CaddyDaddy Posted April 29, 2004 Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 I have an '89 SeVille and it loves to tick. Can someone help point me in the right directon? I swore this was a worn out rocker arm do to the fact that I pulled the back vavle cover off (since this is where the noise is coming from) and I found that the cup on the rocker arm where the push rod sits was really worn maybe more than a thousand of an inch was worn away. So that made me think this was my problem. So instead of just replacing the rockers I went all out and replace the rockers, push rods, and lifters for all cylinders. Which with all the gaskets came up to $500 or more. Well, now that i have replaced all these goodies and done everything by the book (Torque specs and in the correct sequence) now I am ready to fire this baby up and listen to her purr. This was the moment of truth. So I fire it up and what do you know I have the same exact tick coming from the back of the motor best heard by the front doors and under the car right behide the front wheels. What could this tick be?? Its nothing like a thump or knock it is clearly a tick. Which speeds up with the rpm. Also its not heard at start up but give it 1 minute to warm up and tick tick tick gets a little louder and clear when hot. I was really mad when I put 500 dallors into this motor and didn't fix my problem. I guess it could hurt any. So can anyone help me find this ticker?? Please help. Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Concours Posted April 29, 2004 Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 Sounds like it could be an exhaust leak. When the exhaust gets hot, a crack might get bigger making the ticking noise heard after 1 minute of warm up. Jeff Jeff 98 Concours 90 Seville 04 Corvette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hall Posted April 29, 2004 Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 My dad has what sounds like the exact problem with his except his is an 87' with the 4.1. He's put in a new oil pump thinking it was low oil pressure but it didn't help. He's even tried taking off the valve covers and running it without water in the radiator to get it to warm up but it will never make the noise. The tick on his is really loud when driving especially up a hill but after about 15 sec. of idling the noise dissappears. For now, he has just been driving it and ignoring the noise. You can check if it's an exhaust leak by putting the car into gear and power braking. The noise will be heard while power braking but will dissappeear when you let off the throttle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyDaddy Posted April 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2004 Yea its really confusing! I was thinking it was a exhaust leak too. I saw a 89 DeVille today at a car lot and asked him if I could check it out. So when I did I amde sure it was the same motor and it was. When I started it up and let it run for not even a minute I noticed it did the same thing. Did help me out much but at least it made me feel a tad bit better since mine isn't the only one making this anoying tick. I was also thinking about the oil pump but since you said your dad replaced his and it didn't change anything I think I'll leave it alone. It sucks when you go through a bunch or work for nothing. Does anyone have any suggestions or is this just a caddy thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hall Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 I don't think it's just a Caddy thing. I've got an '88 Eldorado with 196K miles and a '87 Allante and both engines are very quiet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Wear of .001" is nothing. Hydraulic lifters can easily compensate for at least .060" without any problem. Try getting a long piece of hose; put one end to your ear and move the other end in the vicinity of the "tick" to try and pin down the location. An exhaust will be real evident when moving around the flanges. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
careldo Posted April 30, 2004 Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 Didn't these engines have problamatic cams at some point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyDaddy Posted April 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2004 I'm not sure. But i was almost thinking it was the cam bearings. If I put a long screw driver touching the back valve cover and put my ear on the other end I can hear the ticking noise. It seems to be louder on the back head than on the front. I am really confused. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 Use a piece of 3/8" rubber hose as a stethoscope to locate the noise. The screwdriver will amplify the noise but it will be very difficult to locate the source. