ttop1986

Last week, I started to hear a ticking sound coming from my car. It's very mellow around idle, but you can hear it more around 2000-2500 rpms. I thought it could have been my rockers working loose, so I re-lashed them the other day, and I can still hear the ticking. Oil pressure is normal. The car doesn't seem to run rough either. I did notice my gas mileage has suffered too. If I get on the gas enough the tick seems to disappear.

Does this sound like an exhaust leak? Also, if I open my cutout, it seems like the problem goes away more if the cutout is closed. I don't know if its just harder to hear, or the increase on the exhaust pressure when the cutout is closed. And ideas on how to track this down better? It's tough to tell where it's coming from. I may whip out Datamaster, and check the BLM's on each bank to see if its spazing out.

Thanks!

ttop1986

JakeDub

Possibly a bent pushrod.

James Montigny

Very possible.
Get a peice of garden hose and use it to isolate the source of the tick.
Specifically, header gaskets.

Also, fire it up in the dark and see if any of the plug wires are arcing.

jclark311

Worst case, and you wont like this. Is a spark plug stripped in the head, and not sealing good. My brothers LT1 was doing this, and I cant tell you how hard it was to find, never mind fix.

mad95z

Header gasket leak

maverickmk

verify where exactly the "tick" is coming from, if it's coming from the rear of the motor check the converter bolts, the inspection cover around the flex plate, (assuming it's an auto) if it's coming from the front could be the opti rotor working loose, a little more info might help

ImNraged

I have a tapping in my engine and it took me awhile, but I found it. It's in my timing cover and I'm sure the reluctor has come loose. When I lay under the front of my car, it's easy to find and it's fairly loud. Just one more thing to look for.

ttop1986

Thanks guys. I was going to look at it this weekend, but I was helping my father in our living room. I did however check the wires for arching at night, and I didn't see anything. I have to wait till the rain stops, and I have time to check it out, but I will definitely update this.

SweetZRag

Could also be the roller on the lifter going bad. I've had this twice on the number 1 cylinder. The surface of the lifter roller starts to chip and starts making a ticking sound. Damages the cam lobe too. Put a mechanics stethoscope on the valve cover right over each cylinder. You'll know it if the problem is lifter or rocker related. If it is, inspect the rocker and then pull the lifter.

Stethoscope is less than 10 bucks and great tool for finding lots of problems.

Don 97 SS

I experienced the exact same situation. I was almost certain it was a lifter or rocker going bad. But I could never pinpoint it with a stethoscope. It ended up being a cam and several lifters going bad. I would have never imagined that ticking sound being generated from a cam and multiple lifters on their way out.

SweetZRag

It happened to me at 100,000 miles and again at 300,000 miles.

The stethoscope easily isolated it to the cylinder and then I just inspected the rocker and pushrod to see that they were adjusted correctly and not bent. At that point, I knew it had to be deeper so I pulled the intake manifold and removed the lifter. I still have it as a paper weight. If you saw the roller surface of the lifter, you would know that the cam had to be bad also.

Both mating surfaces had "chips" missing.

ttop1986

Well guys, I finally got the car up on the ramps this afternoon, and I think I found the problem. Remember how I said that it seemed to go away when I opened the cutout? Well it turns out that when the car was on the ramps it was easier to tell that the sound was coming from around the middle of the car. I narrowed it down to the cutout making the noise. It seems it has warn some and has a little slot in the gears, so when its closed it vibrates a little bit and makes the ticking noise. It was hard to tell when driving the car because the sound echos out from under the car. Thanks for all advice.