austin1224

iTrader: (1)

So my car has started to make an interesting ticking/clattering type sound in the last week. It sounds like its coming from the drivers side area, more closely to the center from the inside of the car, and under the hood it's hard to tell, but sounds closer to the firewall drivers side than anything. I've done a ton of searching and listening to YouTube videos to try and answer as well. I'm assuming that a lifter and an exhaust leak sound fairly similar to the untrained ear.

This is my noise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdeCx...ature=youtu.be

but it only makes this noise (from what I can hear) from about 1800 RPM up until about 3500 RPM. After that it's hard to distinguish. I thought it was an exhaust leak because when I sit at a stoplight for more than 20 seconds or so, I can smell exhaust quite strongly. I inspected for soot in the engine bay and underneath, and I've found some around small pinhole leaks from the idiot exhaust guy I went to , however the noise is quite loud and I don't think those could be causing it. The car does have Pacesetter LT's and a TSP ORY on it now, and have been on there for about 6 months or so. There was what I thought was soot around my header on the rear drivers side, so I tightened them up on both sides (they weren't very loose) and thought that would solve my issue. It didn't.

The noise is apparent when the engine is cold, and gets louder as the car gets warmer. It's not piston slap, I've had that since I got the car.

I have the original GM MLS gaskets for my headers; would the first place to start be replacing those? Or maybe an oil change to see if it's related to the valvetrain? Anyone have any advice on where this exhaust leak might be, if it exists?

VandykeT/A

I had a similar problem with my car. I thought I had bent pushrod from the cam and them being stock. It turned out to be a exhaust leak. More than likely if there was soot then it has an exhaust leak. I honestly can't tell anything at all from the video I'm internet noise illiterate but I have had trouble using the mls gaskets with older headers. It seems that a older header will sometimes pit on the flanges giving the leak and a mls gasket won't absorb into the little imperfections. I've had it happen on 2 different cars. I would try pulling the header and looking for pits and if there are any try flat filing them smooth and using some stock replacement felpro gaskets. They're the grey cardboard type material. It fixed mine hopefully its nothing internal for you. Good luck.

thegodfather899

iTrader: (1)

i had this same problem too a few months back. thought it was something big but when i looked at the gasket, it was cracked...fixed the gasket and that fixed the problem. If you dont have mechanics stethoscope, take a long tube touch around where you think the sound is coming from. you should be able to find where the sound is coming from.

astro11271984

iTrader: (5)

Did you use the gaskets that came with the headers that are made of paper or reuse the old gaskets?

austin1224

iTrader: (1)

I reused my stock gaskets after hearing about people getting exhaust leaks with the aftermarket gaskets. Thanks for the advice guys, I think I'm gonna go ahead and order some GM MLS gaskets and replace them.

94'BLKBRD

iTrader: (76)

What about where the header/ory connect? Have you checked there?

My headers/tsp td's leaked from there.

austin1224

iTrader: (1)

I checked there, put on new gaskets, I tightened up everything exhaust wise, and the tick is still there. I changed the oil today and it almost seemed like it got worse. The noise sounds like it's coming from the center of the engine, but more towards the drivers side. I'm going to pull off the valve covers and check to see if everything is tight. I just didn't think a lifter would only make noise when the car was warmed up and only between certain RPMs...

austin1224

iTrader: (1)

So I pulled off the drivers side valve cover, everything looked fine, took off the rockers, pulled the pushrods. None of them were bent, put everything back together and torqued 'em down. Obviously the noise was still there.

I also took out my plugs, and saw one of them looked like it had some exhaust stains coming from around one part of it. I put them all back in and made sure to get them tight (but not overly tight).

The noise is definitely just as loud underneath the car, and I can hear some weird noise that almost rattles and clicks and taps randomly at idle. I think this noise turns into the noise I've been hearing once the car gets RPM's. From up top the noise doesn't exist at idle. Only after its been given throttle, and after about 1400-1500 RPM can it be heard. I've been thinking about taking it to a mechanic, but I don't want to drop a load of cash for them to do what I would do and it still not fix the issue, then have to drop more cash.

Any ideas? Suggestions what to try/look for? Would I be able to feel an exhaust leak from the headers?

anthony.fatica

iTrader: (10)

Bringing this back to see if you found your problem and what it was? Im in the same situation...