Oil filter question/knocking when warmed up, 350 buick

I was able to run it today and take a few videos, just have to figure out how to post them here, any advise?:Comp:

An update on the oil pressure, it was actually about 25 at idle in park when hot, goes up to 30-40 when revved up.

One other thing I never noticed before is that even though the noise starts after about 7 minutes, it doesn't reach full volume until about 20 minutes of running..

 

just go to Youtube and upload your videos then copy and paste a link to here.

 

Late to the game and just skimmed through the responses.

You have pulled the valve covers off and completed a visual inspection, correct?

 

No have not pulled valve covers yet. It is high on my list though. What am I looking for when I do remove the v.c.?

 

If you pull the valve covers, you can check for broken nylon buttons, worn rocker shafts, etc. You should be able to use a stethoscope on the rocker shaft bolts while the engine is running to see if you can locate the noise. I had a ticking noise coming from the top end and found it to be a worn rocker shaft. I swapped the shafts from side to side and the noise moved to the other side of the engine. Easy and cheap to check.

 

Some good things to check for listed by Craig. In addition, "loose" pushrods indicating a collapsed lifter.

You can run the engine with the valve covers off. It will be a little messy, no issues with doing this. Any issues with the pushrods/ lifters, rockers, nylon buttons etc
are usually pretty easy to spot.

My first Buick with a 350 had an intermitent lifter tick. Getting it warm with a short drive, shutting it down, pull the valve covers, then starting it back up and letting it idle. It was
easy to see a loose pushrod floating around in there. Without the lifter pumping up the pushrod just kind of bounced around in there.

A quick, easy check.

 

Hey, back again after a very long snowy winter here in NJ. :beer

Took it today to get an oil and filter change, and the ticking noise seems to have left after the oil change (??!!)

However, I think (possibly) that the same thing happened last summer when I last changed the oil, and then it came back after a few hundred miles. Will see though. What kind of issue could this point to?

 

Your taking it to get an oil change?
If you are, do you know what type of oil they're using, or do you supply your own?
Are you or "they" adding any ZDDP?
Reason I ask is if the oil is modern 10/30 with no ZDDP added, your cam lobes may be wearing, and that may be causing your "popping" when getting off the highway, along with other issues.
Have you cut open a filter from a recent oil change to look for metal?

 

I would get a bottle of STP with zzdp and add to oil. I would say you have work rockers and shafts with some can/lifter wear and that is the noise. If you have aluminum rockers they are more than likely the problem.

 

I looked in the old oil filter, no metal shavings to be found. If it starts making the noise again, I will try the STP like mentioned. How much STP do you put in the oil?

Also, when it was tapping before I pulled the plug wires one by one, the noise remained even when each of the 8 wires was pulled, I think that eliminates any bottom-end issues?

Also, pulled the drivers side valve cover before and 1 or 2 pushrods were very slightly loose, I mean that it would click very slightly if you pulled pretty hard with your finger. This was when cold, though.

 

Checking the valvetrain when the engine is off wont show anything as far as some pushrods being looser than others, some of the lifters will be off the base circle of the cam and will be under spring pressure and will bleed off oil in the lifter body removing any preload that was there, causing slightly loose pushrods when the engine is off.

 

If the ones that are loose where at rear of engine I would pull rockers off shaft and check shaft for wear.