If there was ever a time I needed help this is it! Help before I cry!
 

This is the deal....
To start my car ran fine right before I did the new IC, ok Friday I took my old IC out and car started right up with out the IC so slowly I drove it in the garage, Saturday I woke up drove the car out of the garage to work on it and fabed all the new pipes and IC, So after I was all done with the fabbing I drove the car back into the garage. Wednesday I got home from work and decided to drop the timming a little so I got on my laptop and re did my spark map and loaded it in my car. I tryed to start the car but the batery was dead cause I left the ignition on while I was doing the new map. So today I got my pipes back from being welded so I got right to work and finished. Tryed to start the car and the battery was dead so I jumped it, car started right up and there was a weird ticking sound, I didn't think to much about it since miatas always tick so I took it around the block with the ticking sound with out going into boost and with out going over 3000 rpms the whole time the car was ticking so I pulled back in the drive way and pop the hood and the cars sounds like a 1980s diesel. What the fuck happened? I'm freaking out, and I think my car is about to blow up
help :-(

I don't think you gave it any reason to blow up, so I doubt you've got serious issues, shit doesn't happen just to happen (except spun bearings in Camaros).

Is this the longest your car usually sits?

If so I blame hydraulic lifter noise. Occasionally one will sit in a way it will completely drain, but is too clogged to immediately refill.

I swapped in hustler's old motor that had been sitting at his dad's for a while, and it made LOTS of noise for about a week, even after a 2twisty flush. It's quiet now...just kept driving it with good oil in it.

Is the car smoking?

No not smoking, and the car usually sits months at a time, this time it only sat like 4-5 days. It doesn't sound like the normal valves ticking sound that it always makes, it is pretty loud.

Put a length of garden hose to your ear and figure out if it's coming from the top end or bottom end of the motor.

hmmm. Mine can do that when it sits but usually goes away within the first hour. Hopefully nothings broke. Good luck.

compression test yet?? check oil pressure? a stuck open wastegate would make a hell of a racket my gasket blew out on my 38mm would still build boost but sounded like ass. i'd do the test first for either piece of mind or fuck it going to the bar time. but id be betting wastegate or something exhaust wise is loose

It sounded like it was from the top but I'm not home to check. How would I spun a bearing if I started the car before when I was working on it and it sounded just fine

It's not the wastegate or any gasket, it's def the engine ticking.

check oil pressure dump the oil check for shavings. have you ever spun a bearing before? it's a constant tick but gets much much louder with rpms. haven't tore into a miata head yet collasped lifter would make a shit load of noise.

It gets quieter with rpms but I can still hear it. I never spun a bearing but I don't understand how that would happen with out car running.

Make a video and post it up, would help to get an idea. You cleaned out the new pipes and intercooler really well right?

its sounds like the lifters. had both problems before trust me you'll know when you spin a bearing it's like a holy fuck thats loud when you accelerate. if you dont mind a little clean up pull the valve cover let the car idle listen to the lifters that way.

You have a collapsed lifter. My car did the same thing and I freaked out. It went away after a day or two. Wanna try an experiment? Change your oil. Now go BEAT THE FUCK out of the car. If you spun a bearing, its already fucked anyway, so you wont break anything. I'm willing to bet that the noise goes away.

I will make a video tomorrow morning, I'm hoping is something stupid and nothing serious. My car was about to being done, this shit sucks ass.

the higher rpms you get your building oil pressure in the lifters the noise will almost go away at idle it will come back. if its a lifter it isnt a big deal so dont lose any sleep over it.

You drove with the IC off - pipes open? Maybe you sucked something up and it's sitting in there. I did that - drove from my driveway to garage and I eventually found a pebble blocking my IACV :loser:

Hopefully it's something as dumb as that.

whens the last time you did an oil change?

I had the same thing happen Nick.

Right before my dyno appointment I heard this god awful ticking sound and I had no idea what the fuck was going on.

I'm pretty sure if I remember correctly it went away on its own the next day. I cant recall if I did anything.....but I dont think I did.

Hopefully you'll be all set. :bigtu:

Should have heard the LeMons car in February when it was 28* out starting with 20w-50 in it, ticked for 30 minutes.

I vote change oil and beat it up a bit.


WooHooo, missed it but I hit my 1000's post.

Back to the ticking.....