ive had a tick since i bought this car.. ive heard that if it ticks on idle then its a valve tap.. if it gets louder under stress then its exhaust... well the car ticks and sounds like a motorcycle at idle.. and it gets louder under stress..i hope to god this is an exhaust leak.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTmaQ1XBASk about fifteen seconds into this video is exactly how mine sounded when a header bolt was loose.

Lifters sound like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLV7NdtZ5J0 and dont get louder, just faster.

 

sounds like both to me... http://www.youtube.com/user/ChubbyLo...-d9MRvI----its 3 quarters of the way through when i run the motor

check the camaro videos. thts mine

 

Check for loose manifold/header bolts. Mine were the last two on the drivers side. Fixed

 

what are the realistic (99% chance will actually happen because you have the money) plans for the car over the next 6 months?

If nothing, then fix your exhaust leak and just run heavier motor oil until the engine gives up the ghost.

If you have plans to replace, then do nothing other than run heavier oil.

Honestly, I don't know if I would even bother fixing the exhaust leak. Unless you are prepared to possibly replace a lot of piping, you might be dealing with severe rot/rust so why disturb it.

 

just put headers and duals on it, thats what i did. i figure later when i go to a larger displacement motor (350 from the boat anchor 305) everything i need from the 305 will bolt up. one great reason to love chevys, they make alot of things universal.

 

Going along with torqueisgood's last statement, somebody a couple weeks ago had this problem, tried tightening the bolts, being original and rusty, one broke. So its possible you might want to leave it be for now, because a bolt thats a little loose yet still there holding the manifold on is better than either having no bolt there, or having to completely remove the y pipe and manifold so you can extract a broken bolt and replace them all. Unless you wouldnt mind all that work.

 

took it to a place.. couple bolts r broken on each side

 

the piping on the car is rather knew(no rust) got it like that. the only rusted area is the flange n the pipes going to the manifold n the manifolds themselves. have a set of pacesetters in the trunk...

 

im no expert on reciprocating engines as i work on turbines, but ive had a few cars with lifter problems and this is how i have always determined the difference between an exhaust leak and a lifter tick-

get the engine started and let the idle normalize, dont let it warm all the way up tho, move the throttle by hand a little at a time, if the "tick" goes away after 1200-1700 rpms chances are the increase in oil pressure is forcing some into the valves lifter, and it is a lifter problem, if the tick persists with engine speed chances are it is an exhaust leak

 

then its deff an exhaust leak

 

my 89 camaro had a small exhaust leak at the collector (where the header joins the exhaust pipe, should be 3 bolts) easy way to determine if it is leaking there is to put a peice of paper down by it and see if it "flutters" arouns from leaking exhaust (dont leave it to long or get to close unless you want some fire tho :P)