Ticking Noise

[raceboy]

I’m not the worlds best when it come to diagnosing mechanical problems, so before I go in search of a local V8 specialist I’ll see if anyone can point me in the right direction of what’s up with it.
Basically I can hear a ticking noise which appears to be coming from the rear of the engine, with your head in the engine bay it gets a little tricky to pinpoint but its coming from the bulkhead end.
The engine still goes as well as it’s ever done and I can sense no lack of performance or anything a miss, but I’m not that keen on the noise, and would ideally prefer it sorted before the first track days of the year.
I’ve still got the tickover issue which I doubt it is linked to but you never know, and the stepper motor has been ruled out of that little problem so the ECU is next on the hit list.
So before I head off in search of my nearest V8 man anyone got any ideas what I’m going to be telling him what ‘I think’ is up with it.

[tvrbob]

Exhaust manifold gasket leaks sound like a ticking noise. Volume increases with level of acceleration.

[tonto]

Or a hole in one of the exhaust manifolds, or the CAM on the way out!

[FHCNICK]

another vote for the exhaust manifold.

[raceboy]

tonto said:

Or a hole in one of the exhaust manifolds, or the CAM on the way out!

Anything slightly more expensive you can think of that it might be, I bet your glass is half empty.
I was just begining to think it'd be a £2.50 gasket and a few hours of a competant spanner man, now I'm worried it's going to be an arm and leg. It better not be the cam, the engine was only rebuilt just under 2 years ago (about 12k miles) and I'm pretty sure the cam was replaced then, if it is I'm not going to be happy, especially as it's not exactly a simple thing to check

[dipstick36]

fingers crossed it's just the gaskets but it is possible that the cam has gone in only 12k miles - if it wasn't set up and run in properly it could wear very quickly.
To double check for manifold/gasket leaks try attaching a feather to a length of wire or thin stick - any blowing should be easy to identify - good luck

[raceboy]

Update

Not sure whether this is good news or really bad news, but........
Had a poke around and I can feel an air leak, it's coming from the red arrow on the picture...

And if you feel down there with your hand you get oily fingers, so it's not just air coming out the gap.
Rocker gasket seems the likely culprit to me but could it be anything nastier and would this cause the ticking and maybe even the dodgy idle

[tvrbob]

That sounds like deflected gas from an exhaust gasket leak. Highly unlikely to be pressure in the rocker cover. The oil will simply be oil biuld up over time from a poorly sealed rocker cover.

[raceboy]

Well just had another feel around and I'm pretty tempted to agree with you Bob.
Shortly before burning the end of my finger on the manifold I'm sure I could feel more gas escaping out of the far side of the exhaust outlet.
So next question is it worth trying to tighten the bolts a little or is it straight in to new gasket mode, is it a TVR specialist job or can any competant backstreet spanner man give it a go?
I'm guessing it's nowhere near as straight forward as it should be, and the chances of the bolts shearing are quite high

[chlomeara]

I have just experienced the same symptoms as you and it was the exhaust manifold gaskets and she is currently being fixed. I use a TVR specialist. I have an MGB and have a local guy who has sorted that and my previous "classics" really well but he just gets in a muddle with the TVR

[TimmyArt]

I had a ticking noise on both my TVRs, both manifolds..
Just had my manifolds done on the Chim at Dulford Auto.. Think it was just over £200 for both. I was worried about bolts snapping so WD40'd them up a few times in the week before..

[TimmyArt]

If you can tighten them yourself I guess its worth a try but mine were tight, and I doubt you can get to all of them. I couldn't, and I'm not sure you'll want to round the heads off??

[tahiti450]

chlomeara said:

I have just experienced the same symptoms as you and it was the exhaust manifold gaskets and she is currently being fixed. I use a TVR specialist. I have an MGB and have a local guy who has sorted that and my previous "classics" really well but he just gets in a muddle with the TVR

Removing and replacing the manifolds should not be a problem for someone basically competent with a spanner, but access is DIFFICULT working from above and below. Be prepared to modify ring spanners with a grinder to fit. The job (like most) requires patience and confidence but if in doubt leave it to an expert.

[raceboy]

tahiti450 said:

access is DIFFICULT working from above and below.

Your not wrong
Popped into my local backstreet spanner mans place last night and as he wasn't busy we got it up on the lift and had a look, the top bolt was very loose and has been nipped up, but there was no way either of us could get our hands through the gap to get to the bottom bolt, he reckoned his lad could probably manage it, but being only 10 we doubted he'd get enough leverage on the spanner.
Don't know whether that one is loose as well but I can't hear the ticking so we'll see.

[aaandy]

May be worth biting the bullet and just getting it done. It will only get worse and can increase in volume quite suddenly if a piece blows out.