Ticking Noise Coming somewhere from Engine

[Dane]

Alright I got a 89 VN V8 with Geniue Extractors, etc


Somewhere from the engine or around the engine is a light ticking noise, I went to the a exhaust place and they said it was cracked gaskets around the front of my exhaust, they said it's a four hour job and all taking the extractors out and all for $150, I went and picked it up six hours later and the ticking noise was still there, I tighten the bolts near the extractors being told it could be that, but still no go. What is it? Do I need to recond my engine?

[rattattack1313]

I would be straight back to the exhaust place fer a bit of a refund, 1st.........( take large bikie style friends )..then I would start looking at the harmonic balancer, perhaps.......

[AirStrike]

Mate you keep saying Genuine extractors, do you mean they are stock exhaust manifolds or are you talking about Genie Extractors??
And just on a side note, can you stop from double posting the same questions?
AirStrike

[Dane]

Genie Extractors if Of course what I am speaking about Air.

Heh, My step-dad and his mates are all bikey's should take my step-dad down to the exhaust place and get at least fifty dollars back, I bet you I didn't even need them chatty gaskets.

[Harts_94VR]

That ticking noise is probably just the injectors doing their thing

Did it make the ticking noise before you put the exhaust on it?

It should be making a quiet tick-tick-tick running at idle. You should hear the ticking give a surge in frequency if you just give the gas a bit of a squirt - from tick-tick-tick while it's idling, to a real brrrrrrr for a moment as the injectors give a surge of fuel (just like an accelerator pump on a carby). You should also hear a couple of tick-ticks as you turn the ignition on without actually starting the engine - should only go for 1/2 a second or less, and then stop. That's the ECU priming the engine for start.

If it's doing all of that, then that's what the noise is... just the injectors. Situation normal.

I hope so anyway. Good luck.

[Dane]

Thanks alot.

If it's normal and all that's good, thought my engine was slowly ****ing up or some shit with the light ticking.

[CHA55A]

I noticed the same sound with my VR, turned out to be the headers gasket (or lack of).

Get a second opnion at another exhaust place - maybe theres another leak somewhere else.

[Harts_94VR]

I noticed the same sound with my VR, turned out to be the headers gasket (or lack of).

Get a second opnion at another exhaust place - maybe theres another leak somewhere else.

Yeah get right in there and find where the noise is - the injectors will be a sharp, fairly quiet tick-tick-tick, whereas an exhaust like will be more of a "spitting" noise... My exhaust manifold had a split in it recently and you could hear it quite distinctly over the sound of the engine. Easy to find if you get your head in there and search for where the sound is coming from. But it's quite a different noise from the injectors working.
Get in there and have a good look around.

[Dane]

I think it may be the injectors as it is a quiet noise at cruising speed having my foot lightly on the pedal you can hear it very lightly. And it seem's to be coming from the top of the engine but will have a good look tomorrow to try and pin point it out...

[Harts_94VR]

If it's audible at driving speeds, it doesn't sound right...

Possible that it's a hydraulic lifter or a noisy valve that's making that noise too.

[VT-565]

When was the last oil change? If there is a bit of gunk in the lifters, that could be the problem

[Ash81x]

i would have also said its just the injectors but if u can still hear it when your driving check to make sure u have oil perhaps

[Cody]

i have the same problem with my vn s-pack
i've been told numerous things, about it tho lol, could be thin oil, the injectors just doing their thing

and after the engine gets past about 270k k's, most develop the ticking, someone told me to run it on bp ultimate, it is just lifters, it could be the harmonic balancer, i seal in that may be worn, or somthing to do with the timing

i havent been able to pinpoint the problem, but it could be any of the above lol

[gemini]

Yeah i was just going to mention the injector noise.

[Evman]

A lot of the time it can be a sticky lifter or a slightly bent pushrod. Either way, it's no real problem, as it will barely make any real difference apart from the obvious noise. My VN does it and has done for a few years now. It all started when I revved her a bit high lol, Dang it lol

[Gary Jones]

I had a VN V8 many years ago, I had the same problem. If it is exhaust leaking from the headers you can find this by running a hose or a tube of some sort around the face of the header and head. If it is injector noise you should not hear it when you are driving. My problem was Lifter noise, this will be more apparent when you first start your engine from cold. It will quiet down for a short while then come back as the engine oil thins out as the engine warms up. The lifters will if they are on the last legs be noisy at speed.

There is no way of testing this other that have the clearences check, but being hydrolic this is not so easy. Do what I did and spend some time and replace the lifters if you are good with spanners. Otherwise take it to a shop and have them do the job.

Best of luck.

[My Car Pwns]

have you checked out the alternator? my m8 has a walkinshaw vn that ticks and it was traced back to the alternator needing replacment.. jus a thought...

[rattattack1313]

Heh, My step-dad and his mates are all bikey's should take my step-dad down to the exhaust place and get at least fifty dollars back, I bet you I didn't even need them chatty gaskets.

...should get it all back, if the problem wasnt resolved...(your stepdad sounds like my sorts person...lol..).........and there is always the Minister of Fair Trading.....very handy people........

[luvmycommodore]

My VR was making a ticking noise all the time. Turned out it was losing compression in one of the cyclinders. Was down to 125 when the rest were at 175 (so the mechanic told me). Decided not to pour a stack of money into it and traded it instead.

[92VP]

i would have to say its not the harmonic balancer because mine was cracked badly and never made a noise. i would suggest you bite the bullet and get a second opinion from somewhere else and i can garauntee it will be something else.
cheers
MJ