Finally fixed the tick!

[Matt 4.3 TBI]

I've been chasing a ticking noise from my engine for a few months now. When it started it was very quiet, only audible inside with the windows up and radio off. It's been getting louder in the past month, and hearing JJ talking about his cracked piston skirt got me worried.

Anyhow, long story short: It was the EGR valve. It had burned out the bottom-left side of the gasket, only the metal screen was left there. The passenger-front corner of my manifold is covered in carbon, too! I hadn't noticed until today when I got a flashlight and started checking my intake manifold bolts (wondering if one might be loose at the EGR passage) and spotted all the carbon.

Had a spare slightly-used gasket and permatex'd it on there. No more ticking! I'm also very grateful Edelbrock put the EGR on the front of their manifold, doubt I would have spotted all that carbon on the stocker (not to mention that one was black anyhow!)

[sparky2263]

Glad you got it fixed Matt!

They have this tool now, new-fangled thing, think they call it a steth-a something or the other......... :D

[jjwalker]

well matt, my cracked piston sounds a little worse than an exhaust leak :p

[Matt 4.3 TBI]

I've got a stethoscope as well Sparky...but it didn't make a **** difference! It was the loudest coming from the AC bracket, so it kept throwing me off the track. I pulled the tip off the stethoscope, so it's a better version of the 'hose to your ear trick' but with the noise from the TBI, and the air rushing past the hose from the fan I was never able to pinpoint the location.

JJ- It really wasn't sounding like exhaust, more like metal on metal clanking. I'll go take a pic of the gasket, it's really torn up. I guess the sound was the exhaust leak combined with the EGR valve tapping on the manifold.

[Matt 4.3 TBI]

Here's the culprit. Notice how most of the gasket material has burned away from the lower half. I wonder what caused it? I've got the EGR disabled in the computer. It's set to engage at 0% throttle...idle is about 5%.

[rlith]

I have a ticking but its the gear on the starter...Drives me nuts but I'm too lazy to swap it out. :D

[sparky2263]

There is still hot gas present with the valve closed. I imagine it had started a while back and got worse.

Yes, I was referring to using the hose end only.

[Matt 4.3 TBI]

I've been wondering if it's building up too much hot exhaust in the passage, since the valve never opens. I should really just get an EGR block-off plate for it, but we have visual inspection along with sniffer testing around Dallas. Guess it would come down to how observant the tester is.

[rlith]

Well if it helps any, I passed with flying colors with my EGR mod. (Not blocked off, just restricted)

[Matt 4.3 TBI]

Not at all worried about the emissions portions...mine passes with a disabled EGR! Just wondering if they'll notice the plate in place of the valve.