just wandering what should i do my valves are clattering like a midget is under the hood radeling a can of rocks.... what do yall think the problem is??? and my millage is doing bad

 

Fill out your sig so we know what truck were talking about. How many Miles on the truck? Last valve adjustment?

 

I don't know if I would be able to notice valve chatter. The truck sounds the same as it did the day I bought it: LOUD!

 

i have a 2002 dodge 3500 with 180,000 miles never had my valves adjustment .....

 

they're not self-adjusting are they?

 

Adjust your valves, as far as I know none of the Cummins engines in our trucks have hydraulic push-rods.

 

Nope, gotta adjust em". Mine needed it BAD at 160,000m. A few were way out of spec. I didn't hear anything(like was said, way to loud). I checked as I didn't know what the prev owner had done. Glad I did.

 

lol well i have a straight pipe and its is deff lud... but i just realy pay attention to details when it comes down to my truck and around 1600 rpm and up they clatter..... like a gas truck when the timeing is off.. well how hard is it to do it yourself?

 

It's not hard at all. The first time may take a bit as the valve cover can lodge near the firewall. I notched the sound batt just above to ease removal in the future. I think the tech facts section has a full write up on how to do it

 

Most people buy higher octane fuel to stop valve clatter. My old chebby six would knock like crazy and have to put real gas instead of oil field drip gas. Even at 16 cents a gallon it were way more espensive than the free drip. Could collect 10 gallons in 3-4 days with ease. Man, dem was the good days.
Valve lash should be checked as maintaince item, but don't see how could be what you speak of. could it be a injector(?) going bad?? Any smoke??

 

see thats the crazy part my truck smokes like normal but it is like a light gray not a dark black smoke....? is that somethen that should be checked??

 

Mine got noticably quieter after a valve adjustment at 100K