Clicking Sound

[Geth]

I've had this clicking (tappety) sound coming from my engine for a while now. There is absalutely no power loss (nothing noticable anyway), I have tried all the remedies I can think of to fix it but nothing is working. I replaced all of my followers, lifters & wear pads last weekend but the sound is still there, although maybe a little quieter now. I've fiddled about with the cam belt tension but that seems to be pretty spot on. I'm preetty sure it's not the head gasket either as compression tests look normal.

Does anybody have any other ideas about what could be causing the sound?

Engine spec is in my sig before you ask.

[Dan]

the oddest one i have had in the past is the exhaust gasket leaking where the manifold mates onto the head. this created a damn annoying clicking/ticking sound.

[Geth]

That is odd. I have a spare exhaust gasket in the garage, I'll see if I can wake up earlly and fit it before heading off to Cheltenham tomorrow.

[Geth]

OK, just changed the exhaust manifold gasket and noise is still there. Any other ideas?

[Lee]

how long since you changed the oil? My next thing to try would be a full engine flush and some new oil.

[Geth]

Think I put new oil in just before Llandow. After talking to some of the guys at Cheltenham yesterday I'm wondering if it could be fuel starvation to the lifters. Think I might get the head off, flush out all of the oil passages with the airline and build it back up from scratch.

Putting the car in the garage next week anyway to fit my T40s :D

[SRlew]

mines started makin this noise, but think mines the head gasket. not sure if that noise is the hg or not though, for all i know it could be somthing else!

[craig green]

If it clicks with the revs then I'd guess on a water pump or pulley & cam belt issue. I actually thought your cam belt sounded tight yesterday..maybe?

Take the belt off the alternator (for a few secs) just to rule that one out.

[Geth]

The cam belt is a little tight but it's only been like that since last weekend when I changed the lifters & followers, which I did because of the clicking noise.

I've tried the alternator thing at that didn't fix it either.

I'm at my wits end with it now so I'm getting my dad's mate over on the weekend to have a listen. He's mechanic with over 30 years experiance, an absalute genius with engines and has been building rally spec engines for people for years, so hopefully he can give me an accurate diagnosis.

[Nath]

i have a very weird ticking noise coming from my engine bay every so often, had it really bad this weekend down the lanes in wales. but i know its my distributor, seems as if the weights inside make a funny noise when under alot of pressure i.e going up a big fackin hill!

[Geth]

Yeah, I've had a few dizzies do that, the springs go on the weights and you get this horrible ratchet kind of noise all of the time.

[Nath]

yep, car doesnt play up or miss at all. and only seems to do it very very rarely