Check valve clearance and adjust valve

[miwi]

May be that it is a dumb question.

I sometimes hear the valves ticking during acceleration so that I think that it is time to check the valve clearance and adjust clearance. I'm running a 239 cui French block with adjustable lifters and a Bubba electronic Chevy distributor.
Most videos and pictures that I saw had the the heads off while adjust valve clearance. Is that necessary when I have a valve index tool. I thick not or what is your opinion?

[ponymare]

Are you sure you're not hearing spark knock, loose valves would clatter all the time.

[miwi]

Originally Posted by ponymare

Are you sure you're not hearing spark knock, loose valves would clatter all the time.

Typical valve noise if you are accelerate at low rpm in 2nd or 3rd gear. I don#t mean the ticking clattering noise at idle that you could hear

[chap52]

In the Model A's you would hear a clicking noise and all you nneded to do was tighten exhaust manifold bolts. Just a thought... Chap

[solidaxle]

No, you don't have to have the heads off to adjust the valves. You do need to find TDC of #1 piston to use the Cheater tool. This can be accomplished with the tie wrap method. Search True TDC. Mart has a video on it also.


To adjust the valves, search YouTube for Johnson lifter tool adjustment. This gives a good explanation on how it's done.The video fails to mention you have to rotate the cam and have both lifters down in the bores to use the Johnson tool. Once you turn the adjuster bolt, you rotate the cam back to your designated lifter and check the gap.



Loose lifters usually make noise at idle. I would investigate other culprits before going through the time consuming task of valve adjustment. Search around with a hose to your ear or stethoscope type of tool looking for a tick first.
Do you have a torque tube driveshaft? If so, the coupler pin can break and work it's way out hitting the tube. This creates a ticking noise also. Jack up the rear and put your ear to the back part of the torque tube while rotating the tires and see if it ticks.

[miwi]

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Thanks for your comments

[solidaxle]

Originally Posted by miwi

Typical valve noise if you are accelerate at low rpm in 2nd or 3rd gear. I don#t mean the ticking clattering noise at idle that you could hear

If you are accelerating hard and it's noisy, your timing is probably too far advanced.