Help. Engine tick.
Help. Engine tick. I had a fiasco a few months ago when I tried to remove some Comp 1.85 rockers because of a tick (rockers on the car when I bought it). The rocker arm studs were JB Welded into the head and one broke off. I took the head off and had a machine shop remove the stud. The threads weren't the best but the machinist told me to go ahead and put the stock rocker arm bolts in.
The ticking was/is still there after the stock rockers were re-installed. I've put a few thousand miles on it and the tick is driving me nuts. Tonight, I did the "put a long screwdriver on the valve cover" trick and didn't hear anything. I put my screwdriver on the exhaust manifold and sure enough, there was a very loud tick. I'm about 70% sure I have an exhaust leak between the manifold and cat. Do you think I'm hearing an exhaust leak? If not, should I just tear the motor apart and replace the lifters (I've already re-torqued the rockers to 22ft lbs)?
The ticking was/is still there after the stock rockers were re-installed. I've put a few thousand miles on it and the tick is driving me nuts. Tonight, I did the "put a long screwdriver on the valve cover" trick and didn't hear anything. I put my screwdriver on the exhaust manifold and sure enough, there was a very loud tick. I'm about 70% sure I have an exhaust leak between the manifold and cat. Do you think I'm hearing an exhaust leak? If not, should I just tear the motor apart and replace the lifters (I've already re-torqued the rockers to 22ft lbs)?
there is a bulletin to replace the o-ring on the oil pick up for this noise mine does it to
HATE IT! iv never replaced just thr oring i always do the lifters with it because the vehicles i work on are under warranty but after i do the repair the noise is gone but i dont know if it was the lifters or the o-ring i think gm wants the o-ring first cause its cheaper?
HATE IT! iv never replaced just thr oring i always do the lifters with it because the vehicles i work on are under warranty but after i do the repair the noise is gone but i dont know if it was the lifters or the o-ring i think gm wants the o-ring first cause its cheaper?
I have good oil pressure and the tick is only on one side of the car. Why would a tick coming from the front of the only be heard through the manifold (and not the valve cover, intake, etc.)?
Are you sure the rocker stud was sealed up, and replaced with the right geometry? If so, you might try using a little thread sealer on the rocker to hold it in place.
We were having a problem with my car getting some nasty valvetrain noise. We rechecked the valvetrain 3-4 times, and everything checked out just how it should of been. The last time it was put together, we used a little thread sealer on it and it was 10x better. I'm not saying this will fix your problem, but it's something else you could try.
We were having a problem with my car getting some nasty valvetrain noise. We rechecked the valvetrain 3-4 times, and everything checked out just how it should of been. The last time it was put together, we used a little thread sealer on it and it was 10x better. I'm not saying this will fix your problem, but it's something else you could try.
Originally Posted by SMOKINV8
Are you sure the rocker stud was sealed up, and replaced with the right geometry? If so, you might try using a little thread sealer on the rocker to hold it in place.
We were having a problem with my car getting some nasty valvetrain noise. We rechecked the valvetrain 3-4 times, and everything checked out just how it should of been. The last time it was put together, we used a little thread sealer on it and it was 10x better. I'm not saying this will fix your problem, but it's something else you could try.
We were having a problem with my car getting some nasty valvetrain noise. We rechecked the valvetrain 3-4 times, and everything checked out just how it should of been. The last time it was put together, we used a little thread sealer on it and it was 10x better. I'm not saying this will fix your problem, but it's something else you could try.
You shouldn't need a screwdriver to tell if you have an exhaust leak or not. If it's a leak by the header gasket, you'll see black marks near the primary either above or below it. If it's on down the header, you should be able to get it up on a lift and isolate it.
Got a video of the sound it's making? That might help us help you.
Got a video of the sound it's making? That might help us help you.
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I agree that I don't need a screwdriver. I think I actually have two ticks. I asked the question... can an exhaust leak be heard through the long screwdriver to try to determine if I have 1 or 2 different ticks. If you can hear an exhaust leak through a screwdriver, I'll probably just wait for headers (stock manifolds currently). If you can't, then I'll pull the valvetrain apart again. I'll go take video now.
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The video is hard to see and hard to hear so it might have been a wasted effort. I can hear the tick in the video but it's very faint. In person, it's obnoxious.
Since it's hard to hear, here is a timeline of it....
Video starts with me in the driver's seat. I got out and put the camcorder on the ground behind the front tire. Then I popped the hood and put the camcorder on the right side of the engine bay, then the left.
The ticking is loudest behind the driver's rear tire and above the driver's valvecover/manifold. Like I said, it can be heard if you put a screwdriver on the driver's exhaust manifold but NOT the valvecover.
TIA.
http://www.gysoms.com/tech/tick.wmv
The video is hard to see and hard to hear so it might have been a wasted effort. I can hear the tick in the video but it's very faint. In person, it's obnoxious.
Since it's hard to hear, here is a timeline of it....
Video starts with me in the driver's seat. I got out and put the camcorder on the ground behind the front tire. Then I popped the hood and put the camcorder on the right side of the engine bay, then the left.
The ticking is loudest behind the driver's rear tire and above the driver's valvecover/manifold. Like I said, it can be heard if you put a screwdriver on the driver's exhaust manifold but NOT the valvecover.
TIA.
http://www.gysoms.com/tech/tick.wmv
I seem to have a similar noise, although I don't know if it's a problem. I can hear the ticking in your video. My ticking only comes from the driver side, primarily from the wheel-well area. No ticking on the passenger side. Originally thought it may be a catalytic converter going bad, but I haven't replaced it yet. I do still have AIR - maybe I need to replace those AIR valve restrictor plates.
What part of the valvetrain are you using thread sealer on to quiet it down? This built block is a noisey biatch.
What part of the valvetrain are you using thread sealer on to quiet it down? This built block is a noisey biatch.
On The Tree
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: NH
I also have a similar Ticking sound but mine didn't start until the car hit a curb and I damaged just about all of the passenger side suspension components. I am also trying to figure out what it is. What do you have for a catted y-pipe? I know a guy with QTP catted y-pipe and both of his cats went bad within 6 weeks of the install. I haven't brought my car to him to see if the sound of mine is the same as his. The only thing I don't understand is if its a bad cat, why am I hearing something under the hood. Its a distinct ticking under the hood, but it almost sounds like an exhaust leak if I lay ion the ground to listen to it. 
I really don't think you could hear an exhaust leak through a screwdriver. The noise that's made isn't coming from inside the manifold, it's made by the air as it passes through that small gap.
I would lean toward a bent pushrod or a bad lifter if the tick is pretty bad. It was hard to hear over the background noise.
I would lean toward a bent pushrod or a bad lifter if the tick is pretty bad. It was hard to hear over the background noise.
Originally Posted by SMOKINV8
I really don't think you could hear an exhaust leak through a screwdriver. The noise that's made isn't coming from inside the manifold, it's made by the air as it passes through that small gap.
I would lean toward a bent pushrod or a bad lifter if the tick is pretty bad. It was hard to hear over the background noise.
I would lean toward a bent pushrod or a bad lifter if the tick is pretty bad. It was hard to hear over the background noise.
I've tried two sets of pushrods. I'll pull that head off and replace the lifters. Should have done that when I had the head off last time.