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyDaddy Posted May 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 I'll have to try that. Putting $500 into the motor nad having it fix nothing is really agrevating. Hope the hose works. Have any ideas what it might be? I have noticed this on a couple caddies. Same year and motor. Thanks Kevin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAUL T Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 Is'nt that "tick, tick, tick" the Heartbeat of America!!! LOL Sorry could not resist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 If it is lifters, I have solved this ticking in the past by pulling the lifters, disassembling each one (keep each lifters parts together, they are matched) and soaking them in solvent and cleaning them up. I think they get dirty and gummy and don't react properly. While you have them out you can check for dishing of the lifter face or any unusual wear. You many just have a slighly bent pushrod and it may make sense to replace all the pushrods. Lay them on a table and roll them like you would a pool stick to check their trueness. I think you will find your ticking there if it is valve train related. Around 84 they had CAM problems I understand, but it was not a ticking it was a rough idle I believe. I am not sure if I would call this a DIY job unless you are familiar with this type of job, and have the proper tools (torque wrench, and lifter puller (has claws that grab the lifter and has a type of slide hammer on it to break the sludge line). A push rod can become bent from over reving the engine I believe. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 I am sorry, I feel like an idiot...... I did not see that you replaced all the valve train parts......and still have the ticking. How loud is it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximln Posted May 1, 2004 Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 The 4.5 and the 4.9 motors are notorious for the main bearing knock (tick) that you are hearing. Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyDaddy Posted May 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2004 Well it seems loud to me, but I think that has to do with the fact that I put $500 dollars into it and still have the ticking. I was ready for this baby to purr. I didn't get that effect at all. I can't hear it when under the hood. It is best heard standing by either of the front doors. It seems to be coming from the bad head. I have pulled the valve cover off and ran the motor, but there didn't seem to be any noise comeing from that area. I just hope I didn't buy a faulty lifter. When I put a screwdriver up to the back head and my ear up to the other I can hear the ticking, but the front head sounds really smooth. This still has me stumped. Thanks for the help people. I just wish this problem was solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyDaddy Posted May 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 Thats sounds a lot better than bearings going out becasue I really wouldn't want to get into that at moment. Maybe these are notorius for exhaust leaks. I have heard another caddy tick in the same way. And a guy told me he had a 85 caddy that ticked in the same way and it was an exhaust manifold gasket. Hopefully this will fix the problem once and for all. Thanks everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyDaddy Posted May 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 The 4.5 and the 4.9 motors are notorious for the main bearing knock (tick) that you are hearing. Max The main bearing thump that shows up on some of the 4.9 engines is a very deep, hollow thump....not a tick. It could not even remotely be described as a tick. Sounds to me like an exhaust leak at the manfold to the head or the down pipe to the manifold..... Hold the car in gear with the brakes and lightly crowd the throttle..."power brake" it lightly... with the hood open. If the ticking gets noticeably louder then you are probably looking for an exhaust leak. A lifter ticking will not usually get louder when the engine is loaded against the torque converter like that....an exhaust leak will. Exhaust leaks can sound exactly like a lifter ticking. Oh and thanks alot with the help on the air mix door problem. You were right on the money about the location. Took me about 15 minutes to get that fixed. Thanks agian! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyDaddy Posted May 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 Ok, I want to thank everyone for there input first. I am still having the tick because I am a little scared to start throwing parts at it. One thing I would like to know is this. I have a hollowed out catalytic convertor basically the same as not having one at all. So without the catalytic convertor that should allow alot more air flow throw the exhaust. Well wouldn't this make it hard for a exhaust leak to make this ticka ticka noise?? I have done the probing with the hose worked pretty good except the fact that it just let me know it was coming from the back head like I had thought before. I also put it up where the pipes join from the front and back exhaust manifold and heard the ticking, but I really don't think its the source of the noise. Well I was thinking maybe it dosen't have enough back pressure so I plugged the muffler up with an old shirt to give a lot more back pressure. Well the noise didn't seem to get any louder and swear it sounds like metal agianst metal ticking but I really hope not. Anyway with the exhaust plugged I noticed smoke or maybe stem just a little coming up from the back manifold, the only thing is I don't know if it was oil leaking onto the exhaust manifold or exhaust seeping out. DOes anyone know someone who has replaced the exhaust manifold gaskets and acually got rid of a ticking noise on a 4.5L engine??? This tick tick tick needs to be a thing of the past. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaddyDaddy Posted May 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 Yea, I did load the engine and the tick gets faster not really louder. Are you saying that with very low back pressure an exhaust leak will still be heard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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