loud engine noise
 

working on a car that is new to me - an 83 na - PO said engine would run but made a lot of noise - well he was right - belts were intact - i checked the marks and re-tensioned the belts just so i could turn it over and see what was what - it turned easily by hand 2 turns - so i hit the starter and the car started up - the noise is very loud - a slower than engine speed clacking - it might get a little quieter for a second or two then back to really loud - scary sounding like something is going to fly out of the block at any moment - i put my hand on the cam cover but i really couldn't feel anything - sounds like it's up top - took off the cam tower - all valve stems are about same height so i don't think it's a bent valve - 6 of the lifters i can push in with very little pressure - 2 i can't push in at all - i'm assuming the 2 are good - the car sat for a long time so is it possible all the oil ran out of the lifters and they could be refilled? - also i don't know why it sat so long so it could also be something internal - are clacking lifters this loud

I guess there is oil pressure in the first place?
Put the lifters in oil and try to pump them up.

jrboulder - i didn't get that at first - funny - hey blame it on my son he started it - i'll be retiring soon so i need a hobby right? - anyway yes there was oil pressure - i can't seem to get these lifters to "pump up" - i put them in oil and compressed them - no bubbles came out and they didn't get any less soft - i'm still not sure it's them making the noise but if 6 of them are soft that would have to make some noise right - i tried filling them with a syringe - how much oil will they hold - even after filling them that way they still are soft

when my 944 sounded really loud - clacky.. i found that the key in the camshaft that holds the timing belt pully had been damaged - thus actually had a bit of movement... New Camshaft, Key, and Pully and all was good again.

when my OPRV went out, the car still had oil pressure, but made an awful clacking noise from the valve train

same thing happened to me, made me thing i had a bad lifer, rod knock.. and it was the actual woodruff key for me too. but for me the camshaft were the woodruff key sat was worn out, so put in a used cam. its been smooth ever since.