GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

Hi all - yesterday I started noticing a strange ticking that seems to happen at low load between 2300 and 2700 rpm coming from the drivers side. Dosnt matter if the motor is reving up or reving down. However it is dependant on the load. Too low a load and it dosnt make the noise, too high and it also dosnt make the noise. But normal driving as I get past 2300 or so, i hear 5 or 6 rhythmic ticks over the course of a second. I though it might have been my true duals tapping, but i tightened everything and it all looks okay. I also shimmed them with the heaterhose. No good. I though it might be an exhaust leak, but the noise is only there throughout that rpm range, and it goes away if im on the gas. Also, if I time it right and clutch in, the noise persists. I also though it might have been ping at low airflow since ive been playing with my tune lately, but i put in an older richer tune and its still there. sounds mechanical, but so strange that it only occurs at a certain rpm range. Maybe I should check my rockers? The engine idles fine, but im real scared it might be something bad internally. Maybe its time for new lifters? Oil is at the proper level filled with GC. Any ideas?

RPO_Z06

iTrader: (11)

Check your rocker arms, thats what happens when you loose needle bearings in one.

WS6FirebirdTA00

iTrader: (33)

its not knocking is it? or possibly noise from the exhaust flow through the headers? is it somethign that just started or that may have been happening and you just noticed it?

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

Well that would be nice if its that easy a fix.

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

definately a new noise within the last few days. Nothing out of the ordinary to make me thing its be a spun bearing, plus I cant hear it at idle. I really though it was the true duals banging around, but im pretty sure its not that. I also sont think its just exhaust flow. I can clearly hear what sounds like tapping a coin against sheetmetal when i drive next to a wall. but the rpm range really baffles me. Ill have to rip into her tomorrow.

jermzz

iTrader: (18)

Check your headers, under load one side might be slightly tapping the K-member at the right rpm. Seen this before, if so, use a crowbar or something to pry it away.

oange ss

iTrader: (50)

i got the same thing goin on

WS6FirebirdTA00

iTrader: (33)

try to have someone drive your car by you, or have someone listen as you go by and maybe tell where it could be comming from and if it is on one side or both sides. might help narrow it down haha

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

well, its not the rockers. Pulled the valve covers and the rockers are all fine and all have their needle bearings intact. Also the plugs look fine. I did notice a couple of intake bolts were a little less snug than id like, so i was wondering if air was coming in and causing ping, but i havnt seen any KR in my logs. Also, the header has a good 1/4 inch clearance away from the k member.

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

fairly certain its lifter tick. When i cold started it i was able to reproduce the ticking at lower rpm by thumbing the throttle. Sounded like it was coming from the drivers side of the top of the motor, at half engine speed. Sounds like a sharp metallic ping of tick, much like the ticking your car makes after you turn it off, but louder and rhythmic. Im gonna try changing the oil from GC to amsoil 5w40 and see if it affects it in any way. Should I try some of the lifter medic stuff?

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

well, i tried some CDC oil cleaner that frees stuck lifters, and now the tick seems to be quieter, but i can also hear it slightly at idle. The weird part is the pattern:

I hear groups of 5 or 6 ticks, and about 2.5 Hz (2.5 ticks per second) and after that grouping, the tick disappears for about 5-7 seconds. Then I get another grouping of 5 or 6 ticks. Strange, isnt it?

I can definately hear a sharp tick from the top of the motor, but I also hear it from the bottom, although duller.

What would cause this odd pattern?

jay_99z

iTrader: (5)

Sounds exactly like my friends ride. We are thinking lifters too. Pulled all valve springs (dual) last weekend. They were all good as well as the rockers. No metal in the oil (from bearings). Compression tested good.

We plan on swapping out lifters soon. Guessing that the lifters didn't like the dual springs????

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

Here's the carnage from under the drivers side head...

http://www.ihearyou.com/~tony/lifters/lifters-001.jpg
http://www.ihearyou.com/~tony/lifters/lifters-002.jpg
http://www.ihearyou.com/~tony/lifters/lifters-003.jpg

I dont know if the cam is fucked yet. It dosnt look too bad, but I cant see the nose of the lobes yet.

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

And here's the nose of the cam lobe through the lifter bore. The picture makes it look worse than it is. I dont know if I should chance running the cam again, although I hate to think that I just bought this cam less than 10K miles ago, and I have to buy another.

http://www.ihearyou.com/~tony/lifters/lifters-005.jpg

ShevrolayZ28

iTrader: (4)

Very interesting. My car does some click-click-clack sort of stuff when it's cold but after a few minutes as the PCM passes through it's cold start sequence, I hear the engine speed change and the noises almost completely go away. I wonder....

My car is under warranty and is all stock. I asked the dealer to look into the ticking and they replaced the o-ring on my oil pick-up but it still ticks when the engine is cold. They said I should just live with the ticking and that if they attempted a to repair it there's a chance it wouldn't be covered by warranty. Bastards!

Anyways, sorry to semi-hijack your thread.

Tony, how many of the lifters look like that? And please let us know how the cam looks.

ShevrolayZ28

iTrader: (4)

Sorry to say but I wouldn't use that cam again. From past experience if there is any visible damage to the cam lobe it is best, if not mandatory, that it's replaced.

oange ss

iTrader: (50)

that sux

BlackHawk T/A

iTrader: (3)

How did it get chewed up like that?

I have a very similar sound going on. Only happens at certain RPMs while driving, especially when I let off the gas and the engine revs down - clickclickclickclick then stops, or at least becomes inaudible. I thought it may be an exhaust leak because the sound seems to come out the bottom of the car and isn't nearly as audible from the engine bay but it's really hard to tell for sure. Car drives normal and has no loss of power though.

Started after my oil change...to a very good synthetic...

I'll see if my new exhaust fixes it, if not, then a cam swap definetely should...

Michael02hawk

iTrader: (26)

I had a wierd ticking sound too, suddenly appear one day.

I was eventually able to get rid of it completely, when I removed the AIR system.

Before I removed it, I did try and swap out both Check Valves, they they were okay, and the news one didnt seem to help at all.

GuitsBoy

iTrader: (4)

LOL, I havnt had an AIR system for a couple of years, but thanks anyway. The latest updates are a couple posts up ^^^

Thanks for trying to help out though.