Thread: 1968 camaro

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Don't kick my butt here but I'm an idiot when it comes to fixing cars. But I own a great one. My question is my 396 has been making a tapping noise from the valve cover. I just bought the car last year and it's in great shape. All the sudden this noise. If I pull the cover what should I look for? It also has headers but I don't think it's coming from there. Oil is full.

If you have any flooring questions I'll be happy to trade...

Originally posted by kurtafs
Don't kick my butt here but I'm an idiot when it comes to fixing cars. But I own a great one. My question is my 396 has been making a tapping noise from the valve cover. I just bought the car last year and it's in great shape. All the sudden this noise. If I pull the cover what should I look for? It also has headers but I don't think it's coming from there. Oil is full.

If you have any flooring questions I'll be happy to trade...

Nuthin personal but if you really are THAT mechanically challenged ya might want to take it to a shop.

Originally posted by viking
Nuthin personal but if you really are THAT mechanically challenged ya might want to take it to a shop.

Probably, good advise, but if you want to have a look, look for any loose or broken rocker arms, or bent pushrods.

The rockers may just need resetting.

If they are hydraulic lifters, with it idling, loosen a rocker nut until it ticks and then tighten until the ticking noise stops. Then tighten 1/2 to 3/4 turns more.

Do this for each rocker.

You say it has headers, Could be a header gasket leaking. You'd be surprised how much a header leak can sound like a ticking rocker.

Just a shot in dark but free advice is hard to come by. Check your P.C.V. valve, if it's partly stuck closed it will make a loud ticking . If it's not that, it could be one of your lifters has indented down creating slop in your rocker arm's. It also could be one of your rocker arm nuts have loosened. Pull the valve cover's off and check it out, valve cover gaskets aren't that much.Good Luck.

Thanks very much guys, the email notification was not working otherwise I would have got back to you earlier.

Pro70, yes it has headers but does not seem to be leaking from there. Maybe I'll try the soap thing.

Never heard about the PCV valve, I'll check that as well.

I don't really want to take it to a shop because most of the time people are so freaked by this car that they just start messen around with it. Quick story, I took the car to a tranny shop to fix the speedo cable and it came back to me with a different tranny.
It had a Muncie in it and now has a Super-T10.

Thanks for your help; I'll give it a go myself.

Originally posted by kurtafs
I don't really want to take it to a shop because most of the time people are so freaked by this car that they just start messen around with it. Quick story, I took the car to a tranny shop to fix the speedo cable and it came back to me with a different tranny.
It had a Muncie in it and now has a Super-T10.

Thanks for your help; I'll give it a go myself.

The old switch-a-roo huh? like taking a diamond ring in to have it cleaned and get the stone switched with a chunk of glass.

Did you say anything?

I did more than that! Let's just say it turned out OK but it was a real pain in the neck. The car came with a powerglide so switching the tranny has come more then once for this car. What that has done for me though is to deter me from taking it in again.


Is that Dearborn Michigan? My old stomping gound.