There was tapping coming from a valve cover...

[Dbeck002]

So i hear this tapping noise from under the hood. you can barely hear it but since i know my car well, i knew the tapping wasnt there before. anyway, im thinking worst case scenario i have to adjust a rocker or maybe even debris is causing the noise down there. Anyway, for no reason i decided to just tighten my header bolts on that side of the motor, 3 of them were VERY loose. i was kinda worried and when i took a closer look at the header gasket it was torn pretty bad where the tapping is coming from. it was also a little bit burnt. is this tapping just exhaust leak and i should replace the header gasket? thats what im thinking, someone please reply.

 

[ss93cobra]

A small exhaust leak could sound like a tapping I suppose. With the torn gasket, replacing it would be a good idea. Once you tightened down the bolts, did the noise stop?

 

[Dbeck002]

the noise did not stop, remained the same. but the gasket is still torn and i can clearly see burns on the edges of the tears. i think even tightening it down wont stop the leak because the gasket is ripped!! i just hope this is whats causing the tapping.

 

[cheddarbacon]

sounds like it

dude why were those bolts so lose.... next time on header exchange make sure you go back and re tightin the bolts after about a day or two after the swap.

 

[Michael Yount]

If the header flange is not flat/true - it's very common for leaks to occur, gaskets to fail, and the bolts to loosen over time.

If you want to be sure all is proper - pull the headers and check the flanges for true. Even a couple of hundredths out of true can cause problems. You local machine shop can mill them flat - new gaskets - bolt em up, and you shouldn't have any more trouble with it.

 

[Dbeck002]

thanks for the replies guys. I replaced the gaskets with some felpros and the tapping did stop. by the way the headers are BBK long tubes that i got only a year ago so im pretty sure the surface is still flat.

 

[Michael Yount]

The age of the headers has less to do with their being flat - the quality of them is the issue. The BBK's are usually pretty nice pieces. Did you check yours with a straight edge before putting them on new? I've seen a number of different brands - brand new out of the box - with flange surfaces that aren't true. It's the most common source of leaks and bolts that won't stay tight, but hardly anyone thinks to check it before they put them on. They just assume the flange is flat. Many times it's not.

Glad your fix was an easy one - keep your eye on it. If bolts keep backing out, or leaks re-occur, it's likely because you've got a flange that's not true.