My '55 Fairlane 272 2V stock engine has developed a ticking noise.  Seems to be coming from the Driver's side (US) Valve cover near the front of the engine.

I leave the car inside all winter so it doesn't get started for a 6 month gap.  I DID drive it around the 1st of May about 5 or 6 miles and I didn't notice the ticking then, but I wouldn't swear it wasn't there then.  I had to do some garage jockeying to get a vehicle out that was parked behind the '55 about a week later, which is when I first noticed the ticking.  I've started it a few more times and as luck would have it, it hasn't cured itself (do they ever?).   Been kind of in denial, as I don't want to face anything major.  Hoping some of you experts might watch (more accurately - listen) to the video and give me a long - distance guess.  The ticking speeds up with engine RPM speed.  There seems to be occasionally some revolutions where the noise doesn't happen, but not very many.

I posted a Y-Tube video:   Tick, tick, tick, tick    In case the link doesn't work:  https://youtu.be/5eB_VEtlcck

I suppose the first step is to take the valve cover off and have a look-see.

Pull the valve cover, and check the valves. If it's just a small adjustment, no problem. On mine, #1exhaust had .250 clearance. Head fractured off the lifter, after over 10 years and 7000 miles. Real freak thing.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

There is a small hole in the rocker arm that squirts oil to the push rod cup might be plugged and letting the push rod run dry which will cause a ticking when the pushrod ball connects with the push rod cup  Carl