I just re-read the entire thread and first thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read and comment.

Second, I am really worried by the fact that there is no audible tap at startup after it sits awhile. My theory is that I am going to find the problem by putting the things in a stand and rotating it. If it isn't in a tapping mood I am doomed.

 

I had that same sound on the drivers side.



I redid the head gaskets and cleaned everything I took off.

Redid the valve seals and noticed the holes in the rocker shafts were almost enclosed with carbon. One was totally closed. The one totally closed was where I though the noise was coming from.


Use a hose, hold it to your ear and move the other end around the engine and try to pinpoint the noise.


Try putting a cup of trans fluid in with the oil and see if that changes anything.


That sounds exactly like something with a rocker.












Chubbs...also how does removing the wire stop the noise from say a rocker?

 

Fascinating.

Transmission fluid accomplishes what? Unstopping the holes? I can pull the rockers without pulling the engine so that's a good thing to check. Screw the rockers. I have others and if they are making the noise I will throw them at a squirrel. I can just swap the driver side rockers by removing the intake and front bracket, leave the valve cover off, and start it without the belt.

And I have to swap the heads anyway.

Did yours come and go? Could you hear a noise by just rotating the engine with the starter (no spark no fuel)?

I am going to **** if it is coming from the driver side rockers. Truly. It sounds like passenger side but I swapped the passenger head last week. It just dawned in me that this sound started precisely when I swapped the driver side head after the bolt problem. Jesus H! If it wasnt 11pm I'd be out there right now.

 

Its an old trick I was taught by my mentor...I grew up in his rest shop. When building engines, sometimes you have a lifter issue or rocker issue, for some reason the trans fluid helps quieting lifters etc.

Whats really funny, is 2012 I was activated to help with rebuilding hmmwv's for the state of PA. The engines we received for the hmmwv's were most likely built in the back alley somewhere..poor quality. Many of them had tons of noises. I used this trick on about 5-6 of the them and within a minute or two of adding some trans fluid, it stopped.
It might not work with yours since the parts might be already broken in...but what if it does?

 

I'm glad you are still up. Thanks for replying! I've been planning out tomorrow and I was just going to pull the engine. I'm going to look at the rockers first. Honestly, Im just going to replace them and see what it sounds like.

 

I think I'd be better off with a poorly built 6.2 or 6.5 out of a humvee. Maybe they suffer poor mechanics like me better than a rover engine.

 

I wouldn't pull the engine. I would keep trying to figure it out.


For me, I lost cylinder 7 and 5 was intermittent, so I pulled the plugs, did compression test, which came back fine.


Changed plugs. No change.


So I took off the intake, broke the nipple on the radiator, changed coil pack, injectors, wires, intake gasket.


Put everything back on, watched cyl 1 fuel injector spray all over the place. Took everything back off, found that I destroyed the injectors O-ring.


Put everything back together and got done about 2 hours ago. I have to leave at 5 am for Philadelphia.


Truck runs pretty good and has tons of power I forgot it had.


Stick with it, you will find it.

 

I was just going to pull the engine to take everything apart and to make putting new main bearings in easier. No worries. I've done it three times in the last month.

But if the rockers are the issue I'll leave my month old bearings in place.

I'll post the results.

I've been going nuts trying to figure out what it could be and I'd moved past the rockers. Whether the transmission oil trick works or not, you caused me to remember that the ticking started when I put the driver side head on. Hence my sinful use of the Lord's name, because of my pig headed belief that I'd covered the rocker issue, for which I am sorry.

I'm going to change the oil anyway so I'll try the transmission oil trick first.

 

Then ATF helps because ATF has an extremely high detergent content. I like to use some every couple years for about 250 miles at a time. Its fine in short intervals to add a quart to oil, but be aware that you shouldn't run it for extended periods because ATF doesn't have the same lubricating qualities as engine oil.

Hope it works for you, Charlie!

 

I pulled the rockers. The one farthest back was stuck on the push rod and I had to pull it out. Also, it spins very freely, like a washer on a bolt.

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Sadly, I feel no catch on any of them beyond tension from the springs.

About to put studs in. I'm going to replace one at a time without removing the head and see what happens.