For the start-up "rattlers"...

[TripleTransAm]

Most of you know my position on the issue regarding start-up rattle (some sort of metallic rattling that happens briefly during a cold start-up?).

I've never been subjected to this with any of my Marauders, and you all know that if I had experienced this, I'd have my panties in a bunch and would have had that sucker tore down quick enough.

Anyway, I got a hold of some information regarding the period of time while my first Marauder was in the dealer's garage with half the engine apart getting a new driver's side cylinder head to address the ticking and smoking. With the pre-assembled new head installed, the car supposedly rattled nastily at startup with no oil pressure. I don't have any more details than this, but supposedly the new head was torn down and something was found to be missing. The dealer technician had been told that the head was provided completely assembled and equipped, but one particular item was missing. This was transferred from my old head, and quiet startup was restored.

I have no other information or supposition to provide other than this info. Just some food for thought, but perhaps some batches of our cylinder heads made it onto production vehicles missing this part and this is what is at the root of the noisy clattering startups I've heard about. No doubt this is harder to detect for those who are still operating the factory oil pressure gage/switch with its ridiculously low threshold.

Something to think about...

[Zack]

It was probably an oil gally plug. Commonly uninstalled.

[SergntMac]

ArrrG!

As I read /Steve's post, I thought of our "tin valve spring seats", or, "missing valve spring seats" in production engines, thus (possibly) likewise missing in preassembled replacement heads of that day as well.

The OEM valve spring seats are very thin steel, thin enough to have the malable traits of tin, and to be treated as a gasket, though they do not seal anything.

This is Mike Halley stuff, stuff he taught me in my "hands-on-heads 101" class, and IMHO, what this really is, is just a contact surface between the aluminum head, and the steel valve spring.

Mike said..."A tick is two metal surfaces colliding when they should not. Hammer down on this valve seat, and it gets thinner and thinner, to the point it's transparent. Not there anymore."

He went on to show me dozens of 2V and 4V production spring seats hammered down to paper thin nothing. Trashed. Wouldn't even rotate, or, respond to lubrication as they should.

"Two metal surfaces colliding", and maybe here is the source of our mysterious valve tick?

Like a Blacksmith making horseshoes, valve spring seats get pounded thin enough to where hard metal surfaces of opposing qualities (aluminum and steel), come into direct contact with each other, thus "tick"?

Some folks hear this, others do not. But, it occurs after what is harder than the aluminum head surface (valve springs), yet softer than the spring steel that they will pound into (valve spring seats) at high RPMs, gives up.

Just a thought, what do I know...

[Tallboy]

ArrrG!

As I read /Steve's post, I thought of our "tin valve spring seats", or, "missing valve spring seats" in production engines, thus (possibly) likewise missing in preassembled replacement heads of that day as well.

The OEM valve spring seats are very thin steel, thin enough to have the malable traits of tin, and to be treated as a gasket, though they do not seal anything.

This is Mike Halley stuff, stuff he taught me in my "hands-on-heads 101" class, and IMHO, what this really is, is just a contact surface between the aluminum head, and the steel valve spring.

Mike said..."A tick is two metal surfaces colliding when they should not. Hammer down on this valve seat, and it gets thinner and thinner, to the point it's transparent. Not there anymore."

He went on to show me dozens of 2V and 4V production spring seats hammered down to paper thin nothing. Trashed. Wouldn't even rotate, or, respond to lubrication as they should.

"Two metal surfaces colliding", and maybe here is the source of our mysterious valve tick?

Like a Blacksmith making horseshoes, valve spring seats get pounded thin enough to where hard metal surfaces of opposing qualities (aluminum and steel), come into direct contact with each other, thus "tick"?

Some folks hear this, others do not. But, it occurs after what is harder than the aluminum head surface (valve springs), yet softer than the spring steel that they will pound into (valve spring seats) at high RPMs, gives up.

Just a thought, what do I know...

Don't call me a wino. :D

[HwyCruiser]

Mine has had a startup clatter and the dreaded ticks from the day I bought her. The ticks were subdued by having the cam guide cap bolts torqued to the proper spec a while back under warranty (per some good results reported on this board). I've considered installing an accusump when I do the remote oil filter to see if that would help calm down the startup clatter.

It's really depressing to hear that something left out at the factory is the source of this. Good job Ford. At least they gave up on the "Quality is Job One" slogan (or whatever) a long time ago. I'm interested in hearing more opinions on this issue.

[TooManyFords]

I never had a ticking head till I blew the old motor up. The new set of Fox Lake heads do tick though, at least I think it's the heads. I need to double check the header bolts to be sure though. As far as a rattle on startup, I have this too but I expected it when I bought the MMR shortblock. Aluminum pistons will do that in a cast iron block. It does it just for a few seconds and then quiets right down when started cold.

What's a guy to do?

Cheers!

John

[SergntMac]

Don't call me a wino. :D What's up with this?