So, I decided to investigate this strange ticking noise in my engne bay... I removed the DP and TID to check shaft play on both sides of the turbo. The turbo was not causing this noise.

TPS is set. I've messed with the timing a bit, and stabbed the CAS properly.

Would some sort of irregular sparking cause a ticking noise inside of the engine, loud enough to be heard outside of the engine?

(I'm not sure what other information to include. I am pretty stumped on this one.)

 

exhaust leak,,,arcing coil ( visible when dark ) or a relay clicking in and out ( bad earth )

 

What sort of exhaust do you have? Exhaust pulses can sound like a ticking or a pinging through downpipes made of thin, low grade material.

I had the same problem on my last T2; I swore up and down it was an exhaust leak. I replaced every gasket: block to mani, mani to turbo, and turbo to DP. I used the factory metal ones from Mazdatrix and damn was it expensive. However, after replacing all the gaskets the noise was still there. You could hear it distinctly coming from the turbo/DP area at idle. I concluded it was because of my cheap DP and never really had any problems besides that noise.

Have you noticed any other problems or are you just worried about the noise?

 

When I checked the turbo for shaft play the other day, I tightened every bolt on the exhaust. I made sure to tighten them evenly, so that one side was not tighter... Causing an exhaust leak.

I was thinking, maybe a bad coil ground or something. Bumpstart, what would you say are the most common arcing points?

gameover2145, I have the Racing Beat REV TII exhaust. I am not only worried about the noise... But also the slight loss of power. It's bumming me out.

 

series 5 engine? if so you don't want to know. blame it on the exhaust and keep driving it.

 

My car has the same issue but I thought it was due to my crap down pipe.

Now I do want to know!

 

Seeing as you have the REV TII, I doubt it is your downpipe.

Can you pinpoint where the noise is coming from?

 

Forgot to mention... Series four engine.

The DP is clean all the way through. I checked it. Even sent a beam of light down through to the Y-pipe... Clear from the presilencer to the Y-pipe. There's nothing in the mufflers either.

The noise sounds as though it is equal on both sides of the bay, at first. From the front it even sounds equal... Then you get closer to each side, it sounds as though it is definitely turbo side. That is what made me think it could have possibly been the turbo fins. But that has been ruled out. I also took that plate off of the back of the turbo... The one that conceals the wastegate flapper. It isn't a loose flapper either.

Could a crack in the exhaust manifold cause this type of noise?

 

I have the same issue, and the turbo is not the cause. Nor the leaky manifold, nor leaky exhaust. I have the RB Rev II exhaust system too. I also am trying to find out why.

 

Bac ticks a bit

 

I had no BAC valve at the time. I ruled everything out... Except for an exhaust leak from the turbo manifold. One of the four studs broke off into the block. I've not driven the car for quite some time now. I'll be dealing with this within the next three months or so. Having no money sucks. :-/

 

I want to know? Mines real annoying

 

I done that, it wasn't the manifold. It wasn't the turbo. It wasn't the bac.
I went crazy looking for it, I swapped the engine, swapped harness, swapped rail, swapped injector, changed ecu, changed alternator, changed flywheel, swapped the manifold, swapped the turbo, I basically did a T2 swap engine wise. Nope, still there thank you very much.

The more I got down to it, the more it sounded like the spark was firing during exhaust phase, which caused loud ticking noise making it sounds almost like a exhaust leak. Or perhaps detonation or irregular spark that causes the exhausts to exit at higher velocity (due to timing) during exhaust phase which cause the exhaust to gush out of the port making the leaky kind of sound?

ie. intake phase --> air/fuel mix --> leading ignites while exhaust port is open (loud ticking occurs )--> compression phase --> trailing ignites closing the exhaust port and opens intake --> intake phase

To find out I guess I could disconnect trailing and see if whether disconnect trailing or leading would have more significant rpm drop and engine rattle. Reason? Improper emission removal, solenoid malfunction, vacuum leak, improper timing, bad grounds, hot start assist malfunction?

 

I had an issue similar to this but it wasnt a rotary. It was on my cuda. I went through alot of searching as well until I realized that one of my fly wheel bolts somehow worked its way out and was hitting the bell housing with each revolution. I have never been that far with this mazda but i am sure you have a similar setup in these cars.

Now before someone blast me, keep in mind i am new to the rotaries. But it may be worth a check.

 

I had that issue and it was from the manifold to turbo gasket. My mani was cracked but after putting it back with pineapple racing gaskets she sounds great. The metal OEM gasket looks to have had water build up in the top midsection and corrode the gasket over the years.

 

My 1990 rx7 n/a had the same problem and I searched high and low for what caused this ticking sound. It ended up being one of the injectors, so you might want to test them.

 

Delete*

 

I have that annoying tick too. started after the revII exhaust system was put on and the turbo was ported.

I swear its a exhaust leak. im gonna chalk it up to that untill i upgrade the turbo.

it comes from the turbo area, louder when engine is cold, i cant pin point it, all bolts are tight, i used a smoke machine to fogg the exhaust and still no dice.

here is a video from my i phone.

 

Yeah that is the gasket I am talking about. The manifold to turbo gasket. My putt putt sound is gone? The crack is in the gasket on the top towards the engine where you cant see it because of the heat shields. This gasket is $20 buck unless you want to spend stealership prices.

http://www.pineappleracing.com/after...-graphite.aspx

 

How are you just going to leave a post hanging like that.

 

The post isn't hanging. It is for sure the exhaust gasket between the manifold and the turbo. Five minutes ago pulling out on the highway i boosted without the air bypass valve hooked up and blew the brand new one i just installed. Now my car sounds like that his video again .

 

well im gonna order one. pulllling that turbo out sucks. but it has to be done. i imagine it hurts the turbo spool up too

 

Here is what my gasket looked like. Yeah pulling the turbo is a pain but you will feel better when you don't have to hear that leaky exhaust. It sat on the ground for a week but you can see where it blew out. Once I got it off it just fell in half.

 

Oh wow. I replaced that gasket when I did my motor last summer but a few months ago I took out the turbo to port and reused the gasket. Should have replaced it. I just ordered the thicker one from pineapple so I'll post my results

 

could be an exhaust leak or it could be a deformed rotor, i have seen a few engines that had rotor faces that had developed "warts". bumps that pushed out and the rotors actually were contacting the rotor housings causing a thumping noise at low RPMs.

not saying this is everyone's issue but it is a possibility, i do not know the cause.