For over a year now my car has been slow... It all started when my knock sensor went and I chewed the cam on my stock engine in jan 2000. I had then engine replaced by a local engine shop and had the headers put on at the same time. Ever since then the car has made a heavy ticking sound when ever I give it more than half throttle. I didn't notice this problem until 2 months until i had the engine rebuilt because i was doing a 1000 mile break in to be nice to it. I have since replaced the whole ign system and all of my cars sensors. I did a whole 3 inch exhaust since I had a 3 inch cat put on when i put the headers on because at the time i thought that might have been the prob. ( going from a 3 inch to a 2 1/4 inch exhaust) I've checked the fuel pressure and its at 43 psi ( basically right on target)... I was just wondering if everyone with headers gets this ticking noise.. or if i may have a busted valve spring or maybe a leaky injector because the car does stumble when i just apply slight pressure to the excelerator. I had a g92 cam before and im thinking now that my replacement 305 may just be on of the lower performance ones .. and that the problem is just that.. well if anyone has any ideas I'm really open to anything... My biggest goal in life is to get this car running right and fast... (it didn't help that my best friend raced out his GN and runs mid 11's now and my parents got a 96 ws6 TA) My goal is mid/low 13's on the 305 - I guess a cam is next...

 

It could be several different things.The first that pops in my head is a blown header gasket.When the shop installed the headers what kind of bolts did they use.If they didnt use the locking type(stage8)they WILL come loose and blow out the gasket.With regular header bolts you aways have to retighten them.The most common place is the last bolt on the pass side.This is the worst bolt to tighten.There is now freaking room.Check this place first.
If its the gaskets,rplace them with some high quality header gaskets,and put on some Stage 8 locking header bolts.Once you put on these header bolts you will not have to tighten them again.
Nitro Don

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1990 Trans Am WS6
305TPI 700R4

ENGINE:
150hp NOS kit
March underdrive pulleys
Edelbrock headers(JetHot)
Mac off-road pipe
Flowmaster exaust
Jacobs ultra coil
K&N filter
Fulley ported base,
runners,& plenum
Crane AFPR
Hypertech airfoil
Crane 1.6 rockers
210/220 .533/.544 Cam
W/P Torquer heads
Edelbrock TPI Base
Edelbrock TI Runners
Edelbrock 52mm T.B.
TRANSMISSION:
Richmond 3.73's
Auburn posi
B&M Mega shifter
B&M Transpak
Vette servo
B&M 2400 converter
TCI Trans Rebuild
Nitto Drag radials
FUTURE MODS:
The 700R4 is DEAD!!
Neeed to rebuild AGAIN!!
BEST RUN:
12.48 @ 109.23 MPH
(with stock heads,cam,intake,and crappy Pep Boy's tires)

 

Are you sure the ticking sound isn't a slight knock? You said you had a bad knock sensor, are you SURE it was the knock sensor? It could be a bad ESC module, or PROM. The ESC module was used in early third gens, the prom controls the ESC for late third gens. What year is your car? I had a prom go bad on my '91 and it would ping under acceleration.

To test the ESC control, if you don't have a scan tool or a laptop program like Diacom, use an adjustable advance timing light. Rev the motor up to about 2000 r's and watch the timing, it should hold steady somewhere around 30 deg. Then tap on the drivers side header with a wrench and watch the timing, with the light, to be retarded by the ESC.

 

my car is a 91 - I thought the problem may be knock and it was just retarding the timing because the car gets slugish when the ticking starts... It also maybe the head I was looking at the reciept when i Had the engine replaced and it said in small writing fixed crack in head... this really confused me because they never even talked to me about this when I had the work done.

 

i can help partly! the ticking is a exhaust leak somewhere in the headers!

 

ill take my car down to my local muffler shop since one of my best friends works there and check it out then ... thanks