Engine: Valve adjustment

[mrkstudebaker]

Good evening everyone,
been having some rough idle, and popping out of the tailpipe. Did compression test. I had four cylinders that were 120 pounds, and two cylinders that were 118.
vacuum is at 18 pounds. I decided to adjust the valves. I went and followed the manual. Put it all back together and now I got a lifter tick. I tore it all back down went through the whole process again and checked the valves and they’re right on. I used a .016 gauge, and followed all the instructions in the manual. Any idea what it could be? It ran good and very smooth idle, just a loud ticking.
51 champion six-cylinder. It is not the original engine. It is a factory short block engine.
Appreciate all input

[StudeRich]

Does it have the 195616 Lifter Springs installed on all 12 ?

[yeroldad]

First, how many mile are on it? Reason being the valve stem head and the lifter can get worn where they strike together. And, they rotate, or sometimes don't. Either way, they can get un even, not flat, which will you get a different measurement. Now, if it's making noise that you can't stand, you would have to take the (or them) valve and lifter out and examine the contact on both. If they, or one or the other, have mars, scores, dents, etc, there's your noise due to uneven surfaces. Or could it be that they are happily 'ticking' away, and you are expecting them to be virtually silent, which they will never be, because they are solid lifters, not hydraulic. I am assuming that you had the valve(s) you are checking in the right position, on the compression stroke, the piston being at TDC, top dead center.

[mrkstudebaker]

There is a little more than 40 000 in the engine. Before I did this there was no loud ticking, just the putter/ miss out the tail pipe.
I was back at it tonight, went through and rechecked a found one that was a little to loose. Adjusted that one . Going to put it back together tomorrow , maybe that was the one.
Thanks for the help

[altair]

It is important that the cam is ground on a slight taper and the lifters are slightly domed so that only a hair line is touching and the assembly must rotate. I had my cam and lifters on my 259 and it still took three sessions to get them right. With out my hearing aids it is perfect.

The popping out the exhaust is caused by a too rich of a mixture combined with an exhaust leak where oxygen is entering the exhaust system and detonating the rich mixture causing the popping.

[yeroldad]

altair: That may be one possibility, or it could be a tight or leaking exhaust valve, amongst other possibilities. Could be the ignition problem, in the distributer. Could be.....

[christophe]

The right way to do it is here:

https://fifthaveinternetgarage.blogspot.com/2018/10/adjusting-lifters-correct-way.html

[mrkstudebaker]

Thanks for the help on my issue.
I went through and adjusted the valves doing the Teeter and Adjust
Engine running awesome and not ticking
Thanks

[christophe]

Glad if I was of any help.
Nice day to all.