Duff71Riv Posted January 8, 2020 Share Posted January 8, 2020 My 65 corvair (110 NA) sat for twenty years and was resurrected last year. I bought the car a few months ago and it has run well for me. However, after driving a few minutes and the oil warms up, a ticking sound can very audibly be heard from both outside the car and inside the cabin. It increases and decreases with the flow of engine rpm. There is a leak from the pushrod tube seals so I top the engine off every week with Lucas Engine Stabilizer. This seems to help the noise but after driving about 5 minutes the sound will return. There are about 500 miles on a fairly recent oil change. I do not have the knowledge, being only 16, to tell if it is coming from valve clatter or engine knock, and would greatly appreciate any help to pinpoint the source of the sound and any possible solutions. I do all my own work and would not mind adjusting the valves but would be hesitant to dive deeper into the engine if it is rod knock. The odometer reads just over 50,000 and I strongly believe it to be original judging from the lack of wear on the pedals and the overall condition of the car. Others have confirmed the belief that it is a low mile car. As always I am grateful for any advice! Thank you, Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenie Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 If you google “Corvair lifter noise”, you’ll find a discussion on a site known as Corvair Center. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 3 hours ago, Duff71Riv said: There is a leak from the pushrod tube seals so I top the engine off every week with Lucas Engine Stabilizer Yes, old neoprene (Buna-N) o-rings leak oil. replace with Viton and you are good to go for years!👍 You only top off with Lucas? You need oil too! Yes, you should be asking Corvair questions over on : http://corvaircenter.com/phorum/list.php?1 Manual transmission or PG (Powerglide)? Flywheels get lose rivets and mimic a rod knock perfectly! Spark knock only happens on acceleration. Sounds like BBs rattling around in there. Do not worry about a valve adjustment until you get 1000 miles or so on it and you will do a valve adjustment when you replace the o-rings anyway.😉 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Upload a short video of the noise and post it on Corvair Center Forum. You will get answers from lots of people familiar with Corvair ticks. Plus fool proof ways to tell if the push rod tube o-rings are the issue and not oil cooler or top cover leaks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff71Riv Posted January 9, 2020 Author Share Posted January 9, 2020 14 hours ago, Frank DuVal said: Manual transmission or PG (Powerglide)? Flywheels get lose rivets and mimic a rod knock perfectly! Its the 4 spd manual that could be it thanks! 14 hours ago, Frank DuVal said: Do not worry about a valve adjustment until you get 1000 miles or so on it and you will do a valve adjustment when you replace the o-rings anyway.😉 Is it ok to drive a while with a valve tick? I don't know how much damage that does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mercer09 Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 I put MMO in my cars when they sit too long and often the valves, ticks and sticks clean up. cheap solution worth a try. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank DuVal Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Driving with valve tick, OK. Driving with rod knock or loose flywheel rivets, not so good. Driving with spark knock (pinging) very bad. Yes to MMO (Marvel Mystery Oil) or ATF added to oil to loosen up sticky lifters. Is that Lucas Engine Stabilizer thicker or thiner than engine oil? A rod knock will sound at idle like a medium hammer in the bottom of the engine. The hammering will get louder if you goose the engine throttle, but be almost silent as the engine slows back down. Loose flywheel rivets sound the same, except the knock goes away when your foot is depressing the clutch pedal. Valve tick sounds more like a tack hammer from the valve cover areas. We need audio. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted January 9, 2020 Share Posted January 9, 2020 Minor exhaust leak can also sound like a tick. See the club https://www.corvair.org/ and the vendor http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/main Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff71Riv Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 On 1/9/2020 at 5:20 PM, Frank DuVal said: Driving with valve tick, OK. Driving with rod knock or loose flywheel rivets, not so good. Driving with spark knock (pinging) very bad. Yes to MMO (Marvel Mystery Oil) or ATF added to oil to loosen up sticky lifters. Is that Lucas Engine Stabilizer thicker or thiner than engine oil? A rod knock will sound at idle like a medium hammer in the bottom of the engine. The hammering will get louder if you goose the engine throttle, but be almost silent as the engine slows back down. Loose flywheel rivets sound the same, except the knock goes away when your foot is depressing the clutch pedal. Valve tick sounds more like a tack hammer from the valve cover areas. We need audio. Sorry, I had the flu Thank you thats very detailed, i will listen to the sounds carefully when I'm outside once I am feeling a bit better. The lucas is significantly thicker than the oil thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff71Riv Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 On 1/9/2020 at 5:47 PM, padgett said: Minor exhaust leak can also sound like a tick. See the club https://www.corvair.org/ and the vendor http://www.corvair.com/user-cgi/main Oh I didn't even think of that 🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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