Evil Eric

iTrader: (3)

My guess would be the lifters. Did you replace the stock ones with new stock replacements?

SOMbitch

iTrader: (8)

You can't really diagnose something like this from a vid but that is my GUESS too. Doesn't sound like a lifter to me at all. Put it in the air and listen from the bottom.......

mvrotc

iTrader: (4)

its odd that only me and you seem to think that though

Tony Mamo @ AFR

iTrader: (13)

Im going to take a deep breath....LOL

You can only see the TOP of the valves.....what Im concerned is the head of the valve is bent after it potentially collided with your piston when you hit the rev limiter.

This is all hypothetical (a guess on my part) but a bent valve would make noise and it would cause the engine to run rough.

Get a buddy and a leakdown gauge and spend an hour to check it out. That will also let you know the shape and condition of your shortblock anyway which isnt a bad thing and it will alert you immediately to my hypothetical situation (when you see a really crappy leak number and here all the air escaping into your intake manifold or header).

If you do have a bent valve and keep running it the head will eventually break off and you will be bigtime SOL then and have a worthless pile of alumunum and steel under your hood. Maybe you could re-use the intake at that point....dropped valves are not pretty.

-Tony

laughatrice

iTrader: (12)

Yea but your guessing do the tests suggested then you'll have at least ruled some stuff out.

redws618

iTrader: (2)

Don't know abut the sputter but I just installed a cam and it blew the header gasket to ****, tickng was so bad I thought it was something else, changed it and was fine.

SOMbitch

iTrader: (8)

Tony is right as usual. Do a leakdown before you give up on it... I guess with my luck sometimes I am used to assuming the worst....

GOOD LUCK and post up the verdict....

mvrotc

iTrader: (4)

do you have a link to a guide to doing a leakdown test and what to look for that would identify a bent valve and what would distinguish it from a problem with the bottom end?

laughatrice

iTrader: (12)

Search this site for "leakdown test" guide or search google. I would suggest doing a cranking compression test prior to the leakdown search this site for how to do that as well. Youtube has tons of video on how to do this.

When you do the compression test it will identify any problem cylinders it will not isolate the problem. The compression test is done by attaching a PSI gauge with a one way valve to the spark plug hole and cranking the engine with the starter the gauge gives you a value and you compare each cylinder to other cylinders looking for consistency. You can buy one of these at any tool or autoparts store for pretty cheap.

A leakdown test requires an air compressor and the leakdown guage. With the engine positioned (or rockers removed) so both valves are closed you compress the cylinder with air from your compressor you have two psi gauges one with the PSI you're putting into the leakdown tool and one with the PSI the tool is measuring from the cylinder. This shows how much PSI the cylinder is "leaking" you always get leakdown around the piston rings thats normal like 5% or something. What you don't want is any leaking around the exhaust, intake valves, or head gasket. You can listen in the exhaust for air leaking there in the intake for air leaking there or in the radiator cap for bubbles indicating leakage from the head gasket. This will tell you your problem if there is a lot of leakage from the dipstick you have a piston/ring issue. Anything other than that like a spun bearing will not be diagnosed by a leakdown or compression test. You can buy the leakdown tool for cheap I got mine at harbor freight for $20.

-DLS-

keep us updated.

It doesn't take much to pull the valves and inspect the springs, push rods, or rockers.

Also doesn't take much to drop the oil pan and look at the crank.

But probably before poking around, a compression test should help narrow down the search.

Could also be stupid stuff like exhaust leaks. Some other users on here have also narrowed down valvetrain ticking to a bad seal on the oil pump creating air bubbles in the driver side cylinder and which made that part of the valvetrain tick.

It's best to look for problems now instead of driving and creating more damage.

Q8-TECH

take a look at your oil it sounds like a bearing i recall doing an engine with the same sound,and it was a rod bearing

99_pewterZ_A4

iTrader: (1)

Is this car an A4?... I had a similar sound that I swore was coming from my engine... Ended up being the converter and front pump in the tranny!!! I was like WTF lol..

BanditDave

iTrader: (11)

Funny you say that, because I have a weird "clanking" noise that I was originally thinking was coming from the driver's side header area but the car ran beautifully...but when I leaned over the car further I began to think it was coming from the BACK of the motor in the converter area. Supposedly the Tranny I got was rebuilt from the place I got it from...

Wonder if that is my problem??!?!! Gah!!! So many potential places for problems...haha

SOMbitch

iTrader: (8)

Yeah a flexplate can make noise for sure.

Here is an easy read about a leakdown test>>> http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles...ter/index.html