First I'll give a little background to the car. It's a 1987 Iroc with a TPI 305 and 5-speed. There is no catalitic converter anymore. Other than that the engine is pretty much stock except for a ported upper plenum, airfoil in the throttle body and K&N airfilters.

Yesterday my Wife and I took a road trip. We were on a winding mountain pass going uphill when we were stuck behind a slow minivan for about 10 minutes. I finally got my chance to pass. I downshifted to 3rd gear, put my foot to the floor and pulled out about halfway to completing the pass I suddenly hear a loud clicking noise from the engine. It doesn't lose power but when I let off on the gas the clicking stops but comes back when I push down again. After completing the pass I upshifted and the noise went away and there doesn't seem to be any other problems (loss of power ect)
The engine has always made quieter clicking sounds when acelerating hard and going uphill. I've alway been told it's the injectors working harder at higher RPM but I'm not sure. about yesterday's noise. I can't see it as a lifter problem since the engine has a roller cam. Anyone got an Idea?

 

sounds like the motor may have been pinging? what is your base timing set at and what octane gas do you put in her?

 

I'm not sure about the timing but I'm running 89 (mid grade)

 

Exhaust leak at the y-pipe to manifold conections.

 

well he said the ticking was there, and then is now gone... so it might not be an exhaust leak.

has the car made the same ticking noise since that one time going uphill?

 

Sorry I haven't gotten back on this til now. It's been almost a week now and I haven't had the problem since. I haven't tried to duplicate the conditions either. I suspect that I might have 'bogged' the engine down on the hill and I was in too high a gear.