Rattling 232

[DBox]

My son, Joe, age 14, bought a 1974 CJ5 with a 232 six. It had been setting for several months and fired up better than some new vehicles. The problem is that the top end of the engine rattles like a sack full of mad rattle snakes. It doesn't smoke and runs good enough. Is this common on these engines? We pulled the valve cover off and there seems to be a lot of slack in the rocker arms and there isn't any oil getting up there. Does this thing need some lifters and rockers? We've rebuilt several flat heads and I have a 360 in my 7, but we don't have any experience with the sixes.

[OJTV8CJ]

I would check the valve lash on the push rods, that is the noise that your hearing.  Run some ATF through the engine oil and change it.  You probably have some sludge in the motor blocking the oil passages.  This would be the most cost effective way to quiet it down.

[DBox]

Thanks. I'll give that a try.

[DBox]

We've gone into the top, taken the rocker arm assembly off, shot air down the oil port where the oil is supposed to be pumped up from the cam, and about everything else we can think of without any success. This engine runs abour 45 psi oil pressure when cold and 25 when hot. It doesn't smoke, starts right up and runs good enough. Does anybody have any ideas? We need a little help with this one. Thanks.