a month or so ago, i installed a new fuel system and a new exhaust setup. The car sat for about 3 weeks during that time. After i got the car back together i tried to start it. It took a lot of cranking to get it to start, (mechanical fuel pump and dry lines). It started and ran fine. I took it for a drive and over 2k i started hearing a tapping sound thats quite loud in the car and sounds like its coming from right in front of me, i figured exhaust leak, i welded the pipes together and the bend into the tunnel was a little sloppy and i had to fill about a 1/4" gap with weld. It gets quicker with rpm. the car sat for 2 weeks then i started it again, the tap was still there but was a little louder.
I starter it again day, it sat for a week, and the tap is there and i had some random squeaks from the front of the engine area a few times for the first few minutes that it was warming up. Its cold any damp today.

Oil pressure is very good, doesnt drop or become erratic, the oil is still light amber in the stick, and it has about 2500 miles since my last oil change.

So, does this sound like a spun bearing? or an exhaust leak and just some squeaking form a damp accessory drive? I can't get video of it.

Im a bit worried.

any input or ideas?

 

Start with simple things first.

With the amount of work you do on your car, i bet you are able to distinguish the slight differences between a "click/tap" and an exhaust leak. Dont listen to it too long though, or you will second guess yourself.

If its a really loud tap, and all things seem good, its probably a loose crank pulley.

Other tapping noises, can be caused by cracked flexplate, (but im not 100% sure if a flywheel would act the same).

What we all would hate, is to have something like a spun bearing. A quick test would help you figure it out. If you accelerate hard under load, and the tapping goes away, and then comes back nice and loud under deceleration under load, its possibly a spun bearing, or loose bearing bolts.

When accelerating hard, the net force is generated by the connecting rod pushing down on the crank, so its not allowed to jump around causing clicking, because the crank is fixed, and the connecting rod is being forced down.

When you decelerate underload, the crank is spinning faster than the pistons, and the net force is generated by the crank onto the bearings. IF the bearing is loose or spun, it will cause clicking.

Hope that makes sense, its just stuff ive encountered before. I was very releived to find out i had a loose crank pulley!

 

im probably second guessing myself. It sounds like an exhaust leak, so it most likely is, and beings it started right after i built a new exhaust, its quite likely.

I check some things out in a little while, its just hard to get motivated to go outside and work when its cold as hell outside....

 

yea i know how that goes.

Try also listening from below, you may learn something new. Like the leak may not be right at the headers.

Good luck.