Well, I'm lost. I have a 1994 Del Sol, Fully built b16...new everything..yada yada.

Well I only have a few hundred miles on it, and the valves have been ticking something fierce. My thought was either the valves are out of spec..or I have a knock.

I pulled the valve cover to adjust them, and although its only my second time doing valve adjustments, I think I did pretty well. Did everything by the book.

I started it last night when I finished and noticed other than normal valve chatter..there was a very pronounced tick coming from (I think) exhaust side - cylinder #3.

I couldn't pin it down exactly so I decided to test to see if it was a knock, unplugged the spark boots one at a time and after all of them, the sound had not changed. No knock.

I go to turn it on today after some random tinkering and that same noise is there..this is with the engine cold.

Video

I let it warm up and give it a quick rev.

Video

In case you were wondering, its that high pitch tapping/clicking noise..you can't really here it in the second one though.

When I go to turn it off I notice the engine light is on..for all I know it could have been on the entire time, I just hadn't noticed. I go to look for the data port and couldn't find it anywhere...I have a p05 which is attached to a long skinny black plastic box that I have no idea what it is.. Although the ecu does have data logging written on it so maybe thats what the black box is for?

I am at a loss...anyone have any idea whats going on?

 

LMA's...

 

I checked my lma's when I had the cover off, and they seemed to pop back up pretty quickly. Note that they are the old style, not the newer spring type.

Excuse my ignorance, I saw the sticky. I got code #22, Vtec pressure valve.

 

After further research, that CEL may be because my oil is a couple fractions of a quart above the correct level.

If that is the case, still need help on that valve situation. Sounds like popping the safety seal on a bottle cap and is ridiculously annoying lol

 

Is it possible I might just need to adjust the valves again?

I'm not sure what a bent/floated valve sounds like..but I'm hoping thats not it lmao

 

Bump

 

Bump

 

Bump, my cars staying parked until I can get this figured out....

 

.........bump

 

bump.

 

Stupid question - but have you checked for an exhaust leak at your header? Having a leak at the exhaust manifold gasket/header gasket can cause similar sounds/noise.

 

sounds like you have an exhaust leak to me... and sticky LMA's.

 

LOL, you know what..I bet thats it..

I've had that gasket on and off probably 15 times heheh, same with the lower one...I think rtv is going to be my best friend right now to test it out lmao.

And yeah..I'm going to replace my lmas but thats just creating the chatter everywhere, not that reallly annoying/overpowering noise.

 

rtv sealant will burn off even the copper stuff. Just replace the gasket. it's like $15.

 

Actually, I've used the ultra copper RTV and it's lasted a LONNNGGG time on some pretty high powered builds... In the machine shop we used the orange high temp RTV on the engine dyno.... I've seen it outlast a lot of gaskets... Just when you replace it don't go with a cheapo paper gasket, those burn up quick as hell.