Valve train noise on '55

Lifters are available BUT! Dump a can of Seafoam, CD2, or your favorite internal engine cleanser in the oil and run it until it stops clicking.

Most DeSoto Hemi's I've started after sitting a long time have had lifter noise that eventually cleared up.

Good Luck
Steve

Steve is correct. We used to put a pint of ATF in the car and drive it around the block easy for a 1/2 hour and let it get good and hot. Usually that will do it. Dump the oil and filter while it is still hot and refill with new oil.

James

Thanks Steve & James,
I'll give it a try.

Someone on another site said that Desoto Hemi's often had a tendency to wear down camshaft lobes. Is this a true statement? Obviously, the offending lobe would be affecting two valves, so if there is a tappet clearance problem caused by a bad cam lobe on one side of the engine, the same problem would appear on the other side....
Steve

When I got my '56 Adventurer my 341 engine was completely apart. I found out why the guy took it apart when I seen the cam. The front TWO lobes (I think) were almost round and had lost their cam shape. I had also heard that these old cams were prone to excessive wear. However, that being said, my car also had 101,000 miles on it too.

I also heard that ATF has a lot of detergent in it and that is why it works cleaning out those tappets. I tried that years ago, but not lately. OH... I can't recall if it worked and quieted my valves either... (I think I used a quart)...

Jim

If all the easy tricks don't work and you have to replace a lifter I have something I recently acquired, a set of lifter pullers, that may help. They allow you to pull the lifters up through the head without removing the intake and valley pan. Lifters with a lot of miles build up crud on the bottom side and are tough to remove sometimes. If you find you need them I'd be happy to loan them. I had a ticking lifter on my 55 and had to replace it. No amount of cleaning would quiet it. I think it was just worn out from high mileage. My current 57 ticks when it is cold but quiets down after a minute so I'll let sleeping dogs lie.

FYI: A flat/worn cam lobe usually doesn't cause any noise or affect more than one valve. The base circle would have to be worn to cause clearance. You will have decreased performance and eventually a dead cylinder. It wouldn't affect more than one valve since each valve has it's own lifter and lobe. Don't forget worn push rods or rocker arms can cause noise.

Good luck!

Thanks for the offer and the information, Tim. I've got my interior just about back together and plan to do some driving soon to see if the motor comes out of it. Will need some nice weather, though.

Hallelujah

I drove the car about 7 miles with awful tappet noise, then, like magic it cleared up! I am VERY happy about this! I put in a bottle of STP. Not sure if thats what did it or not. There is still some very slight noise at idle, but you hear nothing in the cabin.

It was only about 5 degrees F when I drove the car yesterday (plus a 25 mph wind). It was really warm inside. No drafts anywhere. Its by far the tightest "old" car I've ever owned.

Steve

Good to hear! It could have had a piece of "grit" in it and it loosened up and spit it out. How is the tappet noise after the car has "sat" for a few days? Of course, if it does still tap at start up, it should pump up after a minute or two.

Jim

Hi Jim,
There is some slight noise at start up, but it is gone moments after startup. It hasn't sat for more than a day yet between starts, however.

At this point... I wouldn't worry about it, as it "sounds" like it will be alright.

Jim