Moparts
How loud is your valvetrain?
Posted By: 451Mopar
How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/15/10 07:21 PM
My valve train seems fairly loud compared to my old engine, but I am not sure if it is the result of using the agressive roller cam, the T&D rockers, or the steel valley tray for the Victor heads?
I lashed the valves at 0.015"/0.017" cold, but it is still fairly loud.
Posted By: blown572dart
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/15/10 07:43 PM
Don't really know can't hear anything over the exahust.
Posted By: emarine01
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/15/10 07:49 PM
Exhaust is way too loud
Posted By: 70Cuda383
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/15/10 09:29 PM
I'd say mine is loud. and it's a hydraulic flat tappet...being the first engine I've built, I thought something was wrong, I expected the hydraulic to be quiet, but it sounds like a sewing maching running at full tilt under the hood.
someone said that it was normal and sounded fine. 4,000 miles later, they seem to have been correct!
Posted By: Challenger 1
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/15/10 11:24 PM
Quote:
I'd say mine is loud. and it's a hydraulic flat tappet...being the first engine I've built, I thought something was wrong, I expected the hydraulic to be quiet, but it sounds like a sewing maching running at full tilt under the hood.
someone said that it was normal and sounded fine. 4,000 miles later, they seem to have been correct!
Sorry guys but hydralic cams should be quiet. If your valve train is noisey then I bet there's too much lash and it won't last long like that. There's should be zero valve lash when the motor is running and there is oil pressure when properly adjusted. That excludes Roades lifters or the rapid bleed down lifters.
Just saying... 
Posted By: chryco
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/15/10 11:27 PM
See if you can hear my RBRE / T&D units .......
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur1y3A23gAg
Posted By: topside
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/15/10 11:45 PM
Only cars I own with hydraulic rollers are OEM stuff, no noise. My solid-roller car's a bit noisy, maybe almost as much as (dating myself) a solid-lifter 30/30 Duntov-cam SBC. The Street Hemi solid-flat-tappet is clearly audible, maybe a bit more than the 30/30 yardstick. My hydraulic-flat-tappet cars are pretty quiet, even with the lifter preload set at the minimum, unless they've been sitting a long time; in that case any noise isn't much and goes away quickly.
Posted By: Dabee
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/15/10 11:57 PM
My flat tappet hydraulic cam is loud on my BMRE built 512. I had Chuck and Pete listen to it last fall and they said it was normal. Chuck said the aggressive ramps on the new hydraulic cam profiles make them loud. I have between one and one and a half turns of preload on it and it is still loud. I think the fabricated aluminum valve covers also amplify the noise. I have a little over 1000 miles on the engine. I have checked the preload several times and nothing is loose. The car runs great, so I’m not too concerned about it. But yes the tapping is annoying.
Posted By: Leon441
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 12:35 AM
Trying to find power in my NA engine I ran some Royal Purple oil that was extremely light. The valvetrain was scary noisy. The car didn't run any faster either. I switched back to Valvoline 10-30 NFS racing oil and ran just as fast and a lot less noise.
Posted By: Cab_Burge
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 02:55 AM
Posted By: 70Cuda383
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 03:49 AM
Quote:
Quote:
I'd say mine is loud. and it's a hydraulic flat tappet...being the first engine I've built, I thought something was wrong, I expected the hydraulic to be quiet, but it sounds like a sewing maching running at full tilt under the hood.
someone said that it was normal and sounded fine. 4,000 miles later, they seem to have been correct!
Sorry guys but hydralic cams should be quiet. If your valve train is noisey then I bet there's too much lash and it won't last long like that. There's should be zero valve lash when the motor is running and there is oil pressure when properly adjusted. That excludes Roades lifters or the rapid bleed down lifters.
Just saying...
That's what I thought too, but I had a few folks with more experience than me, tell me that it sounded fine, and normal, that the higher lift and performance oriented cams would make more noise than stock cams, even if they are hydraulic cams. even the guys at the machine shop said it sounded fine, and we checked the "lash" on the lifters SEVERAL times after a bunch of runs to make sure they were staying put.
like I said, 4,000 miles later and no problems yet!
