Spot the noise competition for March

[Tahrey1043]

Another month, another "interesting" new sound to file under "what the flarg is THAT?!" before becoming first used to it, then forgetting it completely and it becoming part of the "familiar" background.

Engine has developed a quiet "ticking" type noise... now it had a gentle type of tickety-tickety already, mostly noticable on, well, tickover, which seemed a bit noisy and tractory but really rather harmless and soothing. The new one threatens to get a bit louder and be more threatening, and while is equally rhythmical, the drummer has expressed concerns that it's throwing him off his concentration. If you know what I mean.

Again it's most noticable at idle, but doesnt seem to go away as much when revved up, and stays fairly constant at all throttle positions (so it gets slightly drowned out at higher speeds). Had a problem like this before, with a perished and leaking exhaust manifold, but that was fairly distinctive - it grew slowly over some weeks, gradually turning the engine note to "box full of scissors attacking a sewing machine", most noticable at full throttle and non-existant on the over-run, being as it was dictated by manifold pressure. This is not like that, having come on in days and not paying much attention to throttle setting.

A background detail is that the oil was a bit neglected and low til a few days ago. Not desperately low, but enough under the "minimum" mark that it took a litre bottle and-a-bit (200ml?) to have the level *almost* to the dipstick "high" mark. It made a most perculiar "singing" noise on starting on a very cold night this weekend gone, and several funny but nonserious-seeming mechanical ones on repeated starts today.

Any ideas..... is it just a figment.... or is it a sign of something on the way out.... and would the low oil (combined with regular hammerings from almost-cold) be a factor? (as if it wouldnt be..)
Just as the tyres and the ignition leads and battery and stereo are sorted, along comes this (and the rusty scratches) to rip my cranial hemispheres a new one.

Cheers.

Also with the drips left over in the over-filled litre bottle, i found that clean oil makes a great and effecient cleaning agent on surfaces covered by oily dirty gunk, such as valve covers. Result!

[Tahrey1043]

nope... forget it. it's the f*****!! manifold again, just giving the early warning in an odd way. open the throttles, get a sound like a sewing machine, go down to the local polo-friendly garage man and get it fettled for £25 (eventually). lovely.