Ticks at idle cold starting

[Nicketts]

I may be premature on this. Started the ‘82 today cause it was warm out. Won’t be de-winterizing until end of April, hopefully. Moved it in the driveway some and let it warm until the fan kicked on. All good (first start this year) even though my cold start stuff doesn’t work as well as it should. Sometimes does, sometimes not. Anyway the issue I noticed was ticking, only at idle. I’m guessing it just wants to be run and get new oil and filter. Have read this can happen when cold. Any thoughts welcome. Thanks.

[ORFORD2004]

Valve adjustement

[Ragno124]

Could be valve chatter or an exhaust leak. May be good time to check the valve clearances. What grade motor oil are you using? I use 20W50 and that is the best grade I have found to keep valve chatter to a minimum.

[rridge]

Valves tighten with use and wear and become less noisy. More often than not, it's the perfectly quiet valves that need adjustment.

If the engine has been quiet and has grown noisy over time it is likely an exhaust leak. When the engine is dead cold, start and move your hand around the manifold and downpipes before they heat up to feel the pulses of escaping exhaust that are the tell-tale. Usual spots are the front and rear ends of the manifold itself and the flange between manifold and downpipe. When the engine has warmed and the metal has expanded the joints compresss and the noise will often go away. And yes, it is the normal clicking sound of the exhaust valves closing that you hear if there is an exhaust leak in the vicinity of the head.

Once you've spotted the general area, look for telltale black exhaust streaks. Could be loose fasteners and/or a burnout gasket. If it has been leaking for a while you may find the flanges have warped and need resurfacing.