1989 328 head noise

Maybe an arcing spark plug extender? Or the exhaust air valve check valve failed/rotted and some exhaust gas leaking out, that can make a tappet like sound.

 

try to record the sound, that makes diagnosis a lot easier.

 

Sometimes the air injection pipes in the header or the test ports rot out, and you get what sounds like a tappet noise as a result. Inspect those connections into the header carefully. Seems like you have inspected the more consequential engine internals, so it may be something less obvious. How about the Hard to know without actually hearing the sound.

 

That does not sound like a ticking but more serious. I don't know what it is but I would dig deeper.

 

It could be as simple as an exhaust leak.

Get it off the ground and take some tissue paper and just put it around the edges of the manifold. If the paper starts blowing then you have a much easier fix

 

Yes, I am thinking exhaust leak, could be the manifold but also the air injection and exhaust test pipe items I have noted. I had a similar sound when an air injection check valve failed, it looked fine outside but was all rotted out inside and corroded right through on the bottom where is was not visible. I was perplexed at the time and worried about valve train issues, but was relieved to see a $10 part needed replacement (and they all do, it should be a routine service item). So easy to check, so may as well remove the hose and or the item and see how it looks.

It is very consistent in pace but louder on revving. Most valve train ticks would be about the same volume regardless of rpm, albeit the engine noise tends to mute the ticks as revs go up, the opposite of what you have. If not an exhaust leak, maybe do a compression and leakdown test to see if you have a headgasket leak or valve seat worn?

Is there more ticks from the distributor side verses the belt side? Maybe a worn distributor cap with some arcing, albeit one would expect some performance issue if that were occurring.

Seems to run and rev well despite the ticking. That plus the consistency of the tick should help pinpoint a cause.

 

Have a look at the drives in the distributors for wear

 

Yes, put your stethoscope on the distributor, I had an advance weight start tapping inside on a car once. Most likely a cracked tube (air injection or sniffer pipes.)

 

I was assuming same as 3.2 mondial

 

My clicking noise on my '87 GTS was a corroded exhaust test pipe on the front bank. It was so laborious removing the front header I removed and plugged all 4 of them on that bank.

 

How did you like sitting in the gas tank position?

 

It was great fun! Fortunately, I have a lift. Wouldn't want to do it again so I plugged them. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Bummer...I feel for you; that's not common, but there is no solace in that remark. How many miles, or Kilometers?

Rgds

 

Indeed not common and if the main bearings are gone you expect a different (harder) sound. Engine sounds (except the ticking) healthy. I share the ideas mentioned above already that a small leak in the exhaust manifolt is first thing to look at what I has with my 88.5 328GTS last year. I needed simply to fasten the copper alloy nuts to solve it.
Please share the further news/info on this with us fellow enthousiasts for the 328.

 

Marco,
Did you drive the car with the ticking? A well known ticking sounding rather similar comes from the AC belt. You will find several articles on this (ticking or tapping noise). That is located on the right side of the front-end bank. When the engine warms-up the ticking sounds disappears (minutes after starting the car). This is solved by substantially increasing the tension of the belt, this tension needs to be rather high. Below pics and directions help to do this easy job.
The metal shavings you found in the oil filter, might that be from the sawing you did to open it?

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