Can anyone help? Ticking making me go crazy!

[Emackulation]

Hey guys, as some of you would know my car has been making a reletivly loud ticking noise from under the hood. Now I HAVE changed my injectors to some 2nd hand ones from Ebay and cleaned them up myself. I have inspected the engone for where the noise is coming from with a long flat blade screwdriver. After placing the screwdriver on manythings under the hood I found that the noise is coming from each and every fuel injector. I did have suspicions at the time of noisy lifters but when placing the screwdriver ontop of each cylinder on the rockercover no noise was emmitted.

Soo, this has been hapening for a good 6 months now and It's really getting on my nerves. After I installed the new 2nd hand injectors i have found that there was NO change in the noise, it was the same and clear as a Bell.

The ticking can be herd in idle (so can most other cars) but when it really kicks in is about 2000PRM and higher. So what do you guys recon it could be, injectors still!? Cause im out of options...

P.S. Have been running Caltex Vortex 98 for a good 6 weeks now. No Change.

[VK Wagon]

Hey There,
Have you check your oil? Or get the car service?

[Emackulation]

Baisically I do all the stuff on the car myself, Oil level and colour is fine, although saying that it has been droping engine oil in the past few weeks(it wasnt dropping any before, well not as much thats for sure!). Umm 26/5/06 I last changed Sparks, Leads and put fesh Oil and Filter in.

[s0sage]

injector ticking = solenoids

and lifters are another curlprit for ticks under the BONNET..
you dont have a trunk you have a BOOT. and you dont have a hood you have a BONNET.

[Emackulation]

Hood, Bonnet, same horse different jockey. But Yeah, I cleaned the ebay injectors with metho and a toothbrush and let them sit in the metho with them open. By open I mean hooking up a cordless drill battery up to them.

[Chalky]

Hey Mack, Check that you don't have a cracked exaust manifold, it is a common problem with the cast iron manifolds on VN-VP's once they get a bit older.

[Emackulation]

Oh yeah, I have had the whole zorst checked, apparently no leaks. I also have Pacemaker Headers (extractors) and the rest is brand new 2.5" redback except for the stock cat convertor. Thanks for all you replys...

[88GreenVN]

I had a new tick noise from a badly fitted CAS. One of the fins on the balancer had been bent and was touching the CAS. I was told it was the injectors. I told the nut I had been driving the car for 17 years and the tick noise was new. He replaced the balancer. Tick gone.

[Emackulation]

Nice one GreenVN, you obviously know your ticks . Its hard for me becuase the tock started oh so long ago, I have owned the car for roughly 15 months now and the ticking would of started about 6 months after having it. I cant recall it being there suddenly, but more of a progressive increse in noise. Hope that helps.

P.S. Alternator, waterpump, Gearboxes and diffs have been changed over the time ive had it.

[FXST01]

Does the tick go away if you disconnect an injector?

[Emackulation]

Does the tick go away if you disconnect an injector?

I havn't tryed that, but do I want to...

[88GreenVN]

Can you get some injectors on loan from a wreckers? long shot I know....

[SweetWagon]

What oil are you using??

[Emackulation]

I have my old injectors, they wern't any good . And Ive been using Pennziol synthetic blend 15W-50 oil for last 2-3 oil changes.

[Doctor Bob]

By open I mean hooking up a cordless drill battery up to them.

doing this has more than likely damaged them, they are only meant to be powered up for milliseconds at a time.
all injectors will make a ticking noise, it a good sign they are working.

Rob

[SweetWagon]

Iv just changed to penrite hpr15 and me and my old man think it developed some piston slap on startup until it warms up. Should I be worried about this? Maybe try a thicker oil in your case, say 20w50 next change since it is a fairly old motor, just a thought.

[veclubby]

hey mate try the hpr15 next service mite cure the ticking if its ur lifters

[pandaman]

doing this has more than likely damaged them, they are only meant to be powered up for milliseconds at a time.
all injectors will make a ticking noise, it a good sign they are working.

Rob

Yeah, I agree. An irritating sign that they are working. When the ticking stops that could be a problem.

[SweetWagon]

New injectors dont tick Second hand ones will almost always tick cause they have had wear on them, even if they are cleaned.

[madsav]

i know that noise becasue it too me ages to find the bloody noise. i went out and got a 2nd hand set and they still kept on ticking, so i went out and scored a set of vy commodore v6 injectors and yet again the noise is still there. bloody annoying

[pandaman]

My 5L does it, I'm certain it's the injectors though so I'm not too worried. I used the screwdriver trick and it is definitely the injectors, still goes like a cut cat so who cares? :-)

[immortality]

injector normally make a ticking noise, mine do. unfortunatly the VN series engines uses a group fire injector setup and therefor all the injector fire at the same time. the later model ecotecs use sequencial injection and only one injector fires at a time and therefor much less apparent noise, you would find however that if you listen carefullly to these engines you will still find a ticking noise as well, fact of life etc

edit: the longeryou normally own a car the more "strange noises" you start to here that weren't there before

[cruzn]

i had the same problem with my vr. and the ticking grew worse over time and especially occoured when accelarating. I was running pacemakes extractors and it turned out that the ticking came from a hole in the gasket between the extractors and the engine.

[Emackulation]

I remember blowng an xorst gasket and it was more of a fluttering noise, and Ive had it checked so I dont think its zorst. Hmmm so only other 2 culprits would be injectors and lifters. So its either buy a new set of injectors or try some new oil. One of my other mates have suggested take the rocker covers off and turn the car over on idle too see if anything is suspect in there.

P.S. The engine was suposedly rebuilt 35,000kms ago. The clock has stopped at 350,000 tho. And ive done my fair share of burnouts .

[s0sage]

i blew an exhaust clear off the car doing keybangers in my mates old xd basher... hahhaha no tick there, just a massive kaboom and plenty sparks.

we drove home with the exhaust tied to the roof...

you wont hear a tick if you do that mate!