Just wanted to point out that spark plug numero uno is black and sooty, number 2 is a little but darker, and 3 and 4 look "normal".

Details:

2001 Civic EX
90,000 miles

So the ticking started about 10k miles ago.

I went home, let it cool down, checked the oil and she was very low, almost dry. Changed the oil but still ticked, and still does tick. I know for a fact that she doesnt leak oil, so I suspect that it burnt off (what Honda doesnt burn oil).

About the same time the ticking started, I had gotten a header and changed both the manifold gasket and donut gasket.

So I am thinking that the ticking is due to either a bad exhaust gasket, or something went wrong bc of the low oil (bent a valve, sticky lifter, etc).

Other symptom is a burning oil smell coming from the engine bay.

I jacked the car up and had a buddy stick his head near the downpipe and he said that 5 seconds into me starting the car, he could smell the burn and hear the tick near that donut gasket.

Idk.

Change gaskets first?
How hard is it to adjust the valves? I have a factory service manual.
Or is it a cheap enough job to just let a shop deal with it?

Im leaning towards a valvetrain issue, because if I purposely bog the car down to around 1.5-2k rpm's and mash the gas, the ticking starts slower and speeds up as the rpm's rise. If it was an exhaust leak, wouldnt it be a "constant speed tick" (not fluctuating with rpm)?

 

I think I will try and do the valve adjustment myself.

If i can find the feeler gauge for cheap.

What else should I be looking at?

AKA if someone has a picture or diagram of what else I should be inspecting, please post.

 

They don't look terrible, I wouldn't suspect the valve guide seals are bad. EDIT: Here - http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/engine/plugs.html


I've never heard of someone bending a valve because they were low on oil. Bent valves are usually due to timing issues ending with a collision between the piston(s) and the valves. Your car would also run like crap if a valve was bent or stuck.


No visible leaks? Valve cover gasket looks okay? What about the oil filter?


It's relatively easy, especially if you have a service manual to guide you. Shops are too expensive, but if you don't want to do it...


No. As the RPM increases, so does the rate of exhaust needing to escape the engine. Lower RPM, slower tick. Higher RPM, faster tick.


Would be worth doing, considering your friend said he could hear the ticking from the donut.