I drove it to auto zone to buy a tach so I could do my cam swap this weekend. I got back home, installed it. When I started the car back up, there was a very strong racket coming from the block, like there was no oil in the top end. I hear a similar sound occasionally, and I hear lifter noise at mid rpm, and I KNOW ther's good oil in it, so is this the sound of a lifter failing? I get a ticking at idle sometimes, that eventually fades. The racket did fade over the course of a minute or so, but that is a long time for all that rocker noise and clunking coming from inside. I went ahead and let it run itself out, I figure it's gonna do what it's gonna do, and I have an extra engine here, but I'd really like to know what is going on, if it is just a bad lifter, I can handle that. I have a whole new set, new cam too, timing set, all that. But if there's something more serious then i won't waste time on this one and build my spare. Which is gonna take some time and $ cause it's gotta be machined. Oil pump? How can I know if it's the oil pump? I have no oil pressure guage but the sending unit makes the oil light flicker alot, the former owner said it was a bad sending unit. I am so frustrated ....
