ticking noise

[ronniew]

well i recently accomplished a big task for me and my wife...i put head gaskets on the 97 bird with the engine still in the car...car started up on first try but i noticed a ticking noise that sounded like a lifter....after a lil research i notice everybody talking the rocker bolts are torque to yeild and i reused them...the ticking goes away when it gets warm...does anybody think the new rocker bolts will fix this...thanks

[OneEightSeven]

Re: ticking noise

You're not supposed to re-use the bolts, but hopefully you used red lock tight. I'd replace the bolts if you didn't use lock tight for sure. In fact I'd probably just go ahead and replace them any way. I don't think the ticking is related if it goes away once the car warms up. Most likely the lifters are dry when you start and as they lube up the noise stops. My car has always done this.

[darkflare999]

Re: ticking noise

You're not supposed to re-use the bolts, but hopefully you used red lock tight. I'd replace the bolts if you didn't use lock tight for sure. In fact I'd probably just go ahead and replace them any way. I don't think the ticking is related if it goes away once the car warms up. Most likely the lifters are dry when you start and as they lube up the noise stops. My car has always done this.

hey my car has been doing this since the start of summer...i replaced the head gaskets and intake gaskets and also bought new roller rocker arms and im pretty sure i did everything correctly by the book and i didnt re-use the nuts for the rockers..i did all this right before winter last year and these days i been getting the ticking like a marble bouncing around and when she warms up it stops...soo i shouldnt be worried??

[OneEightSeven]

Re: ticking noise

If something was broken it wouldn't stop with the engine warming up. It's most likely lifter tick. You can try running some seafoam in your crank case and see if you're just getting a sticking lifter if it goes away. Did you swap the lifters out? My car has always made a sound like a "marble rolling around" or a sewing machine while warming up. I've ran the motor with the valve covers off and you'd be surprised how long it takes for the top end to lube up real well on a cold start.

[darkflare999]

Re: ticking noise

noo i havent swapped the lifters out...but i did seafoam the car in the beginning of june...if a couple of us is getting it then it must be normal then...if soo then thats one less worry off my mind

[pbryant_knight]

Re: ticking noise

I have the same after having replaced the rocker cover gaskets 3 weeks ago.

[OneEightSeven]

Re: ticking noise

Are you guys all sure this noise just started? I think one of three things is happening for all of you:

1. The car always sounded like that while warming up due to needing time to lube the top end. My motor always sounded sewing machine like when cold. You tinkered with the car and are now paying attention and hearing it.

2. It's summer and you have old lifters that are taking longer than usual to lube because the oil is thinning out from the heat and the lifters just aren't lubing up like they used to. Try a thicker oil for the summer.

3. Your lifters are very clogged and are taking a lot longer than usual to lubricate. Run seafoam in the crank case for a bit, change the oil and see if it helps. If the noise is really loud and the car is stumbling under acceleration until it warms up then you will need new lifters because one or more lifter is so stuck it's collapsed.

[darkflare999]

Re: ticking noise

yeaaa mine sounds like #2 more

[ronniew]

Re: ticking noise

im gonna try thr new bolts when ever i can get them... the noise is just driving me crazy...about the thicker oil solution, im now using 20w-50 oil..no difference

[pbryant_knight]

Re: ticking noise

Mine deffo just started when the rocker cover gaskets were changed. Mechanic says it is some sort of ticking noise associated with the exhaust pipe in the engine. It increases with the amount of gas given.

[OneEightSeven]

Re: ticking noise

@ronniew,

You should go ahead and swap the bolts out. I don't think they're the cause of the noise, but if you re-used the torque to yield bolts you should replace them. I suppose they could be very slightly lose and seize up as they warm up but I find that to be extremely unlikely. They would have worked their way out already. You should use lock tight and a torque wrench when re-doing them.

@pbryant_knight

There is no such thing as an exhaust pipe in an engine. The closest thing to that description would be your EGR. Furthermore what would changing a valve cover (rocker cover) gasket have to do with an exhaust noise? Your mechanic is either talking about an exhaust leak from either your EGR, one of your manifolds (headers) or the cat back. Alternatively you misunderstood something completely and he's talking about an exhaust valve. Either way none of this is caused by changing the valve cover gaskets unless you broke a bunch of other stuff while doing it out of frustration.

[pbryant_knight]

Re: ticking noise

I did think that exhaust noise sounded a little unlikely but it probably is me misunderstanding something.