hello all.

A day ago, after a quick and lively drive (after warmed up), as i pulled up to my friends house i heard a tapping noise. i opened the hood- the tap is distinctly on the driver's side valve cover compared to the other. later on, after a few hours, i had my friend follow me to my house about 2-3 miles back......the tap was non-exsistant during cold runing/high oil pressure (first 1/4 or trip), however, by the time i got back it was ticking n' tappin just like before. During both drives the engine felt totally normal. I have my own assumptions about what the problem is but, i'd like to hear some of yours and what you would do to go about handling a problem like this. I will readily answer any specific questions you need to give me your ideas. I'll be taking the car to my garage on monday most likely.

Edit: and yes, lets not forget about my milage- 72k. And it has expeirenced very short stints of low oil presure only during idle.

Thanks for readin
-Fran

 

I'm thinking loose rocker arm or a bad lifter.

 

Header leak, loose rocker, flat lifter.. most likely the rocker or the exhaust leak..

 

I was thinking a bad lifter. The manifold is still all stock and w/72k on it i didnt think it was possible but, i did stick my head all around the engine to listen and look. The tap increases with frequencey with rpm until around 2.5k rpm; after that it disapears and i didnt want to rev it any higher just for experimental reasons. Well regardless to fix the problem the heads need to be expossed and i'll be putting new heads in there. I was thinking to do LT4 swaps with a cam. Any opinions on that?

 

Have you tried simply adjusting the valve lash?? A tick that dissappears with higher RPM (and oil pressure more importantly) is pretty much valvetrain related.

 

is there a quick way to explain how adjusting the valve lash is done?

haha i am thinking that if i have to ask, maybe i shouldnt be doing it.

 

adjusting valve lash aint hard....follow these instructions.

http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#adjust_valves

I would do it while its on...

"Some like to adjust the rockers while the car is idling. If you wish to do this, loosen one rocker at a time until you can hear it click. Tighten the nut, but don't exert downward pressure on the rocker arm with your socket. At the point when audible clicking is gone, tighten the nut another 1/4 turn for your preload. "

You need to fine out which one is ticking...so listen and pinpoint whether its coming from driver or passenger side valve cover. If its driverside, you're lucky, just take off the valve cover with the 4 bolts. If its pass, then you must remove the alternator first. Then valve cover. Then reinstall alternator and go from there.

 

thanks alot for the info. Maybe i'll feel adventurous and give it a try.

Anyone with other thoughts about anything that was said on the thread?

 

It's lifter tick, go fix it, we've told you what to do lol.

Carson

 

I just had this problem a while back...redid my valve lash 3 times. I wouldn't do it running unless you have a lot of experience with it. I tried that way and it drove me crazy. Then I thought it was a lifter. Good thing I didn;t go that far. SOmeone suggested the exhaust leak. I was like "no way...I know what an exhaust leak sounds like." But checked anyway. Sure enough #8 rear bolt was loose as hell. Problem solved.

 

get your rachet out, and go over them manifold bolts, mine did the same thing around the same miles. And the problem is still there again. But im getting my headers very soon

Dude you will be surprised how many people on here have had them manifolds leak at your current miles.

PS
Make sure the motor is nice and cold
lol them manifolds get hot real quick, and
take for ever to cool down.

 

haha ok i will do that then tomorow morning. I'll post what the results of that was on this thread.......i doubt it would b interesting to anyone, but theres been worse.

thanks
-Fran