This just started to happen in my 455 '76 Electra. I was driving and I pulled off the road because of this strange ticking sound. It didn't sound like the engine ping that I have heard in other cars, but it may have been that. It gets faster with acceleration. I don't know where it was coming from but from what I could tell, it sounded as if it was coming from under the valve covers. Uh oh. I have also noticed that the car is idling higher sometimes when I start it and that it diesels when I shut down. The choke isn't stuck and it has never done this before.
It could be a vacuum leak in the intake manifold gasket or an exhaust leak between the head and the exhaust manifold. It could also be a bad lifter or something else in the valvetrain. As long as it isn't coming from the bottom end... Is your oil pressure light working? Are you sure that your fast idle cam isn't sticking? It happened to me yesterday on my LeSabre. I never had trouble with this before but suddenly, it came in contact with the vacuum break and blocked. I bent the bracket that holds the vacuum break and the cam now moves freely...
As far as "big" sounds are concerned, I can hear it on the inside of the car when I am driving. It goes away after a little while but I don't want it at all. The oil pressure light works and has been lighting up, but I had thought that it was a bad sending switch, mabe not though.
I would look into that oil light problem right away! Most of those sending units come on at around 5 psi I thing and that isn't too good! Even if it is just the sending unit, that is the only thing telling you that you have, or don't have oil pressure so it might as well work! I actually prefer to have both a gauge and a light. The gauge is nice so you know exactly what you have but if the gauge drops, it won't get your attention quite like a light! Ken
Ok, what should I start with? My oil level is fine so I don't think I am leaking. When I get some time I will connect another sending unit and see what happens. The light sometimes flickers sometimes it stays on, but it will always turn off when I accelerate.
I would get a mechanical oil pressure guage and screw it in where the oil sending unit is. This will give you an accurate oil pressure. If oil pressure is your problem, with a little luck it's just a collapsed lifter. :TU:
This is exactly what it does when the oil pressure is too low... On my former 76 Electra. It came on when I was braking hard, when the car was warm and idling with the a/c on, it was flashing. once the situation deteriorated, the light stayed on at idle and would remain on until I was going 15 mph... I installed an oil pressure gauge and the oil pressure was 45 lbs at idle when cold, then it would quickly drop to about 8 lbs with the car on park. At about 2500 rpm, it was 35 lbs and when I released the accelerator, it jumped at about 40 pounds for a second - not good... There was still no bearing noise (exept when I started the car for a few seconds) but I decied to open the engine and look at what happened. I didn't measure the clearance but the bearings looked fine until I got to the thrust bearing :eek2: The crankshaft had been damaged on both sides of the thrust and it moved forward and rearward under load... When I bought my 75, it's oil pressure switch didn't work so I plugged an oil pressure gauge to it. The pressure was also very low (even if the car had only 64k) and I got the car at a much lower price because of that. I bought an oil pressure switch and installed it on the car. The light did come on just like it did on my 76. I added 2 Kleen-Flow 705 oil additives to the oil and the light still stays off, even with the a/c on. I did 15 thousand miles with the engine in this condition and it didn't get worse... I know it will be the time for a rebuild soon but since I bought the 75 Electra, I blew the 67's 430 (it was in a similar condition with 75k on it). I also blew the 3.8 in my former 1991 Park Avenue Ultra, and 10K after the rebuilt, I have to rebuild again my 67's 430... The 67 430 did cost me 4000$ to rebuilt and it wasn't done correctly. It had bearing problems since day one. When I plastigauged the main bearings, one of them had .001 at one side and was showing it's copper and on the other side, it didn't touch the crank and the plastigage was not flat enough to be measured... It looks like the block will need to be line bored this time!
The 76 shop manual says 40 Lbs. at 2400 rpm but I think that if it drops below 8 Lbs. at idle with transmission in drive, it isn't too good... For example, my 74 Le Sabre has a Buick 350-4 with over 90k and the oil pressure never dropped below 13 Lbs. in traffic when it's 85 with 10w30 oil in summer. When the engine is cold, it won't go higher than 55 Lbs. and on the highway, it stays around 45 Lbs once the engine is hot and the oil pressure always stay above 13 Lbs in winter too. (with 5W30 oil). The normal oil pressure for a 350 is 37 Lbs at 2600 RPM.
I think that stuff won't crush if there's more than 3-1/2 thousandths of clearance.........that's a lot! :shock:
What I would do: change the oil and use a dry filter. If it knocks bad till the light goes out, it's time for a rebuild. Excessive clearance on mains and or rod bearings. I went to look at a rusty 70 Riv years ago with 90K. Told the guy I'd buy it if I changed the oil and it didn't knock. If I didn't buy it it was a free oil and filter change for him. It was quiet as a mouse and 2000+ quarter mile passes later it's still going strong in my 72 SunCoupe (best run 11.66 at 114). Bruce
Are you speaking about oil additives?? I won't use them in my Riviera! (I use them in my 75 Electra until the 455 gets rebuilt). The Riv is not running presently. The bottom end needs to be rebuilt again. The crank is already turned 10-10 and it's grooved so I won't use it. At least, I have another good crank for it! All the main bearings had 003-004 :eek2: of clearance and the rear main was used unevenly... When I think I have spent 4000$ on this engine two years ago :af: :ball: :af: If wish I could get a dual quad 425 like you did for for yours!
That's why I did it.....I heard too many horror stories about spun bearings, cracked manifolds and heads, blown headgaskets and oil pressure problems on the later motors. I have actualy gotten rid of 3 430's real cheap b/c I have no use for one......1 of them was in a running '68 'Cat. If you can get past having the wrong motor in your '67 and are able to get a '66 donor car with all the needed parts, then by all means do it! :bglasses:
