Tick Tick Tick TICK (valve shims?)

hey...it runs

New Member
Aug 15, 2011
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chicago
Hello guys, it's been a while...my car was doing great. (7mge, 5 speed bone stock)

Well anyways, ever since I bought the car at 120k it's had a very very slight click. Once she's all warmed up and idling beautifully at 750 there's a very faint, but still noticable, tick. Never really thought anything of it as the engine has always run absolutely perfect all the way from 750 to 6500 rpm. I did replace the HG at 135k and it seems to have been happy as can be ever since.

Well, I'm at 145k now and I climbed in my car a few days ago, started her up, and noticed that the ticking noise had somewhat grown. It's the same noise, just a few db louder. The engine runs exactly the same, but I'm worried. There should be no way I have rod knock. The HG was done over 10K ago, and this wasn't a slow going change. It seemed like it happened over night and I have been driving on it for a week or so and it has not seemed to change for the better or worse. I check my fluids every week and I don't believe I was beating on it before this happened. The noise itself seems to be coming from just under the valve cover around cylinder two or three. It could be an exhaust leak (I've always had one where the manifold meets the rest of the exhaust) but it doesn't sound like it's coming from down there. The engine itself runs smooth as glass.

So what do you guys think? I'm planning on doing a big old tune up on it real soon (cap, rotor, plugs, wires, AFM adapter with a cone filter and a high flow cat) and figured maybe i should adjust the valve shims while I'm at it? I could at least check them? Is this even something to worry about? Thanks ahead of time!
 

mk3_7m

Member
Jul 21, 2007
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melbourne
I remember IJ saying this in a post a while ago to test if it isn't rod knock. The way to do it is pulling off the spark plug leads one at time while the engine is running. If the noise goes away after pulling of the lead on that one particular cylinder. Then you have a rod knock on that cylinder.

I have that similar tick on my engine, though this is on a freshly rebuilt engine that hasn't done over 20kms yet.
So hard to judge whether it's a tired engine on it's last leg or just a valve wear which hopefully is the case.
 

veedubin

Official SM Decals
Yank the valve covers when you do a tune up (probably leaking a bit anyways) and check your clearances. TSRM has step by step instructions to do it to. Checking is rather easy, adjusting is somewhat of a pain ...

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hvyman

Dang Dude! No Way Man.
Staff member
Apr 17, 2007
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Fullerton,CA
Normal sound. You'll neer really get it to go completely away. If the engine is low on oil tho it will get a little louder.
 

jake8790

Life's too short for N/A
Dec 18, 2011
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Oregon
All 7M's I have heard make that slight clattering sound, I left my shims on the loose side of spec and I can hear them clattering away at idle. If it was rod knock, it's more of a "shut it down before it explodes" kind of noise.
 

Numba1Stuna

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Apr 18, 2012
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Nampa, ID
Just out of curiosity, did you guys ^ with the noisy clatter also lap your valves or just shim them?

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Backlash2032

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Sep 20, 2010
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Nebraska
Rebuilt engine with lapped valves. Not sure if you meant cut down the valve stem or lap them, because AFAIK lapping them should have no effect..
 

Numba1Stuna

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Apr 18, 2012
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Nampa, ID
Hmmmm... Was just curious. I would think that lapping them and making a more precise mating surface between the valve and the head may reduce "clatter." Interested to see what mine will sound like when I get my engine back together. I lapped my valves as well.

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Backlash2032

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Sep 20, 2010
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I had a tick before the engine rebuild, all clearances were in spec.. put it all back together, lapped the valves.. set clearances to the tight side and it still ticks. Nothing too bad, it sounds like a old sewing machine.

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hey...it runs

New Member
Aug 15, 2011
138
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chicago
Well, I finally discovered what the noise was, but I'm a little hesitate to say due to embarrassment. I was pulling out of school the other day and I heard a pop followed by a deeper leaky running tone. I thought to myself, I know exactly what that was. My exhaust just snapped. Better pull over. I looked under the car out the driver's door and didn't see anything hanging down so I figured it would be safe to drive 400 yards to the nearest subdivision. Well I find a slot where I don't think I'll be towed and popped the hood only to discover my exhaust is fine. The sound seemed to be coming from the top of my engine. Confused I quickly shut her off and began looking around. I noticed that the plug wire on cylinder number 4 under the throttle body looked like it came off and when I started Nabbing at the wire with a screwdriver it seemed like the plug was clanking around too. A phone call and fifteen minutes later my friend arrived with tools and I pulled off the TB. Turns out that tick I had been hearing was plug four slowly working its way out until it finally popped out. Screwed it back in after letting the motor cool while we got a bite to eat and vuala. Ran beautiful and the tick is gone. Thank God nothing was damaged. In my defense I had never touched the plugs even during my bhg job so I was not the one to torque it before it came out. On a side note, the 7m runs incredibly well on five cylinders. Lol