What is this ticking noise?

Sounds like an exhaust leak.

That or you left your turn signal on....

If you close the doghouse the ticking will go away...haha.

All humor aside, had a sweet 83 midnight virago years ago, one night we decided to go see the fireworks without helmets so we could see and hear the show better. Sounded a bit off and had a tick, so took it to the shop later that week. Explained the situation, the guru checked it out, laughed, and said "just put your helmet back on". Ran it for another 3 or 4 years, then gave it to my brother, who rode it for years, who then sold it to a friend...to my knowledge it's still a good runner to this day....

Sounds like an exhaust leak to me as well.

That's what we were leaning towards too. Glad to hear I don't have to take the intake off!

Gary S wrote: Good luck with that. Since I put my 40's on I have a tick also,sounds much alike. I can't find it,many others don't even hear it. In real life it sounds more metallic

Yeah we had a hell of a time trying to determine what side of the engine it was even coming from.

Glad to hear it's nothing serious.

Maybe at the end of the season I'll put the manifolds on our mill and plane the flange faces. But for now I can live with the tick

I haven't come across an exhaust leak that I couldn't confirm by feeling for hot pulses of air around the runners of the exh manifold. I'd be doing that ASAP. Some ticks shouldn't be ignored.

I'll try and feel around the manifolds for the leak or spray some soapy water on them. It's hard to check the tops though because the valve covers are so close.

If it was something in the valvetrain, I would think I would be able to pinpoint it with the stethoscope, correct? When we listened on the covers and manifold you couldn't hear anything that sounded like the tick.

mbshaw88 wrote: When we listened on the covers and manifold you couldn't hear anything that sounded like the tick.

Same as mine even when listening to the block. I used different pushrods when setup and later tried shims when I went looking for the noise. Tim might not remember but I mentioned the tick when we were running it at GL one time. Maybe it might be the exhaust but it does not sound like it's coming from there,that's what's so confusing. Thought if it was the exhaust I'd see it by now.

I'd be pullin' the valve cover and looking for some slop on one of the pushrods for the #2 cylinder to start with..

It could also be much deeper in the engine like say a wrist pin or piston slap sinjce it goes away when the cylinder isn't doing any work, but let's hope not.

Well I'm happy for ya'.

Like you said, you should have rechecked the torque............as soon as you suspected an exhaust leak that would be the first logical thing to do.

What's that saying about learning something new every day?

I learned that an exhaust leak noise goes away when you pull the plug wire on that cylinder.

I'd also say that" you done good kid"