Took apart engine, still don't know what's wrong!

[hondajas]

On my '83 Big Red, once the engine was warmed up and driven for a while, their was a ticking sound from the top end. I adjusted the valves and timing chain, nothing changed. So I took apart the top end in my power mechanics class and there's nothing wrong with it. There is absolutely no up and down play on the rocker arm shaft or the piston\connecting rod. My teacher double checked and he also found there to be no wear anywhere. The piston and rings looks perfect, no scoring or anything. The cam has no wear on it. Tomorrow I'll take the valves off, maybe it's the guides, or something in there, I'll also measure everything with the micrometer just to make sure. Does anyone else have any idea what it could be? Is this ticking something just to live with, it's not a hard ticking, just a soft, not very loud sound. I'm running 10-40 Pennzoil, maybe 20-50 oild would be better?

[jeswinehart]

on my 85 bigred that i had re-done by my favorite home town mechanic ,,, before i got into re-doing motors,,, he totally went thru it + it come back to me with a pronounced ticking noise.
that was close to 4 years ago ,,, it has started every time i asked it too and has never left me stuck out in B F E . if i had to say what my noise is it would be cam chain chatter. but i ain't gonna jack with it cuz it works just fine.

when you get it put back together and you want to hear the details of your motor ,,, fire it up and put a long screw driver or about any peice of metal against the parts of your motor and the other end up to your ear,,, kinda like a doctors stethascope ,,, you will be able to tell what area or part is the culprit.

john

[broook]

Check the rocker arms whare they contact the cam. I think you may find they have a small step on them and when you put in the feeler gauge you get a false reading. I had a bunch of them on the shelf here a while ago it seems there was an oiling problem with the early 185`s and 200`s.
The cam rotates, opens the valve, lets the valve close then dops off the ridge on the rocker arm. This is what I think is causing your ticking. The feeler gauge only catches the high point on the rocker arm. If this is your problem you will need new rockers or live with the ticking. Good luck.

[kdagenais]

I have the similiar problem on the 1985 250SX that I just rebuilt last year. It has a new timing chain, Pistion, Rings, Bore, rod & crank. I suspect it is the cam or rocker arms or the journals in the head for the cam have worn. This is very discourging after you rebuild an engine but to my knowledge it wont' hurt anything.