Hey guys, I drive an 86 Trans Am. I swapped the 305 for a 350 4bbl that I pulled from an 86 Blazer. I did not rebuild the engine because, despite the fact that it had not run in years, it started immediately at the turn of the key. Recently, I heard a tick coming from the engine. Or perhaps a click, i dunno really. I've dealt with exhaust leaks coming from the manifold, and they get louder as I accelerate and the engine runs at a higher RPM. This doesn't. This stays loud enough to be heard just barely over the radio and exhaust and is extremely irritating. I took a look under the hood and noticed my power steering belt was loose and beginning to turn itself over, so I put it off as being the belt clicking in some manner. Then the belt shredded today. I lost power steering. And i was extremely, extremely, EXTREMELY disconcerted to hear the tick, going on and on. I looked and looked and cannot find the source. Please tell me it's not a valve clicking, and give me some alternative to check. Or if it cannot be anything but a valve, give it to me straight. Thanks guys

You can tell if it's valvetrain or bottom end by how fast it clicks. Time the number of clicks you get in 10 seconds and multiply by 6. That's clicks per minute. Compare that to RPMs and it will either be going half the engine's speed (valve train), or clicking once per revolution of the rotating assembly (bottom end).

today i took a video of the engine clicking

take a look and tell me what you think

thanks

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKLzW7l2SlA

does the clicking get faster as you rev the engine?

Sounds like a sticky lifter//valve or an exhaust leak in. A hole//crack anywhere on the drivers side exhaust manifold? All bolts tight?
That's about all I know to check.Good luck & post up when you find out!!??

to answer your questions:

yes, the clicking gets faster when i accelerate, but not louder like an exhaust leak

i just repaired an exhaust leak less than a month ago and replaced both gaskets and bolts. with the exhaust leak, it got louder and faster as i revved. this just runs faster.

how would i go about fixing a sticky lifter/valve?

My motor just started doing this as well. I believe it to be a valve, and im pretty upset about that, so, Ill be looking for an answer as well.

drop in some lucas oil treatment ... whatever the bottle reccomends... Its usually allows better lubrication. I did have an old 82 that had the pretty much same set up... It sounds like one of three things... sticky valve (lucas might help) , lifter ( again lucas oil treatment), or an exhaust leak... when you changed out the exhaust manifold gaskets did you heat up the motor to temp and retorque the bolts?... Another thing to look into is headers with dead soft aluminum crush gaskets... thats all I use now and the seal perfect the first time everytime and don't leak period...

by the video it kind of sounds like a spark plug wire arcing. it also sounds like it misses a little too. you can let the engine run in the in the pitch dark and look for a spark plug wire shorting to ground