Ticking from bell housing

[Ray@VSK]

Hey I Just put my new 331 in & Kenne Bell Blowzilla, I got 200 miles on the motor now "still breaking it in" well I was cruising around town and turned my radio down to here a tick, tick, ticking sound coming from what sounds to be my bell housing, I got a new flywheel, clutch & D&D WorldClass Tremec with maybe 500 miles, the ticking gets quiter & louder when I disengage the clutch, I parked it & can barely hear the ticking @ all but when I push in the clutch it starts ticking again, it gets real loud when I start driving any ideas or suggestions ?

 

[Michael Yount]

Noises in that area often have to do with pilot or throwout bearings that aren't quite right Ray.

 

[Ray@VSK]

Noises in that area often have to do with pilot or throwout bearings that aren't quite right Ray.

Pilot bearing is brand new with the motor & throwout bearing only has a few hundred miles on it.

I just went out & fired it up after letting it cool off for a hour & no more tick, must be a header :damnit:

 

[Michael Yount]

Did you check the header flanges to be sure they're true/flat before installing them? Maybe a leak then?

 

[04sleeper]

I just went out & fired it up after letting it cool off for a hour & no more tick, must be a header :damnit:

With MAC headers it sounds like it might be.

 

[Ray@VSK]

I definately think it's a header, only does it when the motor warms up & there was a slight tick when I finished the motor, I tore it back down & redid the rockers thinking I messed up on but it still ticked afterwords & to top it off I reused the header gaskets since I was using coppers, ohwell guess I'll be redoing the header gaskets :damnit:

 

[Michael Yount]

If the flanges are flat and true Ray, well I've reused gaskets with no problems - heck, I've had the passenger side header off of mine probably 8 times. Never a leak or loosened bolt. If your flanges aren't true - sometimes even a new gasket won't seal it. You've got to pull them to replace the gaskets anyway - pull the header out and put a straight edge on the flange. If they're not flat have a machine shop mill them slightly to true them up. Your gaskets will seal first time/every time.

 

[Ray@VSK]

If the flanges are flat and true Ray, well I've reused gaskets with no problems - heck, I've had the passenger side header off of mine probably 8 times. Never a leak or loosened bolt. If your flanges aren't true - sometimes even a new gasket won't seal it. You've got to pull them to replace the gaskets anyway - pull the header out and put a straight edge on the flange. If they're not flat have a machine shop mill them slightly to true them up. Your gaskets will seal first time/every time.

Ya I hear ya but thing is they did not leak last time & I even cleaned off a few high spots this time first before reinstalling em, it's only one side really ticking, maybe I'll just be able to snug em up allittle bit more & fix the problem

 

[04sleeper]

It could also be the ball joint connector leaking. Sometimes the flanges bend when you tighten them up and do not seal all the way. Also I have run out of thread on the stud before and have had to use some washers to tighten them up.

 

[Ray@VSK]

It could also be the ball joint connector leaking. Sometimes the flanges bend when you tighten them up and do not seal all the way. Also I have run out of thread on the stud before and have had to use some washers to tighten them up.

Ya that was going to be my first thing to try.

 

[Ray@VSK]

Welp tightened up the header flange & got rid of one slight tick but it still ticks after the car warms up, oddly it sounds like it's coming from the bell housing, wasn't doing it while I was driving but when I got home & pushed in the clutch it would tick.

 

[Ray@VSK]

Man this is weird, it don't start ticking till after I drive it for a good 20 minutes or so, would this sound like a throwout bearing to you ?

 

[Michael Yount]

Well Ray, when you initially said bellhousing - that was my first reply. Inconsistent, random noises from that area that change from time to time or with clutch pedal in/out are almost always pilot bearing or throwout bearing related. And I read that one's new and the other's not old. Nevertheless....that's what usually makes noises like that.

 

[Ray@VSK]

Well Ray, when you initially said bellhousing - that was my first reply. Inconsistent, random noises from that area that change from time to time or with clutch pedal in/out are almost always pilot bearing or throwout bearing related. And I read that one's new and the other's not old. Nevertheless....that's what usually makes noises like that.

Dam bellhousing bolts Thanks Michael.

 

[Michael Yount]

Are you sure you got it positioned in the fork/retainer properly? They can get knocked out of place when you're stabbing the input shaft through...

I think I'd drive it a bit more and see what happens - see if it gets any worse.

 

[Ray@VSK]

Dunno, I know we had one hell of a time this last time lining the tranny up when dropping back in my motor though, you think I can take off the fork cap & see from that way, I just drove it & no ticking till after I was on my way home I came up to a stop light & man was it loud, people in there cars were looking @ me but 50ft after I took off it stopped again ?

 

[Michael Yount]

Worth a try looking in with the fork cover removed and a flashlight....

 

[04sleeper]

Might need a mirror as well. I'm not sure if there is enough room to get your head up high enough to see in there.