Valve noise

[Mob]

Ok, I just finished up repairing my BHG about two months ago. I fired the car up and heard a ticking from the head, didn't think too much about it. Well after driving it for a bit, I realized the rattle got worse as I went above about 2 grand, and after talking with a few local owners figured it was an issue with the shims. So several weeks later, I tore the top of the engine down, checked the clearance for each shim and went through the song and dance of replacing the ones that needed it. Well, I get the car all buttoned back up tonight, fire her up on the first try (exciting for one with suck lacking automotive expertise) only to find that the same noise remains.

Previous conversations with local owners have revolved around either the issue being with missmatched shims, or the head being twisted out of spec. Now I am wondering if the head being twisted is the cause of my noise/problem as previously suggested. When I removed the valve covers to check the clearances, I was greeted with flecks of aluminum in the oil sitting on the caps...disconcerting to say the least.

Any opinions?

 

[steve_mk3]

your sure the noise is comming from the valve train?
The reason I ask is that our injectors make a ticking noise that would increase with RPM.

As far as the flecks of aluminum, that just does not sound good.

Steve

 

[turbo]

I am almost 100% positive the ticking sound is from your exhaust manifold leaking. Tighten your exhaust manifold nuts on the stud to around 20 ftlbs or so and it is probably leaking from cylinder 6 side. Check it out and let me know. You might have to helicoil that stud if it is pulling out.

Geoff

 

[Mob]

I was told about the injectors, but Im pretty sure its not related. I will look into the exhaust bolts.

 

[turbo]

My car made the exact same symptoms/ sounds until I helicoiled the studs and it is such a common problem on supras.

 

[billspreston01]

I have the same problem with my head ticking, and I have all the studs on the exaust maifold helicoiled. I checked my shims and a ton of them are out of spec, I replaced some of them with ones I have from my spare head so it still ticks, but I doubt it's my exaust maifold.

 

[Mob]

Yeah, the work I did this weekend should have brought them all back within spec. Im going to have Jim Jobe listen to it locally, and go from there. May be in the market for a new head...or it'll just have to live with the death rattle for a few more months.

 

[Stretch]

How do you get the shims off? And once off, how would you adhere them back? superglue?
eric

 

[billspreston01]

no glue. They sit in a 'bucket' under the cam. There are several ways to get them out, special tools, removing the cam, or just careful use of a few screwdrivers or whatever tools you can get your hands on that work.

I borrowed a tool...special tool...special tool SUCKED but it worked.

 

[Wendigo]

Yeah, I had a similar noise. When I pulled my head I found this, and I hope you don't

 

[Mob]

I borrowed a tool...special tool...special tool SUCKED but it worked.

Made you want to cuss didn't it...looked like a practical joke to me, but worked.

 

[IHI-RHC7]

Yeah, I had a similar noise. When I pulled my head I found this, and I hope you don't

Good holy hell.
If the valve clearances are good, however, then all of the valves should theoretically have heads on them.
I would crank the motor over without the cam covers on and look to see if the cam lobes are hitting anything. If you have metal flakes, then something is being deteriorated. If you can't find it in the head, I blame rod knock.