Ticking engine
 

Hey everyone,
I have a problem with my 89 LX. It's got an L4 engine with an overhead camshaft. Recently it started to produce a terrible tick. It's definitely a tick and not a knock. It speeds up with my revs and slows down the same. I just changed my Camshaft and lifters/rocker guides and looked over/serviced my whole valvetrain. It can't be valves because I'd have a miss if they were sticking at all. My timing is fine. My oil is okay with no metal or anything in it (nothing out of the ordinary). I use 89 Octane fuel always and only from Chevron. I have run engine cleaner and fuel injector cleaner and oil additives and run it hot and cold and it still does the same thing. Right after changing the cam I started the car and it didn't tick for a moment. Then when I revved the engine a bit it came back (exactly same tick). Does anyone have any suggestions? I am completely dumbfounded.
Thanks

Re: Ticking engine
 

How's your oil pressure? Is it a single tick or a clattering? If oil pressure is good and it's a single tick it could be a hydraulic lifter sticking or a sticky valve. A clattering is a sign of lack of oil to the top half of the engine.

It's just a single tick. You can hear it must be one cylinder because it's a consistent tick. Oil pressure is fine, and the gauge does work alright. There's no miss so a sticking valve isn't too likely but possible.

Just to add to that, when I was in doing the cam I changed the hydraulic lifters and checked for burrs and grooves on the head where the lifter sits. That was all okay and they all moved in and out of the head smoothly.

Hydraulic lifters can sonme times be temperamental. That's why I was leaning towards the sticky valve/lifter. I had a sticky lifter in an 87 Pontiac Sunbird with a 2.0 OHC. The car ran fine with no miss but had one lifter sticking slightly. It opened just fine but was hesitant in closing. I ran the engine for about 1,000 miles and the lifter freed itself.

BTW, if you have a compression tester try doing a compression check and see if that is okay. That'll tell you if the valvetrain is okay.

Awesome, will do.
Thanks alot Axman I'll let you know how that comes out.

I meant to ask and forgot. Does your engine have twin plug design (2 per cylinder)?

No it's just a single plug for each cylinder.

Okay, I wasn't sure when the twin plug came out. My 92 has the twin plug. In that case it couldn't be a misfiring second plug (it would still run fine if it was). BTW. minor exhaust and ignition cable leaks also can resemble a ticking lifter. Since you don't have a miss then you can rule that out. I hope you have new exhaust gaskets if so then rule that out.

Let me know how the comp test goes.