valve ticking?

so my 89 b2600 4x4 has a very annoying valve tick. i know the general procedure for checking valve clearances but maybe some more information will be needed.

i know the truck has to be warm but taking the airbox and half the intake manifold off takes almost an hour or more in itself. can i take all that off, then run the truck without and air filter for 5 minutes then get started on the valve cover?

I don't know if your truck has hydraulic lifters like the B2200's do but if it does, then they have started to get sticky and there isn't an adjustment for that. They either have to be disassembled and cleaned or replaced.

They are hydraulic... nothing to adjust. Just make sure your engine has plenty of oil, make sure the oil pressure light works (on when engine is off), that it goes off when the engine is running, and keep the oil changed regularly.

How many mile do you have on the truck?

Some have claimed improvements by running different weights and oil filters (Mobil 1). You can experiment and see what works best for you. But, if you have a high time engine, it may be impossible to eliminate it entirely.

I have never experienced any valve tick since my rotary motor swap.


Is your ticking present all the time, or only after the engine is warmed up, or only when cold?

All the time is probably worn out lifters and or blocked or restricted oil galleries
Only when cold is probably a bad lifter that bleeds out and takes awhile to pump up
When warm could be also a bad lifter, lower oil pressure, or a combination of all

If the ticking is light, I would turn up the radio and wait until you need to rebuild.

the truck has 210,680 on it. it has done it no matter cold or warm, adding oil does seem to help. i think it may have started after my last change? should i go thinner? i think i have 5-30 in it now.

i bought new lifters from rock auto fairly cheap. I used DNJ brand and have never had another tick. they are pretty simple to change and worth the money to get rid of the annoying tick.

how much? im planning on selling the truck soon so idk if its worth the investment now but i may change my mind if i can get a good enough replacement dirt bike before the truck sells.

I believe they was under $50.

The inside of the lifters get gummy and with 200,000+ miles on yours, that is probably what has happened. You can try to take them out of the rockers and soaking them in ATF, working the plungers in and out, and maybe that will free them up and that wouldn't cost anything but your time.

If you're going to invest the time to take them out, then I would probably replace them as long as you're "in there." Even if you end up selling the truck, you'll probably get a better price with a nice quiet engine than with it ticking away. Somebody who knows and understands hydraulic lifter noise might not be bothered by the tick, but most people would probably be spooked by it.

But if cleaning doesn't do the trick, and you don't mind going back in a second time to replace them, then give cleaning a try.

Here is a little video of the process:

Lifter cleaning..... " target="_blank" target="_blank

While you're in there: PCV Grommet (this a 2.0/2.2 - but the same applies).... " target="_blank" target="_blank

And a few other tips while you have the valve cover off: " target="_blank? target="_blank