. the thing is it doesnt happen immediatly on start up, if i give it some good throttle, it goes away for a little bit, sometimes its REALLY loud, and others its not too bad but albeit, its still there. this is not your typical, cam swap, high lift, stiff springs sewing machine noise either. windows up, a/c full blast, and radio on, sound is clear as day...windows down going freeway speeds, still hear it. if i drive next to someone it echos off of their vehicle. when im cruising down my street with the windows down, the sound echos off of the houses. alotof you may think im exaggerating but this is a very loud and violent sounding tapping...tapping is an understatement. i have good oil pressure, though i do have oil consumption problems, probably a valve seal, i still have goodpressure and keep the level maintained. doesnt happen all the time though, seems like it happens most of the time while cruising...i dont notice it as much city driving for short periods of time maybe because i dont just sit there and listen to it and get pissed like i do when im driving for an hour or 2... anyone have any ideas that could cause this horrendous tapping??

 

Bad lifter?
Mine seems to get louder and quieter at times but it's not overpowering like you describe. Definately I get more from the passenger side too!

 

You have a bad lifter.

 

I win I win!
Sorry, that was not very nice.

Do ya have a mechanics stethascope? Or a long handled screwdriver to try and locate the sound?

 

He can try the long handled screw driver on the rockers but he is going to get covered in oil Ask me how I know FYI dont listen to old schoolers telling you to use the old listening trick to set preload on lifters it doesnt work for our motors.

 

does it go up in volume with the engine RPM? . . . The higher RPM, the louder it gets?

 

it doesnt seem to get any louder with rpm, theres a point with enough throttle that it either goes away, or just cant hear it from the exhuast. i dunno. it just gets faster with increased rpm. i drove 4 miles city today , start up go and turn off, didnt make the noise. engine wasnt totally cold or hot either. i only really notice it when im going on the freeway and it starts up it seems. i listen to it for the whole way home and then i think the woman is going to hear it and get pissed because it sounds like the engine is going to go, but then when i go to her house, and we go somewhere close, its just the normal sewing machine sound around town shortly. weird. how bad is it rolling with a bad lifter for any period of time? i like those vette lifters beau posted in his thread. and i have new heads to deal with the valves so thats good. this noise just pisses me off because the sound is soo overpowering.

 

That's what my exhaust leak sounds like. I can only hear it when its cold though. When it's warmed up i cant hear **** over my exhaust due to cat delete. Check your exhaust piping for carbon buildup.

 

Dead lifter. Just deal with it until you swap your heads.

 

yea i plan on it, i doubt its an exhaust leak because i have checked my header bolts countless times in fear of the bolts backing out and they are awful tight... and my entire exhaust system after the header bolts is welded shut. except of my cutout which has been tight shut for a few months and i have a bung welded in for a wideband thats plugged up with a stock o2 sensor. i dont mind dealing with it for a while. i just bought the wrong freeze plug for my EGR delete i got a metal one that looks like a bowl rather than the ruber expansion type o well, to autozone in the morning....i just dont want awful pitting on my cam or any other internal damage, what happens when your lifter is dead? loss of power or what?