i just got this infiniti and i noticed a motor tick. im not real familiar with nissan as much as i am with mistubshi and such. but i investigated and it only seems to be there when the motor is at a lower idle. it is coming from the area of the left intake manifold where it buts the block. i think that its a valve stick but not positive. has anybody ever had this problem? im pretty sure thats what it is but i want someone elses opioun.

when you say tick do you mean tick or do you mean tap? because a tick is more of a noise that an injector would make. A famous SR20 problem is the timing chain hitting against the top chain guard. This chain guard can actually be removed do to the fact it serves no real purpose. What year is your G20? Sticky valves isn't a common problem with the SR20. While the car is running, place the blade of a flat head screwdriver at the top of the valvecover at the left, then place you're ear at the butt of the screw driver. I'm thinking that your noise will be heard through the screwdriver

yea i did do that with a screw driver.. its not coming from the timming chain area.. at least im almost positive, but i will look into it. and i know that it is not a injector. they are pulsing fine. this is a metal on metal tick sound. yes, almost like a slap. but at the same time you can not hear it in the valve cover. the only place that you hear it is right by the intake manafold and the block, where they butt together.. and that would be right were the rear vavles seat. correct? that area is the bottom of the head where it is coming from. i also noticed that it only does it when it is warm and at low idle. that would tell me that the oil is to thin and the presure is to low to get a ample amount of flow to the valves, does that not sound correct? along with the tick it idles poorly. so thats another reason why i would think that its a vavle stick or leak.

by the way its a 92 g20..

Hmm well it is definitely not the chain guard issue, because the high port motors do not have the top chain guards. Ruling out the other possibilities, it is very likely that you could have a sticking valve. However, as I said this is not a common problem. Sticky valves result mainly from excess carbon build up on valve faces and valve stems. However, carbon build up is usually an issue with exhaust valves. The Intake valves are the valves that line the back of the head which is where this sound is coming from, where carbon build up is less likely to occur, however still possible. If I were you my next move would be a compression test and if you have the resources, a cylinder leakdown test. If you infact have a leaky valve, this will expose it. Have you had the valve cover off yet? because another possible gremlin could be a malfunctioning hydraulic lifter. Like I said, do a bit more investigating.. if you don't have a compression tester buy one (like $20) or swing by a small auto shop they will definitely have one. Cylinder leakdown instruments are a bit more expensive and I would definitely go to a shop for that (you need compressed air). Don't forget to pull the valve cover off, pull the plugs and pull the fuel pump fuse, and have a buddy turn over the motor and check under the valve cover for strange noises as well.

Hmm well it is definitely not the chain guard issue, because the high port motors do not have the top chain guards.


If you mean upper timing chain guide, I will have to disagree with you.

Yeah thats right.. Nissan actually QUIT putting them on their latest SR20's my bad. I knew it was one of the two. Wondering why that didn't make sense. Thanks for the correction

Yeah thats right.. Nissan actually QUIT putting them on their latest SR20's my bad. I knew it was one of the two. Wondering why that didn't make sense. Thanks for the correction


Blame the good ol' Chicken-farm infested Butler for your lapse of true knowledge! :D

J/K Howard! :)

speaking of which man, my parents were asking about you the other day. They wanted to know how you've been doing and what you've been up to. My mom wants you to come back for thanksgiving. So does my aunt, you're the only one who will eat her pie! lol

speaking of which man, my parents were asking about you the other day. They wanted to know how you've been doing and what you've been up to. My mom wants you to come back for thanksgiving. So does my aunt, you're the only one who will eat her pie! lol


Call me and we'll talk about that. :)

PS, as far as the pie goes, dude, you seriously don't know what you're missing! That pie is AWESOME!

yes i have ran a compresion test. the first cylnder does show a lower compresion but only by like 1-2 pounds. and i have checked while turning it over. but i have not gone as far as taking the cover off. that will be my next step. im almost concvinced that is the problem.

the part that ticks me off is that i bought the car from some old lady that was the only owner.. and the car has only 70k on it.

thanks for the help though!

hmm well good luck man. Make sure to keep us posted. Anymore questions, let us know.