79corvette

I have been having a clicking/ticking sound coming from my engine now. I noticed it a week after I installed my headers. I tightened up the headers, didn't replace gaskets though, and I believe the sound is still there. It seems as though it is coming from cylinders 5 and 7. As you get closer to them it is more pronounced. The sound would be constant except during deceleration, it would go away then. Now I am hearing a sound like metal on metal maybe. The best way to describe the sound is as if you spun a rotor with your hand and stopped it by pushing a brake pad against it, something like that type of noise. But it's coming from the left side of the engine bay. I am assuming that if it was a bearing problem the sound would be coming from the center instead of the left side. I know that I am very low on power steering fluid due to a leak and am hoping the noises are from that. I have also not observed any changes in oil pressure 35-40 at idle and 45ish at cruise. Also my fan clutch may be leaking, could that be causing some noises like the metal on metal contact noise. Sorry for the bad explanations of the noises.

Kevin_73

Take all the belts off and run the engine (you can safely run it for 2 or 3 minutes with the belts off), if the sound goes away you will know that it is in one of your accessories and not the motor. If the sound is still there then it is in the motor somewhere.
If you had spund a main bearing the oil pressure would most likely be very low, but I'm not sure if spun rod bearings react the same way.

A wild guess on my part would be either water pump or alternator bearings.

Desertdawg

Sounds more like you need to adjust your valves.

Brettmc

:iagree: or replace your header gaskets.

Brett :thumbs:

68shark

Reminds me of something that I found on my old "slant six" '73 Duster (long since gone to the "scrap heap in the sky"...). I had a loud tick but didn't sound like a valve. After crawling around the engine bay and listening....I decided to pull the dipstick out. The sound stopped. Dipstick was bent a fair bit and was hitting the connecting rod. Bent it back the other way and problem was solved. Just thinking that the dipstick is roughly between #5 and #7....mmmm.....

Fevre

Take a piece if fuel line and use it like a stethescope, hold one end to your ear and use the other end to listen to the area near your headers. I bet you have a burnt gasket. Get some of these and be done with it:



http://store.summitracing.com/partde...57#largerimage

79corvette

Thanks for all of the advice so far. I did try and adjust the valves on the drivers side to stop the ticking but it didn't help.

I did remove the dipstick tube and dipstick when I installed the headers. I'll have to check that out.

I'm really glad so far no one thinks it is a bearing. I've never head a bad bearing so I wasn't sure.

79corvette

Fevre
I'm going to have to get new gaskets. The gasket I have on there now is one of the cheap ones.

Guest

If you still hear a noise you can put plug wires on 5 and 7 cylinder plugs real loose and disconnect one at a time and see if noise goes away. After checking one plug reinstall wire and go to the other cylinder and check that one. If you hear a differance that could be a bearing noise. Good luck. :)