Help. Ticking noise in rear cylinder head.

[Spc_tempest69]

Hello and thank you for accepting me to the forum, me and my wife recently rebuilt her 2001 grand am 3.4v6, new camshaft, upper and lower rod and main bearings and new lifters and gaskets. We dropped the motor back in, had all the sensors marked before removal so it was just plug and play. Before initial fire we unhooked all fuel and turned the motor over to prime for oil. Once that was done hooked everything up and it fired on first try, but once it started to warm up a ticking began in the rear head sort of like a lifter tick and I have seen and dealt with the rocker studs pulling the aluminum threads out, so I checked all the rockers all were tight and not coming out next I tested all compression on all cylinders all good there got 170 on two and 180 on the rest. so now I am at a lose, bc I checked all the areas that would cause a tick other than lifters but they are brand new and were primed before install. Any help or ideas would be great thank you all.

 

[melsg5]

You were aware that intake and exhaust push rods are different lengths?
You torqued the rocker arms to 124 in/lbs plus 30 degrees?
Can you use a automotive stethoscope or just a piece of rubber hose to pinpoint the source of the noise?
What oil viscosity are you using?
What brand oil filter?
Even a new lifter can be bad.

 

[Spc_tempest69]

You were aware that intake and exhaust push rods are different lengths?
You torqued the rocker arms to 124 in/lbs plus 30 degrees?
Can you use a automotive stethoscope or just a piece of rubber hose to pinpoint the source of the noise?
What oil viscosity are you using?
What brand oil filter?
Even a new lifter can be bad.

You were aware that intake and exhaust push rods are different lengths?
You torqued the rocker arms to 124 in/lbs plus 30 degrees?
Can you use a automotive stethoscope or just a piece of rubber hose to pinpoint the source of the noise?
What oil viscosity are you using?
What brand oil filter?
Even a new lifter can be bad.

Thank you for the response Yes we were aware of the difference in push rod length and we are using 5w30 oil with frame oil filter never had a problem with them before, the lifters are from engine tech in which I've never ran into a lifter problem before with them and yes we did use a stethoscope and found the noise to be specifically in the rear head just beneath the valve cover so in which is why I suspected the rockets coming loose or the rockets pulling the studs out. Just a lil baffled with this one atm, and been building for years and ran into a few snags along the way none which I couldn't figure out but this ones got us baffled lol

 

[Spc_tempest69]

Also I will add that the noise is equal across the head while running.

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[melsg5]

If you google 'GM 3.4 rocker arm noise' get lots of hits. In most cases is not a rebuilt engine but one post suggested checking oil pressure with a temporary gauge.

 

[Spc_tempest69]

Will check into it thanks.

 

[Spc_tempest69]

Have checked the oil pressure and is in good standards we also put in a new melling oil pump and well.

 

[melsg5]

You can try draining the oil and cutting open the filter to see if there is any metal.
You can try a bottle of STP to see if a slight change in viscosity effects the noise.

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