Noisy Lifter

Got the motor running.
The car sat for 11 years untouched. Put in a new battery, coil, plugs, fuel pump, cleaned the points, soaked the cylinders with PB Blaster for a week and it fired up, then changed the oil and filter. Actually runs pretty good.
When it is cold it sounds like a lifter rapping, after about 10-15 minutes it quiets right down.
Can the lifters be adjusted on a 389. Thanks for any input.

59-Star.....I hope in your description you meant ticking and not the more ominous rapping. Sometimes these old lifters will bleed down while sitting for a while, which causes them to tick at start-up. They usually will quiet down in 10 to 20 seconds though. Often a minor exhaust leak will make a ticking sound that goes away when the engine reaches temperature. I've also heard power steering pumps make ticking sounds occasionally,so you might want to check that.

There is no valve adjustment on factory Pontiac engines. That is what the lifters are supposed to do. Just tighten the nuts on the rocker studs to 25lb.ft......John

CATBIRD.

Yes I am hoping that due to sitting for so long, it is just the lifter ticking. It does have a exhaust leak at the back of the muffler.
The sound does go away after it warms up. When a changed the oil I put 5 quarts of 20W50 Castro and I quart of Lucus. Yesterday poured in a can of Seafoam, to see if would help clear up the ticking, we'll see what happens. I will check the rocker studs. Thanks Again, Ben.