Help with engine tapping noise/ticking

[pontiacgp]

put a quart of transmission fluid in your oil....then run the car for 15 minutes...while the car is running pour some transmission fluid down the carb. The transmission fuild will clean the off any carbon deposits and lubricate the upper end. Use the cheap trany fluid and make sure you do it in an open area cause the fluid you pour down the carb make lotsa white smoke

 

[Phoenyx]

Could be something a lot simpler. Could be the water pump, power steering pump, alternator, or air pump.

I don't know if I've ever had a SBC that didn't make that ticking sound. And I've never had a motor die (and I'm pretty hard on them).

It could also be the pistons slapping against the cylinder walls. If it does it really bad when you first start it up, and goes away (not necessarily totally silent) as it warms up. it could be this.

Basically if the thing isn't smoking, making loud funny noises, or lost all it's power. I'm sure it'll be OK.

 

[cuttytime1985]

Thanks for all the help well I seafoamed it and its seems to have quited it down a bit. 😀

 

[Uncletruck]

Might not apply here if you got it fixed but the heat riser valve is a well known pain in the azz with carbureted cars from this era. On the 231 V6, it is on the drivers side exhaust, between the manifold and the Y pipe. On GM V8's, it can be on either side. It closes with vacuum when the engine is cold, and a spring opens it up when the vacuum is released when the engine warms up. Over time this spring weakens, and the valve (a simple butterfly valve) will rattle or tick at certain RPM's- it can sound just like a bad lifter and is often mistaken for one. Sometimes you can clean and free it up, most often you need to replace it or put on headers or different exhaust system to get rid of it altogether. It is supposed to block that exhaust manifold off when cold, and the exhaust will then flow up and through the heat riser passages under the carb in the intake manifold to allow faster warmups. Does it really work? Marginally, most people don't even notice a difference when disconnecting it. It's really more of a PITA than anything else.

-UT-