Ping vs. Tick

[notny41]

Hey guys.

My 289 was running pretty good except when I used to start the car I could hear a ticking sound for about a second or two.

I talked to the guy at the frontdesk at NAPA (probably not the smartest thing to do) and he handed me some of this Marvel Mystery something or other in a red bottle and said to dump it into the oil. Thought it was probably a sticky lifter.

So I did that (probably even not smarter), well, the tick at startup is gone. Instead I now have a tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick when accellerating. Very faint, but it is starting to annoy me and worry me that there may be something wrong with the engine.

I don't know how to tell the difference between a tick and a ping. Can someone explain that to me. And if it is a ping, is that solved by taking some of the degrees off the timing advance?

Thanks!

 

[D.Hearne]

A ping is what you hear when you accellerate and,,either your fuel mixture runs lean, or the timing's too advanced for the fuel your using. This noise isn't a steady ticking sound, more like a random noise. A sticking lifter will be a steady ticking, keeping time with the increasing rpms. If it's a random sound on accelleration, first try adjusting the timing by retarding it ( move the dist counterclockwise) , if you use a timing light, check the degrees it's set at, if it's at or below 6 degrees BTDC ( before top dead center) then you need to run a higher octane fuel and/or richen the jets. Try the fuel first, if the ping still persists, then try going richer on the jets by no more than 4 numbers.

 

[notny41]

Thanks D.Hearne,

Well the ticking is a steady sound and does keep up with the increasing rpms so it must be a lifter then.

I'll throw another couple quarts of oil in and see if that helps. It was covering the on the bottom dot on the dipstick (right above the word "fill"). Maybe that's why I'm hearing it.

 

[D.Hearne]

Could be low oil causing it, but usually, it's a bad lifter, especially if the motor's never been rebuilt. Lifters don't last forever.

 

[Ozsum2]

D is right, but the auto parts guy is a little wrong in the discription. The lifters tick because they don't hold hydralic pressure. They are partially collapsed and there is slack in the valve train. No sticking to it.

 

[D.Hearne]

Sometimes they stick too, especailly if the motor has set up a long time between startups and/or run with the temps too cold allowing sludge and varnish to build up in the motor.

 

[69 302/351c]

Sounds like a lifter but could also be an exhaust leak at the manifold.

 

[notny41]

69 302/351c - you hit it on the head! I'm almost positive it is an exhaust leak. Driver's side doghnut I think. What are they about $2 each - probably do both sides. Looks like they are fairly easy access items.

P

 

[Ozsum2]

Sometimes they stick too, especailly if the motor has set up a long time between startups and/or run with the temps too cold allowing sludge and varnish to build up in the motor.

You are right. I never had one stick because I keep my oil changed.

 

[Pakrat]

69 302/351c - you hit it on the head! I'm almost positive it is an exhaust leak. Driver's side doghnut I think. What are they about $2 each - probably do both sides. Looks like they are fairly easy access items.

P

I was going to venture that guess as well. You will usually only hear it on acceleration. Try getting up to speed and then holding it steady, if you only hear it when you lean in to the pedal, then you are on the right track. A totally unrelated coincidence in timing with the Marvel Mystery oil.