mahcivic

ight ill try to make this short. Its a gsr motor, with forged rods and pistons, and main/head studs. oil primed upon start up and it has about 350 miles on it so far with 2 oil changes done. The problem is it ticks pretty loud. The head has 115k on it so i did a valve lash to try and fix it thinking that was the problem. When i did this i had previously asked a friend of mine who owns a shop how much he'd charge but he siad if i came down he'd help me and show me how. so went down, did the valves, still ticks. That same night i actualyl went to my buddies hosue cause he had jsut biult a motor to and before he started it he wanted me to do the valves on his, so i did them and his car doesnt tick. The way i am doing it is between the cam lobe and rocker arm when the cam is at zero lift. I did it that way on my car and my buddies car. I calle dthe machine shop and brought the car by and let them hear it and they still think its the valves. they said i was doing it all wrong and should be putting the feller gauge on top of the valve. Im really sick of doing this and am starting to think its something else.
Josh has heard the car to and he thinks its pistons slap, any way to tell? what are the problems of pistons slap, im shooting for 400hp and i dont wanna try if this motor is gonna mess up. Should i do the valves the way the machine shop said?
The motor runs really good besides the ticking. no problems what so ever, no CELs nothing, any thoughts, suggestions, opinions??

SpankedYA!

broken valve spring?

mahcivic

that can happen?

SpankedYA!

Oh course

kill-ka-t-kill

i am not absolutely positive but it seems like you are haveing lost motion assembly noise. it sounds like your whole bottom end should be kosher if it has been done right. if you have had this head for a while and it did not make the noise at first it probally began to do it when it was first started and faded away after a few seconds. after a long time the lost motion assemblys will wear and make more and more noise and loose thier abbility to hold oil pressure to engage vtec. i would check that out and if it is the lost motion assemblys you should replace them.