V-10 lifter noise.
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From what I read, it isn't an uncommon problem on these motors.... Trouble is, no one ever posted an actual fix.... I *suspect* changing lifters may solve it, but, they ain't cheap, gotta dig pretty deep to get 'em, and I just don't care to do that much work myself any more. Yeah. Old and lazy. 
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From: Clayton MI
Maybe pull the valve covers, (cold engine) and see what valve adjustment is like. (wiggle the rockers, see if anything is loose, since we don't have adjustable rockers....) Changing to chevy-style stud-mount rockers would likely be a good idea as well. Change the lifters, add the ability to adjust your valvetrain..... I should think that would solve the problem, assuming the cam isn't worn......
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From: Sunny ****ing Nevada, Rockies to B.C.
When I put my V-10 back together, I used aftermarket lifters, "V" rockers I had, custom pushrods to account for head/cam/valve changes.. I used to run Delo 15W-40 or synthetic Mobil 15W-50. I had lifter noise upon fire up. I thought it might be because the oil feed hole for the lifter could not be oriented towards the front of the galley/engine as in the stock configuration. I also took it apart and remeasured the pushrods, thinking I'd given Smith the wrong length, all was okay.
The machinist suggested changing/reducing the oil weight. As it turns out, not only were the lifters slightly different length, the oil feed hole for whatever reason was slightly smaller and oriented 90deg way from stock. He suggested that might be a patent workaround, I don't know, but the oil weight solved the problem. V-10s have low oil pressure to begin with, and the pump is puny, therefore lower volume. Viper engines use the same scheme, but I believe the rotors are thicker. Engineers may have kept the Magnum pressure low to avoid straining the little pump and to avoid overworking the pathetic tiny little filter these engines came with. Remember, when the system reaches a set pressure, most oil is simply bypassed from filtration, which is most of the time seems like. Run the longest filter you can, WIX 51515 has more than twice the filter area of the tiny Fram most folks run, I'd bet. Every one of these you pull apart will have scuffing in the pump case/timing cover, because of a lack of filtration and steel gears riding on an aluminum housing, guaranteed. If you have valvetrain noise at all, you need to physically measure the pressure in the system, not just check the dash gauge.
Also, he suggested about .060in. lifter preload, about the same as a big spark plug gap, that is how the pushrods were set up/measured. If you lift a valve cover, roll the engine over to check/measure a couple sets of pushrods. Any play at all is contributing to your valvetrain noise. Pull a couple of rockers to check for wear at the pivot under the fulcrum, and at the rocker tip/pushrod ball, those areas seem to wear with mileage or maintenance (lack of).
The machinist suggested changing/reducing the oil weight. As it turns out, not only were the lifters slightly different length, the oil feed hole for whatever reason was slightly smaller and oriented 90deg way from stock. He suggested that might be a patent workaround, I don't know, but the oil weight solved the problem. V-10s have low oil pressure to begin with, and the pump is puny, therefore lower volume. Viper engines use the same scheme, but I believe the rotors are thicker. Engineers may have kept the Magnum pressure low to avoid straining the little pump and to avoid overworking the pathetic tiny little filter these engines came with. Remember, when the system reaches a set pressure, most oil is simply bypassed from filtration, which is most of the time seems like. Run the longest filter you can, WIX 51515 has more than twice the filter area of the tiny Fram most folks run, I'd bet. Every one of these you pull apart will have scuffing in the pump case/timing cover, because of a lack of filtration and steel gears riding on an aluminum housing, guaranteed. If you have valvetrain noise at all, you need to physically measure the pressure in the system, not just check the dash gauge.
Also, he suggested about .060in. lifter preload, about the same as a big spark plug gap, that is how the pushrods were set up/measured. If you lift a valve cover, roll the engine over to check/measure a couple sets of pushrods. Any play at all is contributing to your valvetrain noise. Pull a couple of rockers to check for wear at the pivot under the fulcrum, and at the rocker tip/pushrod ball, those areas seem to wear with mileage or maintenance (lack of).
Last edited by 69_XS29L; Mar 2, 2021 at 04:25 PM.
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From: Sunny ****ing Nevada, Rockies to B.C.
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...ml#post3359542
This is my take on filtration in the V-10. FWIW on my '95 when I switched from original "Y" style steering linkage to late model heavy duty "T" style linkage and tossed the damper shock, I could then run the longer filter.
This is my take on filtration in the V-10. FWIW on my '95 when I switched from original "Y" style steering linkage to late model heavy duty "T" style linkage and tossed the damper shock, I could then run the longer filter.
Last edited by 69_XS29L; Mar 2, 2021 at 04:30 PM.