Noise anyone?

[GlynMo]

When I start my Griff from cold and move off (i.e. it's not audible with no load), I hear a sort of ticking noise coming from under the bonnet. It's not timed with every rev of the engine, it sounds as though it relates to just one cylinder, and it disappears very quickly. Any ideas? Something to do with a hydraulic lifter??

[DaveWesty]

Exhaust manifold gasket?
They make a sort of ticking noise when they fail.

[GlynMo]

I've experienced that before and, from memory, you can hear it all the time?

[Quinny]

GlynMo said:

I've experienced that before and, from memory, you can hear it all the time?

Not always.....as the engine warms, metal expands and can seal the blow by....

[GlynMo]

Oh well, looks like it's under the bonnet with my trusty long screwdriver/stethoscope!

[Loubaruch]

You may find that a feather or something similar will be more use in tracing a manifold leak provided of course that the fans are not operating.

[stevesprint]

hydraulic lifter slow to pump up???

[GlynMo]

stevesprint said:

hydraulic lifter slow to pump up???

That was my thinking. If it is, what causes it and how important is it that it's fixed?

[Hedgehopper]

I get a random (not related to engine speed) metallic clicking sound every second or so as the engine warms up. I may well be wrong but I have assumed that it it is the Y-piece manifold clamps expanding and settling. The noise soon stops as the manifolds heat up.

[Wildfire]

Loubaruch said:

You may find that a feather or something similar will be more use in tracing a manifold leak provided of course that the fans are not operating.

I always found a tube with one end in your ear to hear any hissing sounds helps with manifold leaks. They start out small, but when part of the gasket hardens and breaks off it can sound almost mechanical/metallic.

[EGB]

DaveWesty said:

Exhaust manifold gasket?
They make a sort of ticking noise when they fail.

Mine did this exactly. It eventually blew out a 1/2 of gasket. Sounded like a V12 RR Merlin on tick over.

[Pete Mac]

GlynMo said:

When I start my Griff from cold and move off (i.e. it's not audible with no load), I hear a sort of ticking noise coming from under the bonnet. It's not timed with every rev of the engine, it sounds as though it relates to just one cylinder, and it disappears very quickly. Any ideas? Something to do with a hydraulic lifter??

Exhaust manifold gasket first, hydraulic lifter second (in my humble opinion) - I've done the exhaust manifold gasket thing, I could tell you in seconds....

[CHGRIFF]

Symptoms typical of hydraulic lifters becoming noisy if not pressurising, can be caused by type or grade of oil used. I would start by giving the old girl and oil and filter change irrespective of when last oil change was carried out. Replace using a quality 20w50 oil which is well suited to these V8 engines, assuming you havn't used this spec of oil previously. Works most of the time and noise disappears. If still noisy then at least the cars had an oil change. Exhaust leaks should be easy to find, hydraulic lifters may need replacing or in worst instance may be down to crank/conrod bearing wear.
Check for exhaust leaks first, then change the oil to this spec. Many happy peaple out there were told they should change the lifters, changed the oil themselves and saved a packet.

[EGB]

Feather test stuck on a long pencil around the plug recesses will tell which one. Or short piece of garden hose stuck in ear hole and listen. Did a very temporary repair with David's plastic metal.

[ESDavey]

I had similar, turned out to be the heatshields to protect the belt on the exhausts. Once warm & expanded, noise went away !

[stevesprint]

If its worse the longer you leave the car standing then I would suspect the lifters are bleeding down slowly and therefore go for the oil change ChGriff suggests.