Hey guys, I've got an odd noise in my car and I'm not sure what it is. When the engine is under load, there is quite a loud ticking sound that I can hear. It sounds as though it is coming from the left side of the engine (where the turbo is) and it gets faster as engine speed increases. If I rev the car in neutral, the noise is there briefly but then goes away. Would a leaking exhaust manifold make this noise? The only other thing I can think of is the turbo, but it boosts fine and as far as I know it blows no smoke. P.S. Please don't anyone tell me that it's my lifters and I should change my oil. Some original photos have not been recovered yet.

If its a bit of a sqweel and ticking noise, then its probably an exhaust leak. Check Manifold to Head Gasket, Turbo - Dumpipe bolts and connections, and all other connections down the way. Look for a black exhaust stain to find out where its leaking - if you can see one.

Sounds like its farting

you sure it aint the the bottom end going tick, tick tick and just waiting to go B A N G.

when my exhaust manifold gasket blew it seriously sounded like a VW beetle

Been in many a leaky car. it's a ticking if the leak isnt too bad. But you should be able to hear it all the time. Louder under load of course and as you said, gets faster with Engine RPM. Nothing major, just check everything darkstar mentioned. Hope you aint got and broken manifold studs... they are a pain in the ass!

This engine I have just installed myself in the last month, so I know it's not engine internals because it didn't sound like this in the old car. Also not broken manifold studs, as I checked them all when I put the new engine in. I have tightened all the exhaust manifold studs, still the noise is there. Maybe the dump pipe to exhaust bolts?

My car started to do this i suspect the manifold. It sounds like a fish tank filter ( kinda of like an electrical bubbling noise ) if ya get me. WHen i get time i'll check the manifold, hopefully no broken studs.

Quote: Originally Posted by jordy I have tightened all the exhaust manifold studs, still the noise is there. Maybe the dump pipe to exhaust bolts? It'll be anything around there. Dump pipe/manifolds... Basically anywhere that bolts together in the ehaust end is where the noise can come from. Just gotta check it all really.

mine made the same sort of ticking noise yours is doing, cept its a vl n/a. when changing from the standard manifold to extractors, being the handy backyard mechanic that i am i stripped the thread out of the first 'stud hole' under the dizzy. it was fine for a while but it started to make that ticking noise which was louder than the injectors, and got worse under load...fixed it up now and hte noise is gone. put your ear up close and pull the throttle cable and u can hear the leak, as well as the ticking. probly no big dramas

i had a cracked exhaust manifold and i could hear a whistling sound (pretty cool actually). it was such a small hole, its rather insignificant. any1 know how much a new exhaust manifold is ?

definatley ehxaust manifold, did you remove the old gasket before putting the new one on?? seen that done a few times. That's if you had the manifold off that is.

Haha yes I did take the old gasket off. Trouble is I also took the turbo off the manifold, the dump pipe off the turbo, the front pipe off the dump pipe and the cat off the front pipe. So there's 10000 places that it could be leaking from.

If it's a distinct TICK....TICK.. then it'll be manifold but if it's more of a flutter it'll be one of the 9999 other things.

Yes it's a very distinct ticking

Check the studs and tighten if needed but be careful not to tighten to much.

my mate had this prob in his r31, it turned out it was the small 4 bolt gasket between the turbo and exhaust manifold, u just about gotta pull out the passenger side boltons to get to it best of luck finding it

get yourself a 4 ft long piece of hose and pretending you're a doctor put one end to your ear and search for the leak with the other end, old army trick! lol. Trust me this works.

Quote: Originally Posted by XCTMNT my mate had this prob in his r31, it turned out it was the small 4 bolt gasket between the turbo and exhaust manifold, u just about gotta pull out the passenger side boltons to get to it best of luck finding it Mmm yes I did consider this being the problem, however the guy I talked to at holden said they want $50 for this gasket. I thought he had the wrong part, I said nah mate it's the square kinda gasket between the manifold and the turbo. He reckons he had the right one, and it's almost $50.

Quote: Originally Posted by jordy Mmm yes I did consider this being the problem, however the guy I talked to at holden said they want $50 for this gasket. I thought he had the wrong part, I said nah mate it's the square kinda gasket between the manifold and the turbo. He reckons he had the right one, and it's almost $50. Yeh he was probably right when we bought it it was expensive too. The funny thing was we went to Nissan for the part, they said they dont sell it you have to go to holden. We went to holden and ordered it and it came in nissan packaging from Nissan, you tell me how some people get their jobs have you found out which one it is yet ?? Some original photos have not been recovered yet.