'Ticking' exhaust manifold?!

Hi all,

First and foremost - Happy New Year everyone!! Hope you had a good one!

OK, ever since I bought the car there has been a ticking noise from the drivers side of the engine, which I beleive is the exhaust manifold. Anyway, it seems to be getting louder so probably time to do something about it.

Firstly, is this a major problem? One mechanic told me it can 'blow' the headgasket out from that bank of cylinders, although I don't quite understand how?

Secondly, how easy is it to fix? Is it just case of undoing all the bolts, swapping the manifold gasket over, and refitting the original bolts? Or am I better to buy a full manifold kit such as this: Manifold Fitting Kit for 2 Manifolds at www.rimmerbros.co.uk plus four of these: Exhaust Manifold Gasket to Cylinder Head at www.rimmerbros.co.uk (may as well do both manifolds if I'm spending £35 on new studs and bolts!).

Final question - I remember replacing a manifold on a car once where there were studs in the block - half the nuts came off the studs OK, half the nuts brought the studs out with them!! Am I likely to face a similar problem on the RR? It's a 3.9 V8.

Cheers!

Ok Firstly I assume its "ticking" when you switch off the engine (Otherwise you wouldn't hear it) its most likley caused by Expansion & contraction (Due to the heat) ...it MAY NOT be the manifold more likley to be be where the exhaust bolts TO the manifold (Dis-similar metals Expanding & contracting at different rates)

If you do remove the manifold get some "PLUS-GAS" spray & spray the nuts you are going to remove THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT IT this will "Loosen" the Bolts/Threads & not cause a bolt to shear in the block.


It may also be a Heatshield That causing the noise

the hooded claw said:

Ok Firstly I assume its "ticking" when you switch off the engine (Otherwise you wouldn't hear it) its most likley caused by Expansion & contraction (Due to the heat) ...it MAY NOT be the manifold more likley to be be where the exhaust bolts TO the manifold (Dis-similar metals Expanding & contracting at different rates)

If you do remove the manifold get some "PLUS-GAS" spray & spray the nuts you are going to remove THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT IT this will "Loosen" the Bolts/Threads & not cause a bolt to shear in the block.


It may also be a Heatshield That causing the noise

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unless its blowing but to be described as 'ticking' possibly FHG

Do it any way you want. You do get studs coming out now and again. Putting some Copaslip grease on the threads on assembly will prevent this.

PS. Copaslip on where nuts go NOT studs into head of course.

Sorry, should've been clearer - the 'ticking' is the noise of air escaping from the leaking manifold gasket I believe. So only heard when the engine is started/running. Frequencey of ticking rises and falls with engine revs.

Always used to be noisier when cold and then quitened a bit as the engine warmed up, but driving home from the airport last night it seemed really loud all the way, so think it's got worst and needs sorting!!

MikeV8SE said:

Sorry, should've been clearer - the 'ticking' is the noise of air escaping from the leaking manifold gasket I believe. So only heard when the engine is started/running. Frequencey of ticking rises and falls with engine revs.

Always used to be noisier when cold and then quitened a bit as the engine warmed up, but driving home from the airport last night it seemed really loud all the way, so think it's got worst and needs sorting!!

Click to expand...

Only thing to do is take a look. You could try nipping manifold up and see if note changes otherwise you maybe looking at a head blow.

You can get a noise like that from a loose spark plug, worth checking all the plugs are seated and tight before you start ripping things apart.

Have someone put something over the exhaust pipe then rev the engine, if its the exhaust manifold your going to here\feel it more this way. try from cold then you could put your hand around the manifold before it gets too hot to feel back preasure, as said it may be the head gasket blowing . Happy new year (may be) if its a easy fix

some of the bolts may break off, that will not be fun i the snap underflush.

If the other side isnt blowing I would leave it alone incase that happens

I was lucky and all nuts came off okay , and I only needed four individual exhaust gaskets , so the bill was only a couple of quid !

OK, had a feel around and it's definitely the manifold gasket blowing, right at the front of the engine block facing the radiator. So, will need to get that sorted asap as it seems a lot worse than it was!

I'm inclined to let a garage do it - can't be more than half an hours labour, but I am concerned about shearing a bolt off as they look pretty corroded. If they snap underflush then I'm buggered!

Might try myself at the weekend, in which case will get some PLUS-GAS to loosen the nuts - is this the best stuff to use?! And will I need a new bolt kit or just reuse the existing studs/nuts and just get new gaskets?

Cheers!

Try putting a turn on the rear manifold bolts first.

The one right at the back on RV8s is notorious for simply working lose and giving you that fluttering noise when running.

If there is no slack on the rear bolts then it has probably gone too far and needs a new gasket as you say.

I think it is well gone, there was quite a lot of air coming out at the front edge so will just replace them - off to get some of this PLUS GAS stuff, or something similar, to help the bolts come off easily!!

if u have black sooth arround the manifold screws on the cylinder block it means exhaust fumes are escaping.had mine replaced the passenger side l.h.d it is common for manifolds to crack,so simply replacing the gaskets won't fix it (if it is cracked),so make sure u examine the manifold properly and closely to see the presence of cracks,or u will re-do the job again with swears....
just hold the manifold upon removing and look closely at the y section and the flexi part.
good luck

just go easy on them and take ur time, you dont want to break em. also it might b worth replacing them if they look ****e

OK, well I wimped out on this one - not because I couldn't do it (honest!), but just because the idea of snapped bolts concerned me and having had a good look at them, they were pretty corroded!!

I needed to get 2 tyres swapped over anyway, so dropped it off at my local garage this morning for them to swap tyres and fit a new O/S exhaust manifold gasket. Just had a call and guess what? They're struggling to get the bolts off! Most have come off but a few are really stuck on, so they're gonna soak them overnight and have another go in the morning - glad I gave it to them to do now! Chances are I'd have lost my temper and sheared them off long ago!!

I have been there too , but if they snap them it will cost you just the same to get it fixed lol

Could also be the manifold to downpipe gasket leaking. Before you buy any parts confirm where the leak is. This won't cause a head gasket problem.

fett said:

I have been there too , but if they snap them it will cost you just the same to get it fixed lol

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True, but at least its there already - and they'll hopefully reduce the rate a bit as it's their fault! Sort of!

davidg said:

Could also be the manifold to downpipe gasket leaking. Before you buy any parts confirm where the leak is. This won't cause a head gasket problem.

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I did check and it was definitely blowing (a lot!) from where the manifold meets the block, right at the front - hopefully that was the only place!!

I agree mike, thats my theory too-when I do it lol.

I tackled the thermostat last night in the dark as it gave me no choice, I was worried about the bolts breaking but it went well, fookers to reach tho lol