RE: "Ticking" Noise

[White Anthony <anthony.white@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Took my recently purchased 22,000 mile 1986 Graduate 
> for a 100 mile drive in the mountains above Denver and 
> noticed an intermittent ticking noise.  Hard to describe, but 
> loud enough that its noticeable stopped in traffic, much 
> more so with the hood up.  Seems to come and go.  Valves 
> were adjusted by an Alfa specialist within 1,000 miles. 

Just to be clear, that's a 22,000 -- twenty two thousand -- mile car?  

As valve clearances open as engine temperature increases, it could simply be that your long mountain drive made your engine hotter than it had been before.  It's usual for valve noise to increase slightly when you get then engine good and hot.  

If it's a single tick, it may be something else, though.  I can't be more specific than that.  I have a single tick on one of my cars that I've convinced myself is a worn valve guide on my number 3 exhaust valve.  See if you can locate the tick with a mechanic's stethoscope (or a screwdriver to the ear).  

Regards,
Anthony White
Wellington, NZ
'73 105 GTV
'85 116 Giulietta
--
to be removed from alfa, see /bin/digest-subs.cgi
or email "unsubscribe alfa" to majordomo@domain.elided