Posted By: 451Mopar
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 01:31 PM
When I get back in town, I will have to get my wifes digital camera and do a quick video with sound to post. Monday, I did a video on my cell phone, but the sound quality is really bad, and when I tried to copy the file to my computer all i got was video, no audio?
The cam is a custom comp HXL 264/264 @ 0.050", (187@0.200"), 0.714"/0.714" lift, 112 LSA, 108 cl solid roller cam. Here is comps description of the lobe profiles:
"HXL SERIES ROLLERS
The HXL Series rollers are intended for high lift applications that require maximum torque and extended rpm. These
fall somewhere in between the RX and TK Series in terms of aggressiveness but provide more lobe lift. They are
closest to the High Torque .440" lobes but have incorporated our latest profile advancements that should allow
higher engine speeds and improved dynamics."
The heads are Max wedge port Edelbrock Victors.
Posted By: DemonDust
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 02:28 PM
I have .016 cold lash, and I couldn't hear it with open headers. I put full exhaust on the duster now and it kinda sounds like an old sewing machine is the best description I can come up with if that makes any sense... SO I would guess it's not as loud as some of the other guys...
Posted By: Joshs68
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 06:27 PM
I just reset my lash per the old Mopar cam card, set at .023/.027 to allow for the aluminum heads and iron block. filled it with Valvoline VR1 20w50. I was very surpirised how quiet it was. Im not sure if my camera would be able to record well enough for everybody to hear it.
Posted By: RobR
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 07:03 PM
Quote:
When I get back in town, I will have to get my wifes digital camera and do a quick video with sound to post. Monday, I did a video on my cell phone, but the sound quality is really bad, and when I tried to copy the file to my computer all i got was video, no audio?
The cam is a custom comp HXL 264/264 @ 0.050", (187@0.200"), 0.714"/0.714" lift, 112 LSA, 108 cl solid roller cam. Here is comps description of the lobe profiles:
"HXL SERIES ROLLERS
The HXL Series rollers are intended for high lift applications that require maximum torque and extended rpm. These
fall somewhere in between the RX and TK Series in terms of aggressiveness but provide more lobe lift. They are
closest to the High Torque .440" lobes but have incorporated our latest profile advancements that should allow
higher engine speeds and improved dynamics."
The heads are Max wedge port Edelbrock Victors.
187@200 shouldn't be closing the valve hard enough for you to hear it. 
Posted By: 451Mopar
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 07:27 PM
Oops, should have said 187 duration at 0.200".
This is just for comparison, the standard Comp solid roller cam with about 187 duration @ 0.200" usually has a 0.050" duration of about 270.
My closed spring pressure is 275#@1.950", and open is around 700+ #.
Posted By: polyspheric
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 08:16 PM
the aggressive ramps on the new hydraulic cam profiles make them loud
.......?
Rubbing 2 pieces of steel together in an oil bath does not make any noise you could hear in a running engine.
Cyclical noise (ticking, knocking) comes, entirely, from one thing striking another.
It could be rockers taking up end-play on the shaft and reversing, pushrod body smacking the head or block relief hole as it bends, hydraulic lifter compressing (and allowing slack above it) due to the speed and spring load too high for the oil pressure, there are probably others.
Posted By: dvw
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 09:34 PM
I agree with Poly that a hydraulic shouldn,t make noise. With that being said I've seen 3 440 street builds in the last year that were noisy. Two had Comp cams one had a generic rebiuld. One motor had the stock rockers,shafts, and lifters replaced with no improvement. All three motors are still currently running with no ill effects. None of these engine were very radical. I never located the source.
Doug
Posted By: jughed
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 09:53 PM
Posted By: Viol8r
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 11:00 PM
All aluminum top end here with a new lunati Hyd. cam and its fairly noisy in a 11:1 440. I started at 3/4 turn and now up to 1 1/2 turns on the crane golds and its a little quieter and runs perfect.
