Scheister

i never drove the car before i had worked on it so i dont know how long the car has had this tick. not too long ago i had my 416 heads ported, polished, valve job and rebuilt profesionally. everything was new except the valves. at the same time i got a new comp cams cam and lifters. after getting everything reinstalled i had an exhaust leak that i left alone for a little while. well after i fixed that i could hear a tick in the cabin of the car. i dont hear the tick at idle, and i cant quite tell where its coming from while im in the car. i only hear it under acceleration hot or cold. while under the hook i can hear what i think is the injectors ticking (and they seam sorta loud) but thats its, even when i rev it. today i readjusted valve lash and took it for a drive. the tick was still there. i can only hear it with the windows up and the radio off though. if im at full throttle with the windows up i can hear it to a certain point until i think the motor drowns it out or it goes away. windows open i cant hear for the wind. and if im not accelerating i dont hear it. what could it be? are the injectors that loud? i wouldnt think so unless something was wrong. help please!

edit: oh and the car runs great other wise

redbird_400

I have the same issue, if its not an exhaust tick and you took care of the valve lash my guess is a failing hydraulic lifter or worn cam lobe. But, thats just my guess. Oh yea, there was someone else here with a problem like this. His issue was that the nut was coming loose, new nut/issue resolved.

Damon

If it gets worse under load it's an exhaust leak. If it's a definite individual tick it's right near an exhaust port (header gasket or similar). Stick you head under the hood and listen for it getting worse as a friend loads up the engine against the torque converter in gear a little with the brakes on HARD.

If it's pretty constant regardless of engine load then yes, it could be valvetrain or an injector or.....

SaintedCorrupt

I've had bad injectors before, but never loud enough to hear in the cabin. And those were huge ~60lb/hr tbi injectors on a 454.

if youve eliminated exhaust leak, i'd tend to agree with redbird on the hydraulic lifer on its way out.

also check all your external moving parts for clearance issues. a belt frayed and slapping, something brushing up against the clutch fan, etc.

Scheister

well ive checked the belts and i dont have a clutch fan, its an efan. im leaning more toward an exhaust leak because i replaced all the lifters with new compcams ones when i switched my cam about 3000 miles ago. plus i dont hear the ticking at idle. i guess ill just wait till either a bigger problem arises or i get headers to figure out what it is.

91redz28

is you car a tpi car, if so your fuel injectors are the clicking sound. they are notorious for that clicking sound. this doesnt mean they are bad injectors, that the sound they make in perfect werkin order.

SaintedCorrupt

i know you can hear them with the hood open, but being heard inside the car? those are some pretty loud injectors. then again, i've been told that the whole bank fires at the same time.

what you should do is get an automotive stethascope. it looks just the the ones the docs use, but with a metal rod in the end. walk around your engine poking stuff (no moving parts!! personal experience=ouchie) and listening. that thing is one of the best diagnostic tools i own.

1meanGTA

i had the same type of tick, but it was just a blown out header gasket.