So I have a 1997 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 5.2 318ci. The problem I'm having is when it warms up when it's cold it's not there or noticable anyway I'm hearing a tapping/ticking noise checked the plenum no oil residue changed the plugs they're all good no fouling or residue. Pulled both valve covers to check rocker arms all tight push rods are tight. I have recently changed the exhaust manifold gaskets. Someone said could be loose still (didn't disconnect em from the rest of the exhaust kinda pulled em back to get the old gasket out and slide in the new ones and pulled the manifolds back into position and started the bolts and got them pft) but I'm at a loss could it still be a lifter maybe? Any help will be appreciated.

 

IDK, but they might have been on the right track in general.
I am familiar with the sound you are referring to, sorta.....check every pipe joint before dismissing an exhaust leak.

Even though you barely moved the manifolds, and movement at all is technically abnormal movement and you may have disrupted a flange/or both, or it could be a leak created elsewhere.

Not sure how being warm ties into that, an exhaust leak is a leak hot or cold.

Have you tried listening to it idle to try and zero in on a general area of the engine bay it is coming from?
Is it a paced tick influenced by RPM, or just totally erratic?

 

At idle it's barley there. Gets slightly louder with increased rpm. It's a steady tick sounds like it's right in the front. I removed the sepertine belt and ran if for a few seconds revved it once to see if it was still there and it was so its not a pulley kinda sounds more like on the driver side. Could it be that since the manifolds were still connected when I replaced the gaskets that when I pulled it into place and tightened it up that it didn't go into place properly and it's still has a minor leak at high rpm? And it expands when it's hot and gets worse? Just some theories I have.

 

Start 'er up, hear the ticking, unplug the vapor purge solenoid. If the tick goes away, you know what it is. If it doesn't go away, keep looking. Oh, and plug the thing back in and reset any DTC's you got while it was unplugged.

 

I would definitely consider it a possibility......but unless you devise a way to check every pipe joint from the heads to the tail, or at least muffler there's not for confirmation OR ruling it out.
If it does it the worst at peak temp soapy water in a spray bottle is out because it would evap before creating telltale suds,a leak is a leak, but it sounds like it might not be leaking cold.

AFAIK--the [L] manifold runs straight down, through the cat and towards the tail,
the [R] manifold on the other hand crosses over to the [L] and joins it just ahead of the cat.......I am fairly sure that the top of that"y" is where the Exhaust donut gasket and flanges are tied to the manifolds.

I know those flanges LooooooVe to rot out and aftermarkets are easily gotten, I personally have only used the 4 piece/2 bolt
ones you don't have to weld or pull the exhaust out.
They are laminated there are two halves for top and bottom, the two bolts act not only as a pin for each half making it a full flange, but the bolts draw them together.

 

I appreciate all the info guys. I'll check the purge solenoid tomorrow after work. And check all the exhaust the best I can and see what I find and report back with results again I appreciate all the tips and information.

 

So I just finished going over the exhaust with my exhaust guy we checked all the welds and looked for rust/holes and nothing we even disconnected the manifolds to make sure they were connected straight and true and re attached them. I tried the purge solinoid trick no difference. But I did notice it sounds like it's coming from the back of the motor. I recently changed the cap and rotor about two weeks back could that some how be making a ticking/tapping noise?

 

YUP!!

Since most caps are typically injection Molded Hi temp ABS plastic, it would be no surprise to have one that is slightly deformed or has an electrode to low that clips the rotor as it passes.

It would be worth the trouble to remove the airbox and just pull and inspect the cap itself closely to start with. If you see nothing obvious then it would warrant looking at the rotor for obvious signs of misalignment

1) they have an Oring they are supposed to sit on, whether there it a groove in the cap it seats in, or the base the cap sits on is grooved for the oring it is a moisture barrier.

2) because of said oring it would probably be possible to tighten the cap tighter on one side than the other and have it secured but at a slight angle enough to have one electrode hitting physically against the rotor versus having it glide smoothly across the surface.

 

Well Thursday when I'm off I'll take it apart and inspect it. I wanna pull the valve covers and check the torque on the rocker arms. Do you know what the torque specs are for the rocker arms? I've heard 21 ft lbs.

 

I'm dyin' here!
Was it the distributor cap and rotor making the tapping noise?


You're right on with the torque. Per my '01 manual:


Tighten the rocker arm bolts to 28 N·m (21 ft. lbs.) torque.