Here's the problem:

I was out cruizing tonight and about an hour into it, I start hearing this really loud ticking sound, I didn't even think it was my car. I pulled off into the nearest parking lot to see if I could figure out where it was coming from. I checked to see if it was a spark plug wire shorting out, but I did not see any sparking from a wire at all, then for some reason the ticking stopped...or so I thought. I got back on the road and then about 3 minutes later the ticking came back, so I kept on driving around to collect as much data as I could.

Symptoms:

Loud ticking sound that changes with engine RPMs

The voltmeter seemed to be reading a tad low, but it was night, so it could just be normal. I've only had the car on the road for a week now after installing a new 700R4.

It did seem to get much louder when I crawled under the passenger side of the car.



My diagnosis so far:

I know it's not a spark plug wire b/c there was no sparking and the car seemed to be runnin just fine.

I thought it could be the flywheel inspection cover hitting the flywheel, I propped the car up on a curb, played with the cover, and that was not it, if I pushed it into the flywheel, it would start grinding.

I thought it could be a lifter, so I got out my long screwdriver and stethescoped the valve covers. They didn't make any extra loud ticking noises, so that's not it.

The injectors didn't make any extra loud ticking noises, so that's not it.

The fuel pressure was fine, so it's not the regulator.

I even stethescoped the flywheel inspection cover and tranny pan with no avail.

I didn't notice the hiss of a vacuum leak.

I was thinking that it could be the starter not disengaging, but I don't think that would make a loud ticking sound.

I'm stumped.

Thanks for your help,
Jesse

 

EXHAUST LEAK?

 

I don't think it's an exhast leak, I have one coming from the passenger side stock exhaust manifold, but I can't even hear it over this new ticking. The "old" exhaust leak was a very quiet popping sound. This is just rediculously loud.

I read some posts and think it could possibly be a cracked flywheel. The thought of that just scares me. I refuse to pull my tranny again after the ordeal we went through to get it in.

-Jesse

 

Two words... Exhaust Leak. Thats about the only thing you didnt mention, and you said it sounded louder on the passenger side so... thats my guess.

And you would most certainly know if the starter wasnt disengaging, it sounds like the most awful thing you have ever heard.

 

I'm praying that it's an exhaust leak. It would actually give me an excuse to get headers, and I could still drive the car.

How would I check to see if the new ticking is a larger exhaust leak? Could I take it to an exhaust shop and have them tell me?

 

Just tighten up the header bolts and see if it goes away any. You may just need some new gaskets, but while youre at it, swap in some real headers.

 

The stock exhaust manifolds do not come with gaskets, the are just a machined edge on the manifold. The bolts have a "anti loosening" clip on them, but I can go ahead and try to tighten them and see if it will do any good.

I'm going to check the spark plugs and make sure they are all tight as well.

-Jesse

 

Are you serious? All my years I have never heard of that. Wow, I guess you learn something new every day. But, I know that header bolts will expand and contract, even if its a tiny bit, due to the extreme heat caused by the headers, and I thought thats why we had gaskets, but I am No Expert.

Hopefully someone will give us a heads up. Vader, anyone...

 

I read that on the board, then when I did my friends headers on his 91, that's exactly what we found: no gaskets.

I went outside again just to listen again.

Ugh, it's really loud from under the car and towards the engine bay. It's worse from the rear wheel than the front wheel (or so it seemed). It's also now starting to sound like a banging sound.

All of that leads to a cracked flywheel in my book. Excuse me while I puke.

-Jesse

 

With the engine off, you can get under the car and take off the dust cover to look and see if there's a visible crack in the flywheel. Have a friend turn the engine by hand or bump it with the starter to turn it and see different parts of it, or you could try feeling it with your hand.

 

Alright, give some more info on your car. Year? Tranny? Motor? other than 305 TBI, like mods and such. Then lets go from there.

OK, I need some reading glasses. I see its a 700, just make sure the torque converter bolts are tightened to specs and not loose. And still check for exhaust leaks.

 

i had the same prob dude...... i had a ticking that sounded just like a lifter..... i adjusted the valves about 10 times until everyone agreed that i should try when it's running....

well i did and that tick was still there... i said well i might just need to get a few miles on her.. so i adjusted the timing and 10 sec late it made the most awful grinding hissing sound i ever heard... i thought it might have been the dist gear getting chewed up... will i yanked the dist and it was fine, so i knew it had to be a bearing......

sure enough there was burrs inside the crank that scat didn't get out and it eat a few mains and rods up......

it never had a sloid knock, but a loud tap........ just like a lifter!

i hope that it's just a flywheel crack, cause man it sucks paying to redo a bottomend than it does paying for a new flywheel

 

dunno if you did they yet or not but just like you did checking for a lifter sound go along the top of the manifolds and see if the sound is coming from there

 

Well, I just got back in.

I went to go see my buddy that spun a bearing. He said that sounded just like when he spun his bearing.

I also took it to the shop where I worked and he said it's not anything little (lifter, leak..blah blah blah). I'm going to go down and check and look at the flywheel and see if there are any marks on it, or if it's cracked. He did say the starter could not be disengaging properly, but I can only keep my fingers crossed on that one.

305 TPI mods are at my webpage. Link is in my sig.

-Jesse

 

Yep, there's no gaskets between my mutiport injected v6's exhaust manifolds and heads, either.

 

HOLD ON A SEC.
Did you remove the serpentine belt and start it up (just for a few seconds!!!) to see if the sound is still there??
I did this and my loud ticking sound ended up being the bearings in the AIR PUMP!!!!

Try it and let us know

 

The flywheel is cracked.


-Jesse

 

That sucks. I kinda suspected that myself. If it really had been the starter...ohoho man. You would swear a live cat was in your engine block

 

The new tranny and flexplate are schduled to go in sometime in the next couple of weeks.

I believe the flexplate and TC wobbling fried the tranny

Maybe this time I'll have the car on the road longer than 10 days.

-Jesse

 

Could be EGR Gasket is blown out