I'm having issues with a ticking sound that comes alive once my engine is warmed up. I replaced my TCT with Billman's 3rd gen TCT but that failed after a few weeks of blissful, ticking noise free driving. I replaced my TCT again but this time with Billman's 4th gen TCT a week or so ago and this noise has been coming from my engine since day one of replacing the TCT the second time.

I'm not really sure what the cause could be but I am grateful for any help or information that might help me with this issue.



Here's a video I made of how my engine sounds on cold and warm starts. Hopefully this will make things clearer than just posting my description of the noise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu-LUC5R31M

 

Valve adjustment?

 

Thanks _brandon I was kinda leaning towards that as well. I'm at 80xxx miles now anyway so I was planning on inspecting/changing my plugs, inspecting my retainers, and doing a valve adjustment eventually.. but I guess the adjustment can only help so I'll give it a go sometime in the coming weeks. But in the meantime does anybody else have any idea what the problem could be??

 

Yeah I have a VERY noisey engine but I just consider it to be normal considering the TCT is good, compression is good, and adjusted the valves. Now that I think about it I'm not totally sure it is an adjustment but worth a look. Could be missing an adjuster nut and just dont know. Happened to me but mine sounded very different.

 

That is a very unique noise. The frequency appears way to slow to be TCT noise.

 

Your cold start almost sounds like it has a spun bearing. No knocking at all, but the noise pitch of the engine is different that others. A lower tone. I know it well.

Best advice....go get an oil pressure gauge, and check you pressure. Remvove the stock sender and thread the gauge there.
TCT is dependent on oil pressure. it would make sense that your noise is only when hot, and low RPM when oil psi is very low.

Take another hot vid, so I can see the gauge. Idle, and light revving as you were doing before. Also hold the engine at EXACTLY 1500 rpm, and post a reading.

I just had a customer here who had a spun bearing with no noise yet. I was able to save the engine with 2 hours of work.

 

Scary to hear about the possibility of a spun bearing. I agree, it sounds a little different, almost like it's been dropped 1/4 step in AutoTune lol. But! That could also just be a result of the camera's microphone picking out certain frequencies over others.

Work with Billman to check your oil pressure to be on the safe side. Even if you don't find anything, it might help you rule out some potential sources of your noise.

 

I'll definitely take your advice Billman and grab that oil pressure gauge and make another video for you to check out. But sadly I'm definitely not going to be able to do any of that till at least Sunday because of work.

To clarify I'm looking for a gauge like this?

http://www.harborfreight.com/engine-...kit-98949.html

or this?

http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-ATD-5...pr_product_top


and all I learned from researching is the oil pressure sender is above the oil filter? but I thought that was the vtec solenoid?
Sorry for all the questions but wrenching around my car is a learning experience for me and appreciate everyone's help a lot

And blasphemy101 I'm really crossing my fingers that my phones microphone is the issue and not my engine since I just bought the car a little while ago.. maybe I'll try and find something else to record with other than my phone in order to compare sounds.

 

The first gauge will work fine.

BTW...TCTs do not fail. They fail to keep the chain quiet in the ENGINE they are installed in.

You can take a "bad" TCT that makes noise in one car and put it in a different car, it will run quiet.

Let me know when you get the gauge. I'd like to measure the port and advise you the correct adapter. I'm PRETTY sure it's B.S.P. thread, not N.P.T. thread. The difference is only 1 thread per inch (27 vs 28) and I'd hate to see you ruin the block. So let me gauge the threads first.

 

Alright I just got home, new oil pressure gauge in hand. I also had some time to look in the service manual and I think I know what to do to test the oil pressure. I'll make a video and post it up probably late in the afternoon tomorrow.