I just freshened my engine and can hear a pecking that is louder than normal and need ideas about what to check. It is a 360 with solid lifters, the rockers are Crane gold shaft mounted, heads are Edelbrock with double springs. I did a normal rebuild with rings and bearings and never touched the heads, I had a broken ring is why I tore it down. So I have adjusted the valves several times and checked all the rockers, then I took off the intake and looked at the lifters and pushrods, fired it back up and the sound is still there. Where should I look next? I need to get this thing back to the track. Maybe some of you have been thru this before. Thanks.

Vern,

Sounds like a header gasket to me. I had some similar issues haunt me as well, after changing lifters and doing all kinds of diagnostics to end up at a header gasket. Good luck bro.

Don

I would look at the header gaskets

I found the problem. Hate to say it but I put in a piston backwards so the valves were hitting it. I know I'm getting old but this has to be the dumbest thing I have ever done {to a car anyway} but now it is well along the way to being fixed. Drove me crazy trying to find a problem in the valve train or headers. If you have a similar story about messimg up I'd like to hear one or two to let me know I am not alone.