Ticking sound

Anybody else have an intermittent ticking sound from their 3.4 liter? I have it and am not sure what it is. I dont think it is a valve because it isnt always there. Sometimes it ticks, sometimes it doesnt, sometimes there's a rythem to the tick an sometimes its just random. Tonight it was the loudest I have ever heard it, and that worries me. I could hear it for the first time at 2000 rpm over the sound of my flowmaster

 

Mine ticks with rhythm like its a diesel motor or something..happens the worst when I need my oil changed?

 

Do you have a check engine light at all? I had some come rolling in with a dead cylinder (spark plug, coils, etc.) and that would cause a lot of shaking and stress on the mounts especially as your RPM's rise. Since your saying that it only happens "some of the times" that is most likely not it but a place to think about. I've actually seen actuators (panel controlled, heat, a/c, etc) stick in the on position if broken and just keep moving and ticking until you shut everything off (the actuator included) to listen to it and it suddenly stops. Plus, that would explain why you able to hear the "tick" over your aftermarket exhaust because its actually under your dash. I tell everyone that if the car/truck operates fine (and I cannot re-create the noise) to just keep driving it and whenever it happens again to write down exact notes like you said, the rpms, engine hot or cold, how long its been on, any devices on at the time, if anything you do makes it disappear (release the gas pedal). All those things help, you might check all of your parts to your exhaust too (Manifold to tail pipe). A leak at the manifold flange is a common thing ive seen when new exhaust kits are put on. Just some food for thought, hope you get it settled bud

 

I just changed my oil. And this sound was there before my flowmaster was on. It didn't do it when I first got the truck. It's not a/c I know that click. It's the top left of my engine. I found something about a valve that sometimes will tap in the PVC system. Anybody ever heard of it?

 

And no light on

 

I have a video but the page wont let me post it for some reson

 

Yea, actually you could be dead on. The PVC valve is spring loaded and as the vapors from the crank case recirculate it has to be controlled to get the right amount of air/fuel mixture. So it would make sense that as your RPM's increase the noise increases. I'd hate for you to go off my word alone and go buy a part to replace and it not be the case, but I will say that is a possibility and that it does happen, the only thing I recommended (however painful) is that if you decide to replace the PVC valve you buy an OEM replacement. The aftermarket parts have a 50/50 chance of fixing it and could potentially make it worse so its better to just make sure you dont have to do the wrench work again.

 

Do you know if there is a PVC valve on the left rear side of the engine? That's where it seems to be coming from. I seafoamed it and it went away for about a month and now it's back