ticking advice?

Post by **racer** » Sun May 23, 2004 8:05 pm

Hi all , Have had a feint 'ticking ' sound from eng. for a few days . Sounded like aloose tappet .after a fast burst of speed ,(fortunately ,now on inside lane of m20 slowing to 70mph ! )ticking got much louder . arrived home ,checked tappets,but no play in them , ticking still there at a fast idle speed.,doesnt seem to be louder under load etc , but generally increases with eng. speed . Removed dizzy ,checked weights,replaced points . sounds like a single loose tappet would sound if the rocker cover was off .Poss. a follower ?(they were renewed with cam approx 1500 mls ago ) Doesn't affect power of eng. Have done the 'ear to a large screwdriver 'sketch ,but can't pin point it ! Any ideas anyone?

Post by **s.richardson** » Sun May 23, 2004 8:28 pm

hiya rod, ive had this on a ford ,exhaust manifold loose, mite be worth a look mate

Post by **Kevin** » Mon May 24, 2004 9:59 am

Timing Chains are prone to ticking / rattling on `A` series

Post by **salty_monk** » Mon May 24, 2004 10:20 am

Perhaps a "stiff link" in the chain??

Post by **Kevin** » Mon May 24, 2004 11:32 am

Perhaps a "stiff link" in the chain??

Normally they just stretch and rattle away and only tend to get changed when the owner gets fed up of the noise (its a very common noise) but I have not come across one breaking.

Post by **racer** » Mon May 24, 2004 2:54 pm

UPDATE -- Changed dist. (thought it may be bob weights) no joy . changed alloy rocker cover to old tatty orig. one --thought it may be tappet etc rubbing inside (there were marks )or resonance . no joy Tightened all tappetts a bit ,put 4 thou feeler guage in gap of running tappets --no change in noise . checked inside dist cap (new) for marks etc --nothing . Now have noise that is a 'tick' on idle ,speeding up and going to a 'tap' on revving engine . doesnt affect performance ,doesnt get worse when oil is hot/cold . Cant be t/chain --seems to be coming from the rear around the dist area ,although I know sound travels . My best estimate now is either a small end (Recent recon BM engine) or a follower ,(recent piper cam/new followers) Any other ideas asap please ????

Post by **racer** » Mon May 24, 2004 3:02 pm

Forgot to mention --checked for broken (double )valve springs . Because noise doesnt change when inserting feeler gauge in running tappetts ,can assume not a follower?I did have low oil press. at one point --see other posts ,but good press. now . The noise got seriously worse when I caned the engine to 5000 rpm yesterday, on the m.way ,but faded back to a slightly noisier tick .on backing off the revs .

Post by **rayofleamington** » Mon May 24, 2004 3:43 pm

Has the flywheel been fitted well? I did one once but missed out doing up the tab washers on the flywheel bolts (I was young).
The flywheel loosened off and it had a tap which soon sounded like a big end (very stressfull on a newly rebuilt engine)

Post by **MrA.Series** » Mon May 24, 2004 4:15 pm

I had a ticking from the dizzy area once, and it was the sound of the points opening and closing with the cam. oil hole and grease cam in dizzy as specified in the manual usually sorted it out for me.

Post by **racer** » Mon May 24, 2004 8:06 pm

Dizzy fully oiled etc ,flywheel bolts tab washered . This is driving me mad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thought I may do followers first (cos their easier ) Then I suppose its engine out ,or do the little ends insitu I think they have floating gudgeon pins ,so it looks poss. like new pistons?

Post by **dennis** » Mon May 24, 2004 8:47 pm

HI
I HAD THIS ONCE ANND IT TO DROVE ME MAD.
IT TURNED OUT TO BE A SPLIT IN THE BOTTOM PULLEY, MINE EVENTUALLY SPLIT IN 2, BUT MAY BE WORTH CHECKING THE PULLY.
THE ONLY OTHER OBVIOUS THING IS SOMETHING LOOSE ON THE FAN BELT

Post by **Willie** » Mon May 24, 2004 9:17 pm

If it helps I had small end problems on my engine some time ago
and they tapped when pulling and tapped when on overrun! The only
time I could stop them tapping was by delicately feathering the
throttle so that the car was neither pulling or slowing! A very tiring
way to drive.

Post by **racer** » Mon May 24, 2004 9:58 pm

WILLIE ---Yeah I've had that before too! Funny thing is this noise wont go away ,whatever way I drive ! I do feel that it is coming from the engine internals ,and not the dizzy etc . As soon as you up the revs to pull away,it is there ! I think I'll have to get some new followers tomorrow ,for a start . DENNIS --I'll try disconnecting the fan belt to eliminate it ,I've got my doubts ,but gotta try everything before a strip down!

Post by **Scott** » Tue May 25, 2004 5:03 am

Racer,
This might be difficult to trace (as you probably now know), but it would be best to check the bolt on parts first before stripping the engine, especially as the noise only varies with revs & not load.
I had a starter motor gear coming into contact with the ring gear a while ago (not Minor) & it took a while to find that. I'd remove the belt as already suggested & then maybe remove the starter motor (crank/push start).
Sometimes the generator brushes can develop a ticking noise, but usually only new ones.
It's not a HT lead arcing somewhere is it? This is usually accompanied my a missfire though. These are best found at night when the engine bay is nice & dark.

Post by **racer** » Tue May 25, 2004 7:36 am

Scott --Tried all those! remember the tick changes to a sound like a loose tappet ,so cant be arcing out . I'm gutted about this cos of all the time/money I've spent so far !

Post by **racer** » Tue May 25, 2004 2:24 pm

update-- Went to Avonbar Racing today ,he reckons is either t/chain ,or dizzy bob weights , OR at a very last resort a sticking gudgeon pin in piston . Re-done dizzy ,tightened bob weights etc etc ,a very ,very slight improvement . Going for t/chain tension next . Using the old screwdriver to the ear trick ,out of all the places I listened, the t/ch. sound was the closest I got to the noise ,plus it seemed to come in at roughly the right place when you increased revs . PLEASE KEEP THE IDEAS COMING ,I'M TRYING THEM ALL!!!!!!

Post by **Scott** » Wed May 26, 2004 2:21 am

Normally timing chain noise is more pronounced at idle, especially a slow idle.

Racer wrote:Please keep the ideas coming

I'll give it a go, but I'm at work & I try not too think too much here.

Post by **racer** » Wed May 26, 2004 1:43 pm

Have now found that by removing the rear plug cap,the noise stops ! SO........... Generally speaking ,if the plug is'nt firing ,has the load on the piston/rockers/etc for that cylinder ,decreased or increased on that cylinder? Can't get me head round that one! .....Have also found that number 7 rocker has the inserted tip (the 'plug 'inserted into the pressed steel rocker that bears onto the valve stem) is SLIGHTLY loose radially (only very slight though .) Any Ideas?

Post by **Cam** » Wed May 26, 2004 1:52 pm

Generally speaking ,if the plug is'nt firing ,has the load on the piston/rockers/etc for that cylinder ,decreased or increased on that cylinder?

Decreased. So it looks like the fault may well lie with cylinder 4 then! If the noise goes when it's not firing then maybe the small-end of that cylinder (well rod/piston) is a bit suspect??

Might be head and sump off time!

Post by **racer** » Wed May 26, 2004 2:09 pm

What about the possibility of a cam follower? (no,I don't mean following you cam!