Ticking, What is it?
Ticking, What is it? I took my car out yesterday to go drop off some paperwork. Everything started out like normal, with no problems. By the time I made it to the highway, my car was up to operating temperature and as usual I hit the accelerator hard when I was merging. No problems yet. When I got off of the highway and got into town, I noticed a rather loud ticking when I was at low idle. I was close to where I needed to go, so I babied the car there. I dropped off the paperwork, came back and started up my car. the ticking was still there but much quieter than before. I popped the hood and listened to see where it was coming from. It sounded like top end on the driver's side. I decided the noise was valvetrain and started home. After about 3-5 min. the noise completely went away.
Today I was on my way home and goosed the throttle. when I got off of it, I noticed the damn ticking back again. Just like before, the noise left about 3 minutes later as I was pulling back into my driveway. Any Ideas on what this is. I am thinking it's a bad lifter.
Today I was on my way home and goosed the throttle. when I got off of it, I noticed the damn ticking back again. Just like before, the noise left about 3 minutes later as I was pulling back into my driveway. Any Ideas on what this is. I am thinking it's a bad lifter.
Last edited by ryle; Feb 4, 2009 at 12:48 PM.
You are going to have to pop off the valve covers and use a stethoscope to try and pinpoint the noise. It could be a bad lifter, loose rocker, broken spring, bent pushrod, etc. Try to pinpoint it exactly by inspecting everything and using the stethoscope to pinpoint the noise.
more problems... I popped off the valve covers and now I can see that a small amount of water got in there... didn't look like a lot, but there was some white residue at either end of the valvecovers. It didn't have any type of a coolant smell. started the car with the covers off, and now I have a squeaking that sounds like metal grinding. I don't want to think that it's metal against metal on the bearings. It shouldn't be because I have plenty of oil pressure.
Was oil flying everyhwhere with the VC's off? May just be the belt or a tensioner squeeking. Ticking sounds like what my car does and I know for sure its an exhaust leak.
If you still have AIR hooked up, check for loose connections. Put a wrench on all the header bolts too. See if that helps. Valve clatter, and lifter noise usually dont come and go like that. Not saying it couldnt happen, just that Ive never experianced it.
Prob just hearing it at low rpms because of the lower exhaust volume/ more load at lower RPM cruising?
The white residue may be from condinsation not being sucked up by the PCV system. Check that out as well.
If you still have AIR hooked up, check for loose connections. Put a wrench on all the header bolts too. See if that helps. Valve clatter, and lifter noise usually dont come and go like that. Not saying it couldnt happen, just that Ive never experianced it.
Prob just hearing it at low rpms because of the lower exhaust volume/ more load at lower RPM cruising?
The white residue may be from condinsation not being sucked up by the PCV system. Check that out as well.
^LOL I was afraid of that 
anyway, I am not exactly sure what the ticking was, but I changed my oil back to my 15w40 instead of the 10w30 and it went away. The only issue I'm worried about now is the squeak that I heard with the valve covers off. it was almost like a high pitch grinding. With the covers off it was very loud, I put the covers back on and I can't hear it now. the squeak would come and go about every 5 seconds or so. This is a new problem at least since I installed the RR's about three months ago. I know it's something internal because I can only hear the noise when the valvecovers were off.... that's what is scaring me.
anyway, I am not exactly sure what the ticking was, but I changed my oil back to my 15w40 instead of the 10w30 and it went away. The only issue I'm worried about now is the squeak that I heard with the valve covers off. it was almost like a high pitch grinding. With the covers off it was very loud, I put the covers back on and I can't hear it now. the squeak would come and go about every 5 seconds or so. This is a new problem at least since I installed the RR's about three months ago. I know it's something internal because I can only hear the noise when the valvecovers were off.... that's what is scaring me. 