Most say its the combo of aluminum parts and aggressive cam....not worried about it.
Posted By: ahy
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/16/10 11:51 PM
Auditable but not loud... like an oiled sewing machine. MM lobe solid FT with .55 lift. It has 5,000 miles and no problems.
Posted By: fourgearsavoy
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/17/10 12:39 AM
I have a Comp XTQ series series FT unit with Isky iron rockers upgraded by RAS and it's pretty quiet
I have seen some engines with a hydraulic cam and adjustable rockers not adjusted tight enough
Gus
Posted By: Dabee
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/17/10 03:38 AM
Quote:
All aluminum top end here with a new lunati Hyd. cam and its fairly noisy in a 11:1 440. I started at 3/4 turn and now up to 1 1/2 turns on the crane golds and its a little quieter and runs perfect.
Most say its the combo of aluminum parts and aggressive cam....not worried about it.
Same here. Comp cam, Indy EZ heads and rockers. 1.5 turns on rockers and still noisy. Over the past year I've had the valve covers off to many times to count and find no problems. It runs great, 11.7 ET at 119 mph with full interior, PS, PB and AC.
Posted By: Cab_Burge
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/17/10 03:56 AM
Quote:
Quote:
All aluminum top end here with a new lunati Hyd. cam and its fairly noisy in a 11:1 440. I started at 3/4 turn and now up to 1 1/2 turns on the crane golds and its a little quieter and runs perfect.
Most say its the combo of aluminum parts and aggressive cam....not worried about it.
Same here. Comp cam, Indy EZ heads and rockers. 1.5 turns on rockers and still noisy. Over the past year I've had the valve covers off to many times to count and find no problems. It runs great, 11.7 ET at 119 mph with full interior, PS, PB and AC.
If your adjusters are 3/8 by 24 thread (fine threads) one complete turn equals .042, 1.5 turns would be .063 travel which is probally to much preload 
I adjust the rocker preload with the motor warmed up, water and oil at least 140F, and start with 1/2 turn from zero and then go try it, adjust tighter and looser and find out what the motor really likes 
. Some of the motors, street Hemi and NHRA stockers, I have had like 1/4 turn warm or hot at the track
Posted By: polyspheric
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/17/10 04:28 AM
You'd be surprised at how much noise a rocker makes when it whacks the stands on either side with even an extra .020" end-play.
There are other things that make noise, and it may sound like it's coming from the top - like mechanical fuel pump eccentric, 1 bad link or tooth chip on the timing chain. Quite a few engines have been put together with valve covers too low, and a rocker bangs it - but only after you tighten the cover gasket a few times!
Yes, a hydro with the wrong pre-load will make noise also, and this is a function of oil pressure, viscosity, and tappet mfg.
Posted By: 72Challenger
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/17/10 08:33 AM
Don't know if it's loud or not...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On6e7AB_dDE&feature=player_embedded...can't really hear it good enough
Posted By: Challenger 1
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/17/10 11:52 AM
Quote:
All aluminum top end here with a new lunati Hyd. cam and its fairly noisy in a 11:1 440. I started at 3/4 turn and now up to 1 1/2 turns on the crane golds and its a little quieter and runs perfect.
Most say its the combo of aluminum parts and aggressive cam....not worried about it.
I don't understand all this talk about the "number of turns"?
On a hydralic cam the lash should be set when the motor is new and cold with the intake off. There's only a small area on the heal of the cam where there is no lift, that's when you set your pre load on the lifters. Each valve will be different and require different amount of "turns"
With the intake off you can see the plunger in the lifter go down, but you got to make sure your on the heal of the cam. Set it once and your done forever on a hydralic cam.
Posted By: 451Mopar
Re: How loud is your valvetrain? - 04/17/10 09:17 PM
I plan to pull the valve cover and make sure the rockers are not hitting the cover (Milodon chrome steel valve covers.) Also, make sure the pushrod ends / rockers are getting oiled good, and double check the rocker is not hitting the spring retainer because my clearance was a bit tight there.
@ 1:09