Headers, Exhaust Manifold ticking, oh boy!

[uvachief]

I bought a 1986 NA 944 a few months back. It was roadkill that someone had tried to partially restore. They redid quite a lot and even did a nice over-spray paint job. However, they never went into the engine and because they never registered the car, they never really drove it any significant distance during their restoration of it.

I put about 1600 miles on it and noticed a slight ticking coming from the front passenger side of the bonnet near the front bumper area. I had been checking the oil gage religiously and it never dropped below 5. Problem was I never checked it after I turned the engine off or before I started it. It was at 5 then also. The oil meter wasn't working but the voltage meter was - go figure! Well, I pulled over and checked the oil level. It was a full 3 quarts low on Royal Purple synthetic. I gulped and drove to the nearest auto parts store to fill her back up.

The car had been leaking oil. Small droplets where I parked her at my house and at my office garage. No puddles though. To burn that kind of oil up, it has to be internal combustion of oil right?

From my Autocheck report, I can tell the car went into a rebuild cocoon around 1999. It was going from dealer to dealer when the odometer was broken. It ended up in WV in 2005 when the restoration really started. However, I am guessing that since the car really sat for so long it has completely shot valve seals. However, the ticking noise could be bad headers? exhaust intake manifold? lifters?

I had the engine steam cleaned and the oil leak is not coming from the engine. It appears to be coming from the rear somewhere near the breather box? Does that make a lick of sense to anyone?

[uvachief]

Basically, I needed a front engine rebuild. The valve seals had dry rotted along with a few other hoses which lead to the major leak. Luckily, caught it early enough that no major damage was done. Headers need replacing. Anyone got a recommendation on replacement ones? This is a daily driver for the most part but I will be taking it to the track in the future. Also need some suggestions on replacement brakes, calipers and pads. Possible suspension modification as well. Needs to be adjustable though so I can still use it as a daily driver.

[uvachief]

The external leaks have stopped but now I have oil leaking into the air cleaner box. My idle started acting odd a few weeks ago. When I drive it on the highway and pull off, my idle is around 1800 to 2000 rpms. I checked the air filter and found oil in the air cleaner box. Bad air/oil separator valve? Any ideas? Balance shaft seals all the way to the rear breather box have been replaced already.

[krystar]

high idle usually means vacuum leak somewhere. oil in air cleaner box means your air oil seperator filter element isn't working or has dry rotted to smithereens

[wild man]

Originally Posted by krystar

oil in air cleaner box means your air oil seperator filter element isn't working or has dry rotted to smithereens

Or, the engine has a significant amount of blow-by (more than the AOS can handle).

Or (just got to thinking), your AOS seals are bad!

[wild man]

Oh, 1 more thing. I'm not sure where you are coming up with this, but I really don't believe that "ticking" header pipes is an indication that they are bad. I've owned many vehicles in my life, and have heard many a ticking sound emanating from mumerous different exhaust pipes/heat shields (including on P cars), NONE of which I ever recall being "bad" in any other way.

[krystar]

a leaky exhaust manifold gasket will "tick" just get new gaskets

[AA_Ezra]

I had the same problem and here were my guesses

Lifters
Exhaust
injectors
loose hardware
clutch
timing belts slaping

But you know what it was?
It was the Rotor thats behind the distributor cap that's connected to the camshaft. The bolt that held on the rotor was loose and so was the flange nut that holds on the cam gear.

Even with a cheap HF mechanics scope i never would have thought it was rotor related.

it's weird i know but that's what happened to me

[89-944NA]

I had a slight ticking coming from the exhaust header on my 89NA and my 88 turbo. Turned out to be cracked where the header pipe on #2 cylinder joins the mounting flange.

[uvachief]

Originally Posted by wild man

Oh, 1 more thing. I'm not sure where you are coming up with this, but I really don't believe that "ticking" header pipes is an indication that they are bad. I've owned many vehicles in my life, and have heard many a ticking sound emanating from mumerous different exhaust pipes/heat shields (including on P cars), NONE of which I ever recall being "bad" in any other way.

Actually, you are right or at least that is what the mechanic told me. The ticking was coming from the right side or passenger side of the bonnet. It was hard to describe. When you accelerated, it sounded like a lawn mower is the best way I could describe it. The mechanic who did the balance shaft seals said it was being caused by a CA emissions setting but I never quite understood what exactly he was talking about. He adjusted the setting and the sound is completely gone. Does that make sense to anyone?

[wild man]

Not to me, at this point. But it would be nice to know exactly what he messed with to make it go away.

I may have mis-interpreted the problem though. Sounds like you are referring to a ticking sound that can be heard when the car is running. The ticking that I was referring only occurs AFTER the engine is shut down, and the exhaust system starts cooling off.

[looneybin]

check that all of your exhaust manifold bolts are tight
My '86 had a ticking that was a loose manifold bolt

[uvachief]

Originally Posted by wild man

Not to me, at this point. But it would be nice to know exactly what he messed with to make it go away.

I may have mis-interpreted the problem though. Sounds like you are referring to a ticking sound that can be heard when the car is running. The ticking that I was referring only occurs AFTER the engine is shut down, and the exhaust system starts cooling off.

Yes. It was only occurring when you were accelerating from a low speed or standstill. The ticking would die out as you approached 60 mph or so or the car was noisey enough to cover it at that point. However, whatever this emission setting adjustment was, it definitely cured that problem.

[uvachief]

Is the air/oil seperator (aos) just those two rings? Where are those on the pelican parts sections?

[bnv944]

Originally Posted by AA_Ezra

I had the same problem and here were my guesses

Lifters
Exhaust
injectors
loose hardware
clutch
timing belts slaping

But you know what it was?
It was the Rotor thats behind the distributor cap that's connected to the camshaft. The bolt that held on the rotor was loose and so was the flange nut that holds on the cam gear.

Even with a cheap HF mechanics scope i never would have thought it was rotor related.

it's weird i know but that's what happened to me

had that same thing happen to me about a year ago, cost me a whole new top end

locktite! locktite! locktite!

[wild man]

Yes, do a search for "AOS seals" to find the PN's. IIRC, the sizes are 20x5 and 24x5, but advisable to use only brown or red ones, since they will be subject to enough heat to make them hard and brittle.

[redstrosekNic]

Originally Posted by looneybin

check that all of your exhaust manifold bolts are tight
My '86 had a ticking that was a loose manifold bolt

One has to be careful when tightening exhaust nuts. If the nut is loose, chances are the exhaust burned the gasket by blowing by it through the leak. I cracked the manifold ear on my 924 when I tightened a loose nut, because the lack of gasket material allowed the manifold to seat unevenly, resulting in a crack after being torqued down. Luckily, a good used manifold was quickly available, but it was definetly an inconvenience.

[uvachief]

Found a different mechanic with more experience on 944s. My baby needed some major work (which she is getting). Both upper and lower balance shafts are still leaking. The water pump installed was some sort of used or rebuilt chinese junk. Oil was leaking onto the timing belt. Power steering pump flat out dead or just not working. Rear brake lines had nearly perished. Several fuel lines nearly perished. Condensor was working but only at a fraction of capacity due to huge dent and a ton of paint overspray. List is long and distinguished...unlike my johnson. Picture below of exposed lower blanace shaft during front engine re-seal.

[krystar]

that's not yer camshaft. that's lower balance shaft

[uvachief]

Originally Posted by krystar

that's not yer camshaft. that's lower balance shaft

I picked the wrong picture but you are correct! I am still new at uploading photos.