Engine ticking CURED! Not the timing chain! Money spent = $0!!!

[cuzinyung]

Buying my 1990 240sx used at 160k miles, I hear the ticking and assume right off that it must be the timing chain. Crap. So what do I do? Try every cheap fix I can in hope that it's not the timing chain.

After doing all sorts of other maintenance, I read about checking the exhaust manifold bolts. Sounds easy enough. One look through the heat shield tells me right off that I'm missing at least two bolts. Alright. So I remove the heat shield and it looks like this:Missing 4 bolts, huh? With little daylight left in the day, and without any extra bolts on hand, I decide to just shift around the bolts that are left, (well I was lazy, so I just moved one) as to evenly distribute the weight:I start up the car, take it for a ride and.... THE TICKING IS GONE!!!!!!! A definite first thing to check before diving into a timing chain job, especially since it seems common for these bolts to mysteriously fall off. I have a new felpro exhaust gasket ready to go, and I still need to get 4 more replacement bolts, but until then, I'm just glad I found the source of my ticking troubles.

[ArcherV20]

There's also a $0 - timing chain guide removal that should be done :P.

[95nismo240]

how can missing bolts on the exhaust manifold cause ticking??

[cuzinyung]

I believe something with the exhaust leak causes it:

zerothread?id=32808

[onosqv]

I believe something with the exhaust leak causes it:

zerothread?id=32808

Yea, uh, you may want to get the rest of the bolts if you don't want to keep your exhaust leaks .

I need to put in a couple bolts for mine too (but have to drill out the 2 broken ones first), stupid exhaust mani studs.

[cuzinyung]

yeah, it's kinda scary unbolting those things. Luckily the larger bolts survived, but all those rusted little 10mm bolts on the heat shield broke off one by one reminds me, I need to go buy some WD40

[corn322]

get PB Blaster instead of WD-40. I've found it works much better on anything rusty.

[cuzinyung]

Cool, thanks

[benemorius]

Yeah it's the leaking exhaust that causes the noise. I wouldn't describe it as a ticking or tapping, though. A sharp sputter would be my best go at it. Kinda like when you press your lips together and blow as if you were playing a trumpet, only slower. If you're curious to see how it sounds, disconnect the rubber tube going from the AIV to the exhaust and drive your car. This will create the kind of exhaust leak that causes this sputtering.