65 Barracuda daily driver

It might be a good idea to cut open the oil filter that you just removed to see if there is anything worrisome in it. Hopefully the engine hasn't wiped a cam lobe. You could also take the drivers side valve cover off, check to see if the rocker arm shaft is installed correctly. I forget if the notch is down in the front or rear on the drivers side head? Info should be easy to find in the smallblock section or in @krazykuda small block assembly tutorial on here. If that checks out, check for a bent pushrod or a rocker arm going bad. I've had them make pecking noise and found the pushrod end of the rocker cracked and the pushrod about to poke thru. Torn a few down that had a pushrod poked thru! If you take the coil wire off and spin the engine over with a screwdriver on the starter relay, you can watch the drivers side rocker arms and try to determine if they are all rising to the same height. If you see one or more that obviously isn't, pull the rockers off to see why. If the rocker looks ok and the pushrod isn't bent (roll it on a piece of glass) then it could be a wiped cam lobe. You can shine a light down thru the head and see. Sometimes it seems a vehicle wants to fight us every step we make. I've got an 04 Dodge Dakota that has done me that way. I think I have it beaten into submission though, so don't give up!

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