It idles great. My guess is that over the one remaining exhaust leak, I can't hear it pinging whenever I'm giving it any gas.

We should see within the hour, as long as these drilled jets still flow OK.

 

Hrrrrmmmmm, 72-73 or so jets, all sorts of timing play, and still this sound. Bullitt, I'm starting to see your point....

I have yet to pull the plugs again and look for color changes, just shut it off and it's hot, but whether or not I see a change, the issue is still there.

It dooooes seem to happen even when I'm giving it gas though. I took one whole run, only focusing on that, and although I still can't hear it when I'm really stepping on it, it leads right into, and right out of each acceleration. It IS however totally full on there, even just before a stop, faaaar from when I've been giving it any throttle.

Let me describe the noise again. I've never heard pinging that's been confirmed by anyone else..... The closest I can come to it is the sound of a heavy piece of steel, an ice pick or a crow bar, being dragged along a driveway, really fast. Or a big thick piece of steel on a fairly course grinding wheel.

Is this even pinging? It's lasted through 2 different shortblocks, like 6 different heads at least, 3 different cams, and 3 different rebuilds. I just don't think it's the engine if it's not pinging.

 

That doesn't sound like pinging to me, the best way i can describe the sound using words is to say it sounds like marbles being shaken around inside a coffee can.

 

I've heard bolts in a box, like a diesel, and ya marbles, stuff like that. I thooought mine sounded pretty much like that, but I'm thinking it's more sharp or high pitched. How fast is pinging? Like "pings per second" call it. Mine is on the order of dozens of pings per second. You'd call it a whiney grinding noise really.

 

Pinging sounds like some rocks rattling in a coffee can like Montana said.

Josh

 

Hmmm, you know I've heard a cooouple little things like that, a little metallic pop/tink just every once n a while. I thought it my keys swinging against the dash....

My plugs are weird by the way. Some are totally jet black, like it's really rich, like it should be with these jets, but a few others are mostly black, with like, blasted off tips, just whitish, the color they were before.

Besides that though, I guess we're not talking pinging anymore..... what could this noise be? It started abruptly after transmission/front axle/engine/exhaust work.

 

Do a compression test. Next check your valvetrain movement. Possible cam failure or sparkplug wire issue. Check your ignition from distributor to sparkplug. Interesting situation. I like these little pain in the butt issues.

 

Compression was pretty high and pretty even when I last checked. I don't think it's valvetrain since the problem has kept up through so many different configurations and engines. Even a roller setup did it like crazy.

What would I be looking for on a compression test?

My ignition has also been completely changed. Wires, plugs, reman distributor.

 

Does anyone else hear the noise? Not trying to be rude, but the odds of this noise being what you percieve, as youve been explaining its consitency through different configurations, are dwindling...

Better yet...have you asked anyone to listen for it?

For instance, I swore up and down I had a valvetrain 'tick'....my brother walks over and notices (what i assume to be) an unplugged emmissions related hole in the driver side exhaust manifold, and he didnt know what I was searching for, just thought it was odd. DOH! all that worrying for nothing...(it sounds like a tick from inside the cab)

 

Haha, I had to read that through a second time to make sure you weren't saying I was crazy, I see what you're saying now though. Well, 2 of my friends heard it when we were on the highway on the way to college, but neither of them knows a thing about cars. I guess what I should do is have someone who really knows their stuff come on a drive. The problem is though I just don't know that many people personally who know old cars. There's a few old guys around though that I could probably get. Good suggestion.

 

yea youre not crazy haha. I just figured if youre anything like me, youve convinced yourself theres something there, and if there is, its probably not what you think it is.

Even people who dont know cars know when something sounds off- so dont be afraid to just have someone listen and ask what it sounds like or where its coming from. My dad does this cause hes kinda deaf. Another example: My car has a pretty good suspension on it, and it sounds horrible going over bumps because of the super stiff bushings making noise, and everyone who rides in it asks about it.

Good luck and keep us updated, this is an informative thread with a lot of good tips for us guys who hear "noises" (hahah)