Running an orig, engine w/snyder high compression head, hearing ticking...

msmaron

msmaron

Well-known member
I add 4 ox of Marvel Mystery oil every fill up and i have noticed that YES the engine is running great and better with the MMO,. BUT i do now hear the ticking more. What is that telling me or nothing to be concerned about. I do realize it is the valves slapping but should i be worried if i hear it more now?:confused:
 
I hope yours is just the valves. I got my engine running and it was running better and better but my ticking was getting worse and worse. I dropped the oil pan and found that I had a broken main stud for the middle main bearing. My ticking was crank/main cap slapping around. :(
 
Could the ticking be valve clearance that's a little too much? A hot engine will bring out the noises previously masked by thick oil. I've got non-adjustable valves, most set by the PO and all were on the plus side of .015" so when warm, I hear a bit of a tick. It shouldn't be a problem. IMHO.
 
Mark ... Why add oil to the fuel, it just adds more carbon to the head and piston, which could be causing the knocking! Think about it, Dudley
 
I had a "ticking" noise and was able to locate it with a long screwdriver with the handle held to my ear and the tip on the block. The "tick" was loudest in the valve chamber. I found that I had several valves set too loose. After adjustment, the tick dissapeared. I hope yours is as easy to fix.
 
d.j. moordigian said:
Mark ... Why add oil to the fuel, it just adds more carbon to the head and piston, which could be causing the knocking! Think about it, Dudley
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ok you have a very interesting question, reason i added honestly was because the directions say so on the Marvel Mystery oil..when do you think i should add it OR NOT at all?? i can tell you that since adding it the ticking has gotten worse?? Give me your opinion please
mark
:confused:
 
Mark...I would never add oil to the fuel, it adds carbon deposits on the piston, which could hit the head causing a knock(on the quench part of the head). If it starts glowing(carbon) it could set the fuel off before the spark plug fires. Real EXPENSIVE race engines have valve stem seals that cost about 3.00 each and ring sets that cost about 300.00 to keep the holes dry. BTW is this a fresh engine? May be the oil is sealing up the rings with carbon, better compression? Dudley
 
I wouldn't condemn the MMO or blame it for carbon. First MILLIONS of cars, new and old drink the stuff mixed with gas, and have done so for 60+ years. If it did carbon foul engines, there would be tons of posts condemning it on all kinds of forums- Studes, Buicks, Chebbies, etc. Seems like the opposite is true- engines that run it seem to have cleaner chambers. MMO is not just straight oil, it is a mix that includes various benzols and aromatic esters, all known by petro engineers that blend gas for their ability to clean, not foul combustion chambers. 4 oz in your 10 gallons is a 320:1 ratio. Two cycles run oil at ten times that, 32:1, and don't carbon foul unless you run rich, retarded, cold, and slow-lugging. Those same things foul ANY infernal (and I do mean infernal, not internal) combustion engine.

So, let's analyze this: You say the noise has increased since using MMO. Two factors come to mind:

1) Time. Whatever is making the noise may have progressed to a worsening, louder state even if you never used MMO. examples- Weak or fractured valve springs, warped cam/ too much bearing clearance, cam oscillating fore and aft due to that spring/plunger thingie in the gear cover, You may have a regrind cam that has any of many grinding errors on one of the lobes. You may have a cracked ring. You may have a chip on the crank gear or timing gear. Try shorting plugs one by one at a fast idle and see if one particular cyl is associated. Get a $10 stethoscope and play doctor. Try a different dizzy. The dizzy drive gear may be the culprit. See if it goes away with the clutch depressed, loading thrust on the crank. It may be that Nu-Rex centrifugal advance that I sold you a year ago bouncing around or tapping on something. :eek: Ask Ken Ehrenhofer or one of those Friday night garage boys to take a listen.

2) Things may have changed by the cleaning and lubricating effect of MMO. You may have had valve stems that were a little sluggish in their action and now 'snap to' freely, making one with excessive lash noisier than before. MMO is known for freeing sticky valve guides.

If you open the chamber to check lash, change out the valve springs. An air line Milton fitting attached to an old plug base and 90psi will give you over 150 lbs closure on each 1.5" valve, making keeper removal easy.
 
MikeK said:
The dizzy drive gear may be the culprit. See if it goes away with the clutch depressed, loading thrust on the crank. It may be that Nu-Rex centrifugal advance that I sold you a year ago bouncing around or tapping on something. :eek: Ask Ken Ehrenhofer or one of those Friday night garage boys to take a listen.

ok no the Nu Rex is not in, I dont have that car anymore, this is on the 31 SW, It is an original engine, The nice part is with the MMO the car is running much much better, Ken worked on the car and had the head off, He says the ticking is a sign of the valves slapping and telling me soon i will need a rebuild for the first time.
It does only happen when under load or should i say when changing gears, I hear it most of the time a very soft tick, but when i change gears is when i is most noticeable,
Hope that might give you more answers to questions
mark
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A soft tick (not a clack or a thunk) is likely just a bit too much clearance. Shouldn't be a big problem. Best to pull the valve cover and check the valve lash, the Model A Mechanics Vol I has a really good method to check without having to crank the engine over too many times. My best guess is you are hearing the noise post MMO due to the MMO lubricating the valve and it's snapping shut.
 
Re:Ticking UPDATE

tamagrouchy said:
A soft tick (not a clack or a thunk) is likely just a bit too much clearance. Shouldn't be a big problem. Best to pull the valve cover and check the valve lash, the Model A Mechanics Vol I has a really good method to check without having to crank the engine over too many times. My best guess is you are hearing the noise post MMO due to the MMO lubricating the valve and it's snapping shut.
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YES as an update,, the sound is getting less and less as all becomes more lubricated. I notice it now only when shifting in high gear and i try to accelerate to fast, Other than that i believe the MMO has done much better things for the old engine that NOT having it.
 
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