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ticking noise in my motor

I was directed to this site from member at marauder.net today. I've been trying to find s tick in my motor for almost 6 months now. When it started it was in the 20's outside and is a mechanical sounding tick. It only happens when the car is warm. As it warms up it slowly starts to happen and is the loudest around 1500-2000 rpm.the car runs smooth through the rpm range and had good power last time I drove it when this started. So far I have pulled the heads, had them gone through, decked full valve job. They replaced 1 exhaust valve that was burnt and all the exhaust guides. The shop said nothing in the heads looked like it would cause a tick. I put all new lifters in, new oil pump, all new timing components, 97 cobra intake cams, and advanced them 8 degrees with the advice of a member on the other site. I've used a stethoscope and determined the noise is coming from the passenger side head. I replaced the cam followers for the first cylinder (all 4). Checked all the exhaust cam lobes and there all the same. I'm out of ideas with this thing and am about at my wits end. Any info you guys might have is greatly appreciated! The you tube link below is my car do you can hear the noise. I realize its not the same as real life but its the best I can do. Thanks again guys!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F1TfstELpA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
 

musclemerc

Addict
Jan 6, 2010
554
0
You live in Indiana, why not drive it to Zacks place so he can take a listen? Kinda hard to diagnose that one over the internet.

Take the heads out of the equasion, the 97 cams are stock components so there's no problem with PTV contact, the timing components are all new so cross them out too. The tick stays the same when you gave it gas so I also doubt its anything on the drive accessories.

What oil pump are you running? (the FRPP's have been known for the gears going bad) Did you pull the plugs and check them for oil blow by? Run a compression check while your at it too.
 
i had the thought to drive over and see him. im about an hour and a half away from st john. i completely stopped driving the car when i heard it the first day so im leary to spend 3 hours at highway speed. but i guess if it blows up i will find the culprit. plus ive never talked to him before so i didnt want to just assume he'd be willin to help and be that guy lol. ive heard he is the guy i need to talk to but didnt want to just assume he would be willing to take the time to look at it.

im running the ford racing pump that is brand new. maybe has 20 min of run time on it and no street run time. i replaced the original pump thinking maybe it was going and starving something of oil causing the tick but the tick is still there. i did put a real oil pressure guage on it and cold i have almost 100 psi of oil pressure at idle, and warm i have about 40 at idle and about 90 when i rev it up a little.

i started trying to blow out all the oil galleys in the head for the lash adjusters and they all seem clean and clear.

when i ran the car yesterday with the passenger side cam cover off i poked around with my steoscope and couldnt find the noise at all and with the cam cover installed it is clear through the cam cover and front timing cover bolts.

im almost starting to wonder if i got bad fuel and its actually spark knock or something related to that. i did forget to put the cop's back on when i ran it with out the cam cover yeasterday and that why im wondering if its ignition related. the noise was quieter with the cover off also....



p.s. i ordered one of your cooling mods and a template a couple weeks ago and am excited to see them when they get here.
 

musclemerc

Addict
Jan 6, 2010
554
0
i had the thought to drive over and see him. im about an hour and a half away from st john. i completely stopped driving the car when i heard it the first day so im leary to spend 3 hours at highway speed. but i guess if it blows up i will find the culprit. plus ive never talked to him before so i didnt want to just assume he'd be willin to help and be that guy lol. ive heard he is the guy i need to talk to but didnt want to just assume he would be willing to take the time to look at it.

im running the ford racing pump that is brand new. maybe has 20 min of run time on it and no street run time. i replaced the original pump thinking maybe it was going and starving something of oil causing the tick but the tick is still there. i did put a real oil pressure guage on it and cold i have almost 100 psi of oil pressure at idle, and warm i have about 40 at idle and about 90 when i rev it up a little.

i started trying to blow out all the oil galleys in the head for the lash adjusters and they all seem clean and clear.

when i ran the car yesterday with the passenger side cam cover off i poked around with my steoscope and couldnt find the noise at all and with the cam cover installed it is clear through the cam cover and front timing cover bolts.

im almost starting to wonder if i got bad fuel and its actually spark knock or something related to that. i did forget to put the cop's back on when i ran it with out the cam cover yeasterday and that why im wondering if its ignition related. the noise was quieter with the cover off also....



p.s. i ordered one of your cooling mods and a template a couple weeks ago and am excited to see them when they get here.

Start with the FRPP oil pump.
 
I had that thought the 3rd or 4th time I tore it down. I took them all off and blew the galleys out and re assembled they were good and tight when it went back together that time. Here is what I had when it came apart that time.
They were a little tighter after I found this and took it all apart and then re assembled.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMRhrbVK5vI&feature=youtube_gdata_player
 

Zack

4 Doors 4 Life
Mar 21, 2004
6,297
20
NW Indiana
Sounds like a piston or rod problem.

Its more cost effective to buy a known good running engine then take this one out, find the problem, then fix it.

You can get $800+ for the heads you just had done to recoop costs.

But again, its impossible to narrow down a noise over the internet.
 
I know what you mean. I appreciate the input. I'm torn between dragging it somewhere to have it looked at and selling the car. Maybe I'll start looking for a motor. I'm kinda Leary of used stuff because I dont want to end up right back where I am. I backed it out of the garage today. And now my air back light is blinking. I felt it catch and break the clock spring in the column. But that's the least of my worries at this point
 
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