Thread: Noisy 396 sm blk chevy-valve train

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Had a new customer referred to our shop this week that had a few concerns about a new 396 sbc that he had built by a local machine shop.. I addressed the various small issues and in the process i could not help but notice this 1100 mile engine sounds like a diesal. Literally i used to run rhoads solids back in the day that werent this noisy.. he swears that the solid roller lifter valve train is supposed to sound like this and for me not to concern myself with it... i build stroker ford motors regularly and have many roller assemblies in shop and in cars here at shop and none sound anything like this....IS THIS NORMAL ??????? Machine shop tells me yes -well they built the engine and imve heard lots of horror stories about this paticular shop should i create some concern in my customer????
THANKS CAR GUYS (& GALS)

I would suggest just staying out of it----he'll find out soon enough

Thats great advice and i will but it still isnt easy cause this is what we do and i know its not right!!!!Gonna be alot of wasted time and money!

You could / should offer your OPINION and leave it at that. Then when he has serious trouble he may come back and say you were right.
If you pursue this to "aggressively" he may think you're just trying to make work.
Just my opinion.

Jerry is probably right, but it is possible that a simple valve adjustment too the cam makers spec(!!)will fix that problem, especially if they are solid lifters. While it has been way too many years since I've even considered a solid camshaft, these were the standard for virtually everything until the '50s/'60s (think Ford 'Y' blocks, 'I' block 6cyl GMs, MoPar 6cyl flatheads and more). Yeah, they can tick, but rattle like a diesel? Heck, not even Ford's 'vaunted' and radical 7000 K cam and kit in my 406 made any more noises then make barely hear-able sounds

I agree with Jerry: just put up your hands and walk away. I have had folks bring me problems that they, or others had created, and no matter my best intentions to try to help, I always wound up with my tit in a wringer, somehow. As soon as you stick your nose into it, it somehow becomes your fault.

Thanks guys for all the help .. I just hate to see such a waste of time and money on a really nice project.. We build them here everyday and I Love these things .My life My Love !!!!!!!!!

Check the clearance for the lifters on the cam card, pop the covers and see what they're adjusted at.....

check if heads need guide plates and do not have them on the heads ..or have guide plates and not hardened pushrods . there has been a out break of cheap guide plates out on the market that are not hard the push rods in time could cut threw them check that as well check the roller rockers are not hitting the retainers first before valve tips. i seen all of this and more . i must be dumb has i fixed other s Puck ups all the time . Oh it would not hurt to check the mild lift proper pushrod geometry