I have recently started to hear a tick comming from the top end of my 3.1. After doing a search most have said either stick injectors, loose rockers, collapsed lifters, or exhaust leak. I personally don't think it's an exhaust leak because I just had one fixed and this tick sounds different.

I also seem to have a miss. Would injectors, rockers, and lifters all cause a miss. I'm try to narrow the possibilities as to what it could be.

 

i'd bet on exhaust leak followed by lifter then rocker. i'd bet it isn't a lifter

 

The thing is...I just had an exhaust leak fixed. The tick that it made was very distinct. It didn't sound the same as this tick that I have now.

 

I have also been having some idle problems with rpms surging and stalling. I'm not sure but I wouldnt think an exhaust leak would cause that. I know injectors would but could rockers or lifters cause this also?

 

when the injectors are clean they are supposed to make a ticking noise.

Matt

 

I had the same problem about a week ago untill the engine decided to die but thats another story. Is the sound coming from near the distributer under the plenum? Mine was REALLY loud, not an exhaust leak. I could hear it all the way up to about 2700 rpm untill the exhaust note drowned it out.

 

I know that clean injectors tick but should I be able to hear the tick with the hood closed, sitting in the driver seat with the window down?

Would loose rockers or collapsed lifters cause my car to bog down and stall?

 

My injectors are flow matched and cleaned and I don't hear a tick... atleast I can't hear them over the rockers, which I can BARELY hear inside the car with the windows down.

 

Every car I've ever owned has made the noise before I've cleaned the injectors, and have been louder after they have been cleaned. It's the sound of the little valve inside opening and closing I think. I know it's the injectors because you can isolate the noise with a stethescope. Just my experience

Matt

 

The question that I still need answered is would loose rocker or collapsed lifter cause my car to surge and stall?

 

anyone?

 

Yesterday on my way to work my SES light came on. When I got to work I pulled my codes and got the usual 12 along with code 45 (oxygen sensor rich). I am hoping that this code helps eliminate some possibilities and narrow down my troubleshooting. Anyone have any ideas as to what to be looking for now?

 

Your O2 sensor went bad. Or the grounds on the back of the engine on the passenger side are loose.

The ticking may be from a spark plug wire or boot that is arching to ground.

RBob.

 

O2 sensor is brand about 2 weeks old and the plug wires are not very old either.

 

Yes you could surge and stall out from a loose rocker or collapsed lifter, not all that likely, but it could happen. It could also cause your o2 sensor to get a false rich and trigger the ses. That cylinder could be dumping raw fuel into the exhaust, causing a false rich reading, causing the ecm to lean out the mixture, etc. I've seen it happen, but it's kind've a long shot, lot of things have to go wrong in the right way for it to happen.
First thing to do would be to get an automotive stethcope or use the old screwdriver trick to pinpoint the noise.

 

If it helps any I've noticed that my exhaust doesn't sound like it usually did.

 

Okay I figured out what the wierd exhaust is. This morning I fired up my car and looked at the muffler. There was smoke (or whatever it is when it's cold out) coming from a hole in my pipe connecting the cat converter to the muffler. That should effect performance...?

Anywho, I'm going to taking my car to the garage tomorrow to have them test and clean my fuel injectors which I doubt has ever been done before. There is probably crud built up on them all since the original owner let it sit for a long time.

Even if that doesn't fix my surging problems I figure it is something that would be good to do since it's probably never been done before.

 

One quick question...

I suspect that my surging problem is a result of bad injector(s). When the car does surge the rpms not only bounce but the volts do too. Does this sound like a resistance problem, clogged injector, or fuel pressure regulator.

It's always done it but I never thought anything of it. I was going to have all of my injectors sent away to be cleaned at Cruzin because I thought they were clogged but now I think that maybe the resistance or something electrical with the injectors is to blame since the volts fluctuate with the rpms. What do you think?

 

anyone?

 

Can someone tell me if my volts are fluctuating with the rpms because of an injector with bad resistence?

Would they fluctuate if the resistance were good and the injector(s) were clogged?

 

I had a surging rpm problem with my 92 firebird 3.1 After a long and exhaustive search in which I replaced my map sensor, O2 sensor, cap, rotor, plugs, wires, pick-up coil and coil. I still had the problem. While I was replacing the pick-up coil, I noticed that the round magnet on the distibutor shaft below the armature was cracked. The problem is that the magnet is pressed on the shaft and the whole shaft needs replaced. After I replaced the shaft the surging stopped. It is a costly part, $70.00 at the dealer, I found it on line for $40.00. I hope this helps.

 

check the injectors