My car is all stock internals and has about 96,000 miles on it. Maybe a month or 2 ago i started to hear what I was pretty sure is a valve train noise. Basically on deceleration, there is a loud ticking from under the driver's side valve cover that sounds like a component of the engine cannot slow down as fast it should be. The car is not a DD, but i drove it the other day and now it does the same thing on when at constant throttle/revs and it has more of a squeaking as is makes the ticking noise as well.

I pulled the valve cover and nothing looks wrong. The rocker on the 4th valve from the front (so on cylinder 3) has no play at all in it, while the other 7 do have a small amount of play.

I know its hard to say without hearing/seeing it but I was thinking it might be a lifter and would like any input about what is might be. Thanks in advance for your help.

 

I would adjust the valve lash on all the valves (both sides), and go from there. Here is a good write up on doing just that. http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#adjust_valves
If your not comfortable with doing it yourself, find a performance shop or shop that deals with engines on a regular basis. I wouldn't expect them to charge more than $100

 

I had those same rims on my formula.. I would check for exhaust leaks firs of all, which sometimes can sound like engine noise.

 

Thanks for the help so far guys, its definitely not an exhaust noise. If the hood is popped you can clearly hear the knock coming from under the driver's side valve cover and not from the header. Any more ideas?

 

I had the same issue my ticking noise was very loud i thought it was my lifters come to fing out my headers i installed from pacesetter came loose the bolts some how managed to come loose ant the gap between header and heads alowed exhuast to excape from the sides burning my gasket the noise went away when i tightened the bolts so i took of the headers and replaced the gasket and the loud noise dissapeared.

 

When i poped my hood i can clearly hear from the driver side also thats where mine all started. An exhuast leak through the header or manifold to the heads will make your car sould like a loud lifter going bad or a rod going literally sounds like that.

 

Yeah, check to make sure your header gaskets are good. I thought I had something going wrong in the valve train, but it just turned out to be a blown header gasket.

 

I thought i had a bad lifter a couple months ago and it turned out to be a header gasket blown.. good luck i hope thats all it is for u too!

 

Thanks for the responses guys. I have had a bad gasket on that side before and it sounded nothing like this did, but you were right. I checked the header bolts just to be sure and 3 of them were loose. Tightened them down and noise is gone! Thanks again guys