WhiteHawk489

I just got home from running my car for the first time. I made 2 passes during which at just over 5500 RPM there was a bit of a ticking noise coming from just above the shifter area. Could this be the valves or tranny issues? The noise was similar to the noise you hear when your tires kick up pebbles and hit your fender wells. Side note i just downloaded the "aggressive" tune from a Preditar tuner. Also I was thinking of getting her dyno tuned, is there anything that they can check without really disecting the car? Thanks for any help! Oh the i ran a 14.010 @ 101.64 (i was shifting around 5700 due to the noise and need tires)

Optimus_Prime

iTrader: (4)

Get rid of the "aggressive" tune. Go back to stock. If you want any kind of tune get a wideband hooked up.

WhiteHawk489

when you say a wideband are you talking about a wideband o2 senser? any recommendations on brand and model? thanks!

Optimus_Prime

iTrader: (4)

Correct. The stock o2's don't take readings nearly fast enough to be accurate. As far as the best brand I don't have any to recommend. Check the tuning section there is a wealth of information there. If you take your car to a dyno shop don't worry about the wideband. They will attach a couple to your car before they tune.

WhiteHawk489

Thanks for the info!

WhiteHawk489

when valves float do you hear them through the firewall or through the tunnel? im going to go back to the stock tune and run it again with that to see if it had anything to do with the tune.

bossz28-1

its has to much timing

itsslow98

iTrader: (18)

Im guessing timing or it was breaking up from running too lean. Set it back to stock and use it to check DTC's. If you want a tune get a mail order from a reputable vendor.

WhiteHawk489

Can I just adjust the tune? I'm gonna go back to the factory tune for now but with the money I spent on the preditor id like to use it. Thanks for the input!

Optimus_Prime

iTrader: (4)

I would let a professional tune the car. The tunes on the predator are super generic. The problem is that whats good for one car might not work as well for another. There is too many factors they don't take into account. If you do adjust the tune keep it on the conservative side.

A couple months ago a guy on my local forum decided he was going to tune his Evo. Two weeks later his engine blew.

MonmouthCtyLS7

iTrader: (6)

Not sure why you bought a 400 dollar predator for a can tune...You would have been much better off spending 1/4 of that and get a mail order here.

WhiteHawk489

went back to the factory tune and still have the noise at high rpm. thinking its something to do with the trans. gonna flush it this week and look for metal shaving. however shifts seem fine and clutch feels good. anything else i can check?

Exeodus

iTrader: (1)

An exhaust leak can also make a ticking sound at high rpm.

Optimus_Prime

iTrader: (4)

If it's an exhaust leak you might also be able to hear/feel it at idle. When I installed my LT's I had a leak off each header because I used the shitty clamps that came with them.

Be sure to check your coolant level too. My friend installed a thermostat and didn't fill it up all the way. You could hear a ticking when he was on it.

WhiteHawk489

Well i drained the trans and shoved a flexible magnet into the drain hole and all that came out was what looked like powdered graphite. im assuming thats normal. unfortunatly a new noise has popped up which is heard at idle. it started about a week later. its a rythmic ticking coming from the driver side. its heard loudest from behind the driverside front wheel. i thought it might be a header leak but i had it checked out a Lincoln Tech by an instructor in the automotive dept (im an HVAC student there and get free auto work)and he says it sounds internal, valves or spun bearing. urgh! when will it end? any suggestions? im gonna start a new thread for this one.

WhiteHawk489

if its a valve issue would i be able to hear it at the tail pipe through the exhaust? i dont hear anything, just wondering. Also it doesnt et any louder if the tailpipes are covered so i dont think its the exhaust. Its really not that loud with the hood popped more underneath the car on the driverside. side note, i recently replaced the plugs/wires and put in a new smog pump gasket on the passenger side, i know those can tap if loose but mine isnt. dont know if that could have caused anything. anyone know if there are any good shops in the D. C. area? help help help!!!

WhiteHawk489

figured ut the new noise, a spark plug was loose and i guess there was some arching. i wouldnt have thought a spark would be that loud. thankfully it isnt internal!!!!! back to the original noise.....

71novaguy

iTrader: (2)

I'm gonna guess its knocking/pinging. That MPH is pretty crappy. I've made a few crappy runs and have yet to run only 101. I shift about 5800 myself.

itsslow98

iTrader: (18)

Where is the cutout placed? could the butterfly on that be loose and rattling?

Next id do is pull off the valve covers and see if a valve spring is cracked.

DukesOfHazard

Freak man, I posted this a long time ago and wasn't paying attention to what thread it was in. I mixed this one up with another 'what's that noise' thread... U already figured it out but this would have helped then

Read this on installuniversity.com about swapping out spark plugs.

Trouble Shooting: After this plug install if you hear a loud ticking sound when the engine is under load then you should check your gaskets between the AIR pipe and exhaust manifold.

Also, if you hear a ticking sound all the time then you probably have a loose spark plug wire boot on the spark plug.