Steel Wool? In My Exhaust And A Odd Ticking From Head

[123456]

Hey, just finished changing my oil and filter and doing the check over, have discovered two problems

The 1st is in my HKS super dragger muffler/tip in the middle of all the honeycomb, theres what looks like steel whool. Like in the middle of where the air goes through, on top of the honeycomb. Its impeding air flow (if only slightly) but i cant get it out, it seems stuck. Any suggestions as to what it could be? How bad it'd be? Theres not a huge amount, and its not dense, but say 2 inch's high and 6 long theres strands/clumps of it.

Ok and the 2nd is a odd ticking which sounds like its coming from my inlet manifold. On idle with a screwdriver to my ear its pretty distinct, about 30 clicks every ten seconds, with a screw driver to the tapet cover i can hear it to, 30 clicks every ten seconds, was wondering if thats a prob?? Could a mis firing shock coil make that sound? It sounds like one of those gas lighters you use on your stove on the inlet manifold and sort of more of a grinding sound on the rocket. My alternator is gone to, so i dnno if that could be like transferring sound or something

THe car runs fine, and has no probs though

Thanks

[Lachlan33]

Dunno about the ticking but ive heard of people putting steel wool in their exhaust to pass noise tests. The previous owner could have done that.

Do you have a long pair of BBQ tongs? how far in is it?

[CEF11E]

the steel wool could have come out of the muffler as thats what they use in them.

and the ticking sound sounds like an injector. try listen to each injector with a screw driver and see if any 1 is loud.

cheers

[Godzilla32]

Yep i'll second the steel wool in muffler diagnosis. They use that to baffle the muffler. Sounds like its falling apart as it will with age/corrosion. Head will either be injectors as previously mentioned or more likely the hydraulic valve lifters. If you have changed oil viscosity that will affect how noisy they are especially if some are on the way out and loosing their tension..

[T04GTR]

you need a new mufler. and i think the ticking noise is probably a lifter, next time you do an oil change use thinner oil than what you put in and run a engine oil flush through it :

[123456]

ah thanks guys

I did try to pull the stuff out of the muffler but its half connected so i'll just leave it i think

forgot to mention that before the oil change the ticking noise was happening, and it hasn't changed tone since the change. i'll check the injectors tomorrow individually (cant picture how i would get at them), but how do i check if its a lifter?

[Cubes]

My old RB20t injectors were pretty loud..

Shove the screw driver on to the body of the injector and see if the tick is the same.

[123456]

ok i stuck the screwdriver on the base of the injectors, in between the little metal lines, branching off each, onto the injector rail and the actual injector.

The noise from the injector 1 was the loudest (loud click, click, click), and the noise from the injector 6 was the quietest (still distinct and not much quieter than number 1) . Number 1 had no other noises, and as they progressed to 6, the other ones seemed to get a noise like that coming out of the head in them although im assuming thats just because its getting closer to something or other as i move from one part of the engine to the other

Suggestions guys? Its only faint at the inlet manifold which is why im surprised its so loud at the injectors, its audible from about 5 meters away from the car, mind you (hard to pinpoint where its coming from)

[Cubes]

All my injectors have the same nice solid click and loudness.

When placing the screw driver else where do you hear a different click or none?

A lifter sounds different to an injector.

[CEF11E]

lifters make a clack clack sound and injectors make a tink tink sound.

hope this helps.

BTW no1 is the coolest running cyl as it gets cooled the best. so it is likely to be the seat of the injector is buggered. disconnect the plug to this injector and see if it goes away.

[123456]

all have a sound, althought it does vary from 1-6, its not a large amount of variation. These make more of a ting ting sound, but i was expecting one injector to sound significantly different to the others.. which didnt happen, so i would assume either all injectors were shagged (100% unlikely) or the noise is coming from elsewhere. Now the noise doesnt seem as loud on the inlet manifold as it is on the covers, but it does seem loud up the line from the injectors (as in before the fuel has reached them

But how do i check if one of my lifters is wrecked? Overhead cam.. Was pretty sure it didnt have lifters

[T04GTR]

haha nar come to think of it the injectors can get pretty loud. but it a quite a fast click noise.

lifters will make a variety of noises. ranging from the wack wack noise to the commodore v6 worn guides click click.

just unplug them 1 by one as the others said to narow it down.

[cameron]

all have a sound, althought it does vary from 1-6, its not a large amount of variation. These make more of a ting ting sound, but i was expecting one injector to sound significantly different to the others.. which didnt happen, so i would assume either all injectors were shagged (100% unlikely) or the noise is coming from elsewhere. Now the noise doesnt seem as loud on the inlet manifold as it is on the covers, but it does seem loud up the line from the injectors (as in before the fuel has reached them

But how do i check if one of my lifters is wrecked? Overhead cam.. Was pretty sure it didnt have lifters

Im not sure if the RB20 is hydraulic or solid?

If hydraulic you have to pull them out and either get new one/ones or let them sit in bucket of oil for a day or 2 - no garantee to fixing them either!

[Cubes]

RB20's hydraulic.

Solid would have been nice.