On my new engine, theres a loud tick at idle, and when I give it gas. It sounds like an exhaust leak, but I just checked both headers and the collectors on the Ypipe. They were all good, with Ultra Seal Gaskets. I had problems with the ypipe leaking last year, but Im almost positive its not the problem now. Its hard to pinpoint the location of this one, I think its from the center of the engine or front drivers side area. All the rockers and pushrods are snug. No carbon on any parts as a leak would cause. Everything looks good. When driving it yesterday I gave it about half throttle and the tick went away, then I let off and the tick was gone, then 3 seconds later it started again. What else could it be? I have brand new lifters in, new cam, pushrods, rockers. The only used parts are the bottom end. I dont know if Im ever gonna have an engine that works...

 

your engine is new and all new upper end componet's, you can still get a lifter to clatter or a ticking from them, I would surely go over the problem area and just see if that is the problem, if not the drivers side, check the other side, you never know. I had the same prob. not to long ago, less then 500 miles and had to readjust one rocker, also thought it was a collector, I've got a set of old valve covers with the centers cut out so I can make valve train adjustments without making a mess.

 

Pop the valve covers off and use a piece of hose as close to each valve as you can to listen for your lifter tick. If you just assembled this motor, it might be worth taking the lifters out to make sure everything is lining up right and oil holes aren't blocked.

 

Could be your fuel injectors. On a fresh rebuild the motor is so quiet that your fuel injectors (if yours is FI) will be very noticable. Ticking at the fuel injectors is normal, it comes from the internal valve on each injector firing.

 

Have the same problem and same things were done. New lifters, rockers, heads, pushrods, cam.

Same loud ticking that sounds like an exhaust leak but no carbon spit out anywhere on the heads or collectors. Also spent 200 bucks to have a small block mechanic spend 3 hours tuning the valve train and it's still ticking super loud. He got it quieted down for about 15 minutes till i left then the tick came back.

At idle the tick is loud and very distinct and sounds like an exhaust leak. At around 1500rpm with light load the tick becomes very quiet, and anythign above that or below it is very noticeable. Especially when in 4th gear at 60kph(40mph) and lockup occurs while you are accelerating slowly it will get very noticeable and very loud.

Fuel injector ticking is a very quick tick and is audible, but sounds like a muffled tick. Theres a distinct difference between the injector pulses and anything to do with valve train or other larger metal parts.

I will be doing the hole saw thing on my old valve covers to help with adjustment with the engine running i think to see if that helps any...

 

dbl post sorry

 

it could also just be valvetrain noise. i was having a similar problem, so i called lunati and asked them about it. they said that in my particular application, the spring pressures were not high enough for the cam i was running, and the lifters would float very easily, the ticking was the lifter slamming back into place. check your cam for its recommended valve springs.

also, they waned me that if the pressure was too high, the valves would slam back into the seats and make a ticking noise (or something like that). im not sure how that one works, but im just passing info.

 

im sure any info helps us all

Now after some valve train tuning on mine (rocker arms bolts backed off on 4 rockers) and some sound probing with some 5/8" fuel line...I found that the used headers I bought all have warped flanges as they are leaking right in the center and out the side of 5 of 8 tubes.

Yay for that...I couldnt tell before as there was no soot or anything until it was in daylight then it showed up like a bright black beacon of LOOK AT ME IM A LEAK!

I didnt think SLP header flanges were supposed to warp like that...

Anyhow, a machine shop trued them and I followed the shop manual on how to set the tq specs on the header bolts and no problems so far. Ticking is gone but I do notice that roller rockers are a lot noiser than the stock stamped rocker arms.