Hey guys, I've been around a while but mostly lurking. But now i have a question so any help will be appreciated. I just recently got back into an f-body. 1996 Z28, M6, sweet car. Bought it, drove it fine for three days then tick, tick ,tick louder and louder as RPM's go up. It is deffinately coming from driver side. I was thinking lifter or valve but I am definately no mechanic. so any suggestions would be great and if you could think about a step by step ( where to look first, second and so on) i would greatly appreciate any help. i have only had this car a very short while and already love it, so i want to get her running right soon. Thanks in advance for any help given

 

Could be an exhaust leak. Turn the car on after its been sitting for awhile and put your hand near the manifold and check for air coming out.

 

I second the exhaust leak idea as a good place to start.

If you cant' feel anything coming from a particular area of the pipes, try taking a fat handled screwdriver or a piece of wood/rachet breaker bar to your ear, and then to various places on the valve covers to check for lifter tap. Just don't get your hair in any accessories or burn yourself!! Exhaust leak is pretty distinctive, one of your buddies may be able to take a ride and give some insight.

I also was pulling my hair out trying to find an "exhaust" leak on my car, and i just so happened to be just kinda pondering things while watching my engine run, and i noticed one of my spark plugs was loose.

 

thanks guys, that is where ill start. Since I bought the car I could hear a small exhaust leak, but I did not know it could make a "tick" noise, thanks again fellas.
CHRIS

 

Yea, exhaust leaks sound different depending on where the leak is. If it's on the header/manifolds or very close, it'll sound more like a tick. Leaks futher back in the system sound more like a whoosh than a tick as all the gasses are mixed together and far enough back not to hear the pulses from the engine.

 

I thought mine was the infamous broken exhaust minfold bolt leak. Until i started ripping the motor apart after it spun a main, came to find all the exhaust manifold bolts were in tact and tight. Later when i was taking it apart even further I found that my #8 spark plug had backed its way out and was hangin on by a few threads.

Steve

 

Thanks alot guys, after reading the first few responses I checked into it and I am 99% sure it is the EGR. I cant hear the tick at idle but I can under throttle. So at idle i was feeling around and felt air at the EGR and "wiggled" it a little, it was loose and it started ticking. So I am sure that is it. Thanks for all the help.
Chris