VR Engine ticking noise

[Commo_Carl]

Hi guys,

Just wondering if anyone could help diagnose an annoying ticking noise.

The motor is only 18,000 km old (brand new reco AC Delco motor)

Ticks in time to the rpm, and is ####ing annoying as shit. The harder you drive, the louder it becomes.

I have a few ideas e.g. lifters (which you'd think would be fine being 18,000km old), injectors (which haven't been changed or cleaned over life of vehicle, will be putting new ones in when I turbo charge it in few months), or a leaky manifold gasket (one of the holes is cross threaded or something so bolt isn't very tight in there (will also repair that when turbo goes on)

What do you guys think? I'm sure someone has had this problem. (\

Oh and also I use castrol gtx 20w50 oil and change oil and filter every 5000km.

[89vn]

Oil pump? If its a 5ltr they are known to have small oil pick ups and Dont get enough oil up around the rocker.
Its also very easy for some shit to get into the oil pick up and restrict it.

[VKCOMMO]

Its a V6..

I've got the same.. Im 99% sure it is the injectors...

[VSSS_5L]

Yeah. Injectors can be noisy as hell.

[Commo_Carl]

How loud are you guys talking? Cause this noise is ####ing loud and annoying. My dad has a leaky manifold gasket on his WB and it makes a very similar noise, I was leaning towards it being an exhaust leak. I will get my stethoscope and have a listen this arvo.

If it is injectors does it just mean they're dirty or arcing on something or what??

[VS_Pete_1]

Mate are you allow to add a turbo with it being under warranty?
It would be a shame after paying for a new one if something goes wrong and they say sorry mate no warranty.
Sorry for off topic.

[vsl67]

Check all of the plugs are tight Ive got one that likes to come loose because its hard to get to it and tighten but it makes an annoying ticking sound when its loose

[Commo_Carl]

Check all of the plugs are tight Ive got one that likes to come loose because its hard to get to it and tighten but it makes an annoying ticking sound when its loose

Spark plugs? or injector plugs?

[Commo_Carl]

Mate are you allow to add a turbo with it being under warranty?
It would be a shame after paying for a new one if something goes wrong and they say sorry mate no warranty.
Sorry for off topic.

Nah not allowed to but don't really care, not gonna cane the shit out of it, should last a bit.

[someguy360]

Mine ticks too, gets louder the higher the revs go.

I am thinking its probably the injectors or lifter....both of which will be replaced when I do my cam/vortech so not too worried.

I know it must sound like shit but its not damaging your engine so unless you want to keep throwing $$ at it to make the sound go away just do what most do and turn your music up :P

I remember years ago chasing a knock in my subaru and ended up costing me around $2000 doing a process of elimination to find the knock.

[cuttinglaps]

Lifter or manifold gasket

[VR028]

i had a similar problem and thought it was my lifters, i took the car to my exhaust shop for something unrelated and he picked up on it being a manifold gasket and changed it for me.

put the car in a high gear at a low speed and see if the noise gets louder when u press the accelerator and if it gets louder you got yourself a broken gasket

[stuntmanmike]

Ticks in time to the rpm, and is ####ing annoying as shit. The harder you drive, the louder it becomes.

I have a few ideas e.g. lifters (which you'd think would be fine being 18,000km old), injectors (which haven't been changed or cleaned over life of vehicle, will be putting new ones in when I turbo charge it in few months), or a leaky manifold gasket (one of the holes is cross threaded or something so bolt isn't very tight in there (will also repair that when turbo goes on)

Have you tried to track down the sound in the engine bay with the vehicle stationary and idling using a wood dowel to hold onto the ticking part and listening to the stick to locate the source?
I know it sounds ridiculous. It works as a rough way to pinpoint rattles and clunks. The trick is to hold one end of the stick onto the part of the engine where the sound is most audible and then firmly place the other end of the stick to your ear to listen to where the sound comes from. A long screwdriver works well too for "listening" providing you have it the right way around...
Best of luck.

[Commo_Carl]

Thanks for your replies, i'm fairly sure it is a gasket, like stated one of the bolts isn't in as it is cross threaded so i'm guessing it's that. Tried to listen around with a bit of tube, but couldn't really hear very well as it was picking up alot of back ground noise. It really starts to get louder at about 2500 rpm i'd say, and gets really loud up near 4-5. So logic is that it would get louder as more gasses are being pushed out? I'll try the dowel trick stuntmanmike