So I put on a Roe throttle body today and went for a drive. Was driving around for about 20 minutes and found myself on a road that was telling me... Open it up... So I drop down to 2nd @ 50MPH and nail it, hit 3rd nice and hard. Loving the pull! Left off about 3/4 the way through 3rd and coasted to the next intersection where I turn to head back home. Here is the bad part... As I turn and accelerate I hear a ticking!! Uh oh! Did one of the screws come loose from the TB and get into a cylinder... Did I fry a piston, bend a push rod.... Who knows. You know the story on these engines and boost! So I limp it home. When in traffic and taking off it sounds really bad, but almost like an exhaust leak though. Once home I open the hood right away, to hot to feel around. I just shut it down and go in the house a little bummed. An hour later I decide I want to pull the valve cover to see if I have a bad spring, push rod, rocker, ect. I pull the ignition wires and that is when I see a little carbon buildup near the header. YES!! I put the wires back on, fire it up and now that it is cool and I have an idea of an area of issue I put my finder down there.... EXHAUST IS LEAKING! Best thing I have had happen to me in a LONG time. I have to assume this was my ticking and bad sound. I guess once I get a new gasket I will know for sure. I must say I have NEVER blew an exhaust gasket before, but glad that is all I did do, or at least so it seems.

 

That missng piece is somewhere on RT. 2 in Ohio.

 

Whew, that could have been bad! Glad it was just an exhaust gasket.