Ok so I have a 360 that was rebuilt months ago and lately I have had a noise...knock or tick not sure, its kinda in between. A few times at WOT, it was close to a rattling tick. At idle, it is in time with the lope or thump of the exhaust. I'm completely at a lost what it is. It seems to be coming from the top end of the engine, but I have checked with a stethoscope and cannot be for sure the location. I have pulled the push rods and the lifters and nothing. I have checked the timing and adjusted it but still there. Hopefully someone on here has had a similar problem that can give me a better idea. I'm hoping it is not something with the bottom end. I have tried to find out if its coming from there but its louder up top. Thanks in advance.

I would say a lifter went bad (or got a piece of debris in it that is hanging it up. If you can pin it down (which one) you could retrieve it up thru the head/dissassemble/clean it & reinstall or faster would be to replace it (or all of em if you cant pin it down to which one) & repeat the cam breakin procedure which is why I'd take it apart & clean it & see if that takes care of it to avoid that if possible.

Well I thought I could retrieve them through the head, but the intake has to be pulled. No space to pull them out with the intake on. Gonna have to get new gaskets for the intake now to pull it. Don't wanna reuse the old ones. I looked at the rocker arms and the push rods, but still nothing i can find wrong with them. Straight as an arrow. Will check the lifters then the cam.

Exhaust leak? Are you running headers? Did the gasket at the head go out or the seal where the header/manifold attaches to the exhaust give up? I've had it happen more than once. Could sound like a tick or rattle and would be in time with the engine for sure.

Start simple first before tearing into the engine, right?

Start it up and move your hand all around the various exhaust junctions to feel for exhaust gas coming out. I like to do this when the engine isn't already warmed up.

pour a tad of oil in the carb and the smoke will let you know if there is exhaust leak.
Easy way to check for a lifter is to remove the valve cover and start the engine and then put pressure on the push rod end of the rocker. If there is a bad lifter it will quiet down with pressure on it. It may be a little messy but a whole lot easier than R&R the intake and then guessing which one is bad. BTW lifters can be replaced without removing the intake.

OK I had removed and replaced some lifters and the ticking is gone now thank god. However, I jetted the carb...edelbrock 1406 600 cfm, and it was shooting fuel out the 2 vents about a foot in the air. I checked the floats, choke, and still nothing. I put the jetting back to normal and still doing it. I did remove the carb before jetting so I tightened it up some more and nothing. I checked the manifold vacuum at idle and its at 0 HG. With adjustment at idle on the throttle screw just to get it at 5 HG it is well over speed. I tried the idle screws and no difference. It wants to miss really bad at idle. If I romp on the throttle it wants to backfire.
Any ideas? I'm thinking vacuum leak but i checked everywhere and can't find it. Maybe some starting fluid? Not sure what is going on. It had a slight problem before, but i adjusted the idle screws to a little more rich and it smoothed out. not this time.

The carb ran good before it was taken off? I'd take the top off & I'd lightly blow out the needle/seat(s) w a spray shot of something to clean them & reset the floats (7/16") and check the airhorn to main body gasket for anything that doesn't look right and that all the mini screws are snugged the right amt & also check the base gasket for anything that doesn't look right and might hit it w a light spray of gasket cement to seal it

im such a idiot. When I was messing with the lifters I removed the plug wires(you know where this is going), I went and double checked the firing order and the 5 and 7 were switched. Runs fine. Now back to rejetting again

Ive done that!!