/87 T.P.I. motor is making a ticking noise.

The noise starts with moderate acceleration, the motor has stock manifolds and a bran new exhaust system, the noise seems to be coming from around the valve cover on the left front side of the motor.

The motor was rebuilt but sat for about 3 or 4 years. I flushed the engine 2 times and tried Luke’s fuel injector cleaner, I also tried some full throttle runs to trying and clean it out but no change, and I think I may have made it worth.

I was thinking of disconnecting one spark plug wire at a time to try and find what cylinder the noise is coming from. If I drive the car with one plug disconnected should I also disconnect the fuel injector to that cylinder or will that mess up the computer?

Any Ideas what it would most likely be? I am thinking it may be a lifter, injector, or bad valve. I am tying to find out what cylinder is making the noise and take it from there.

Lastly, if it is a lifter will I damage the cam by driving the car like that?

 

You could listen to the valve cover with a stethoscope or a piece of tubing to see if you can pinpoint the sound. It could be a number of things but ultimately you're going to be removing that valve cover to figure it out.

I hope by "left front side" you mean the drivers side, otherwise you're going to be in for some pain removing smog equipment.

Not likely a bad injector. I wouldn't bother disconnecting the spark plug because that isn't going to do anything. All of the cylinders are still active when the engine is running, they just aren't all firing if you pull the plug.

 

It could be spark knock,
We had an GTA in the shop the other day, with what you described, and we did a tune-up on it, and it was fine.
It was spark knockin. and we adjusted the timing, it was off a little.

 

My car makes a good ticking noise. I came to find out it was just my injectors, go figure.

 

i had a simular sound in mine.. i turned out to be a lifter not charging up. i finally found it by installing some spare covers that have been cut open to allow me to watch the valvetrain and adjust the rockers till i got them quiet. took a few times of adjusting then tight loose tight loose and so on to get them to pump up

 

you know i had a similiar noise on her car too 88 formula 350

did the same thing, tune up, cleaned throttle body, etc...
so much better
and timing was WAY off
i had to advance it like 10 degrees to gat it to 8 (wire disconnected to set the base)

Hmmmmmmm

 

Thanks for the input and other information.

I tried listing with a scope, many times but I still cant seem to pin point the ticking (rattle). It only does it while under load, and hold my foot on the brake does not add enough load, as the tires just spin with the slightest touch of the gas.

I am really stumped on what to do. I have taken the car to three shops. First shop said, “These things all make noises, probably just the injectors, don’t worry about it”.
Second shop (an engine rebuild shop) said, “I would say it’s your harmonic balancer” and the third shop (also an engine rebuild shop) said, “It is a piston rattle, you need to rebuild the motor”.

The motor was rebuilt, and has low miles on it, she pulls harder than most. The base timing is dead on, and starting and ideal seam perfect too.

 

I'd say at this point you can try upplugging injector connectors one at a time the side you here the noise on. Not for long though just a quick couple seconds each other wise you might casue problems to the motor. Those injectors are loud sometimes. you'll get a trouble code when doing this, once you're done testing disconnect the battery for 30 second and clear your codes. I'm not sure if doing this will f up the motor though. Might want to see if others agree. My motor ticks too, i thought for sure i had a loose rocker or something but rockers seem fine. does yours do it cold hot or both?? my motor seem to do it hott. Guess doing this will help you figure out if the injectors are really the cause if so thats normal for the most part. BTW my noise was on the same side as you Drivers side toward the firewall if that helps any

 

I have the same problem but mine knocking is LOUD
how loud is the knocking ur descibing, if your saying it could be bad fuel injectors.. than the noise must not be very loud.

 

Lets see, the best way to describe how loud it is?

Well I raced a 5.0L Mustang, and the guys standing on the sidelines could still hear it as they said, “Man, you killed the Mustang with a knocking motor”. They could hear it over the noise of the two cars.

 

wow alright just as loud as mine is,
Mine to has low km .. and its the original engine still but original km.. I mean worked GREAT! its very quick for a 305 tpi
now the engine wont stay on. the knocking noise is just to damn loud to even have the engine running, sounds like a ticking timebomb!

 

Good Lord thats loud, good luck with that Mine is notciable when you walk up to the motor and have elephant ears

 

i had a noise coming from the left side of motor it ended up being the smog pump the bearing went bad maybe for a thought pull off the serpetine belt and run it for a second or two to eliminate that possibility