i have a 1967 chevelle with a 454 in it, was my daily driver when i built it when i was a kid, always had a bit of an exhaust noise from the driver side header area, this is years later and i have started working on the car again after its was sitting for about ten years. I have now redone the intake, carb, distributor, raidator, no fan, and new headers and exhuast, etc. when i first got it started it noticed the noise a litte still, but much quiter, so i figured it was probably a lifter noise, i started the car today and let run with the chock on to warm up and the noise is alot louder. It is coming from the driver side and up by the head area, after running for about ten minutes it quited down a little but was still there. It is not a knock it is a ticking noise to me like an exhaust leak but the bolts on the headers are tight, any ideas. maybe a way to get a stuck lifter to free up a little without pulling the thing apart, anything will be helpfull, thanks:beers:

Could one of the bolts on the rocker back off? Mine will do that because one of the bolts wont lock anymore, and it backs off over time and starts to tick. Pull the valve cover on the side, and check the rockers if one is obviously loose.

I have had several "ticks" like this... Most common was the header gasket at the head leaking... Don't assume that just because the bolts are tight and the gasket is newer, that it isn't leaking...

I also had one rocker nut "strip" once... Had a bad lifter in one...

And I had a cam go flat once, where we adjusted the rocker arm several times in one day trying to get the noise to go away...:(

Can do a dirty quick check for exhaust leaks by using a spray bottle with water / soap and shooting the flanges and mating points in the system while the car is cold - start up, start shooting water / soap, maybe have a buddy or wife lightly bump the throttle and then look for bubbling where you are shooting the water / soap. Beats trying to feel around hot exhaust with your hands or trying to find it by feeling for it.