Ticking sound? and carb questions

[Zachary]

Hey Guys,

Chris and I almost got the car running last week, but when we turn the car over we get a strange metallic ticking noise. I havent been able to hook up a timing light to find out when its happening. Chris and I took a stethoscope to the engine and bell housing to try and find the source of the noise, but were unsucsessful. It sounded like it was coming from the bell housing when I was under the car, but when I put the stethoscope on the housing I didnt hear anything. When we had the oil pan off we took a quick look and the bearings looked fine, so I dont think its a spun bearing. We put a new oil pump on, and im wondering if that could be the source of the sound? I pulled the plugs and none of the spark plugs were mangled, and when we put the intake manifold on im sure nothing fell into the carb. I was wondering if anyone has any other ideas of what it could be?

And I put a 34 dmsa carb on, but it is missing the choke. When chris put his hand over the carb and I turned it over the car roared to life, but as soon as he removed it the car died again. Its still fairly cold here, so I think thats my issue. Does anyone know where I could get the throttle linkage an plates for a 34 dmsa?

Thanks,

Zach

[pooldoctorstl]

I have a 34 DMSA carb top with the choke plates and lever that have some rust on them but you could clean them up and I think they will be fine. You can have the choke parts but I want to keep the carb top. This is a spare for my race car so I don't need the choke and if you can put it use, it's yours. PM me with your email address and we will go from there.

Jeff

[pooldoctorstl]

Oh yeah, as far as the ticking...make sure the auxiliary shaft is aligned right if you did the timing belt. When the timing marks in the cams and on the crank are all lined up, the hole in it should be at about 1:30 or the fuel pump lobe will hit the #2 rod cap bolt.

Jeff

[narfire]

Hi Jeff,the aux shaft is lined up...we have the evidence sitting on a bench when it is not lined up and one trys to start the car
Hope Zach gets back to you with the choke linkage. The spare carbs I have are all water choke.
The noise is a definate "one - per" tap. Shims are all good and sounds kinda like it is in the bell housing...hollow aluminium sound perhaps.Does not sound like cast on cast metal. we'll take another look when he comes over.
Chris

[124ADDHE]

Hey Zach, that carb should run fine without the choke plate, they are just for cold starts. Have a look at the idle mixture screw, make sure its turned out a couple or 3 turns and also have a look at the Idle jet, I believe this needs a specific orientation to line up with the passageways in that carb? Did you buy an electric fuel pump or are you still running a mechanical one? maybe make sure that the idle set screw is turned in enough? will it run when you pump gas with the accelerator jets?

[digitech]

If it's fairly cold where he is (and I'm sure it is unless he's in Miami) then he'll need a properly functioning choke in order to get the car started and running. That's pretty much what he's doing by partly covering the top of the carb with his hand.

[124ADDHE]

I realise the point of the choke, I ran this carb for years without one. Some carbs dont even use a choke, like my solex carbs and some other sidedraught carbs, it is a benefit but definately not a requirement, if the car will not start/idle with a feathering/injection from the accel jets, there is some other problem. It can be -40 and you can still start without a choke, you just make sure that you prime the intake with a few shots from the accel pump.

So yes, grab a choke if you would like but if the thing wont run with the above instructions, there is another problem.

[narfire]

Success...mostly.
Zach came over,hooked up the battery and using the throttle conection gave it a couple of pulls. I saw fuel being dumped so I guess the accelerator pump works. Had Zach crank and motor tried to start,twisted the dist a bit and engine caught. The ticking was gone as well. So that part was good, I guess in the excitement of the car running, a couple of little things to do like heli-coil the coolant "T" threds,weld another stud onto the timing pointers.... Now he has to put the rear calipers back on and bleed the brakes and cross our fingers the car will stop as well as I think it will go. Mind you, anything will likely be an improvement over the original 79 carb set up.
Chris

[bobplyler]

I get a little ticking sound from under the hood before the car warms up. I suspect it's a small exhaust leak that closes up when it heats up.