SHO engine noise

Hey there peoples,

Tonight I just took a 95 SHO MTX out for a test drive... I asked my buddy who has a 92 a few q's.... but forums can be better.

1- Stiff shifting... is this normal? the clutch feels okay but the gears are pretty dam stiff to shift into.

2- engine noise... right from the start to the end of the hour long test drive. The engine makes an intermittent ticking sound every few seconds. Like:

tk tk tk tk 3 to 5 seconds pass then tk tk tk tk

(not too loud but I notice these things) I couldn't exactly notice where the sound was coming from (just afraid that is may be the waterpump or something like that (a/c maybe - he says the A/c doesn't work but doesn't know if it just needs a recharge)

My buddy says his makes a constant ticking noise.. not intermittent like this one (he hasn't heard this car, and he lives way too far away for me to check out his) He thinks it might be the "sequential multiport fuel injection"

Let me know what you think SHO guru's

C'mon guys... a little help here, time is limitted.

do you engines make this noise?

is your shifting stiff...


also... does your clutch depress all the way to the floor?

if you answer no to any of these questions, then what do you think the problem is with this car?

Sounds like the clutch cable is off or upgraded clutch is in there. As for the ticking, take off the belt and run the engine (while cool) for a minute to see if it is an accessory (usually a bearing or spring in a tensioner or idler pulley). I would bet your motor mounts are toast.

I said "off" I meant needs adjusting lol.

Mine makes a slight ticking sound, too. From what I hear, its normal.

also, a '95 MTX is very rare, if you get it, congrats!

[QUOTE=dark_elf]Hey there peoples,

1- Stiff shifting... is this normal? the clutch feels okay but the gears are pretty dam stiff to shift into.

Stiff shifting sounds like bad fluid in the tranny housing. I drained and flushed mine out when I replaced the clutch. Put synthetic fluid in it and she shifts great. Try new fluid first. The MTX's on these cars are usually pretty solid, and since you have a 92+ the cable shifter shouldn't be a problem. Also try to adjust your clutch pedal. (pull it all the way up and then all the way down to the floor, if you hear a click then you're adjusted)

2- engine noise... right from the start to the end of the hour long test drive. The engine makes an intermittent ticking sound every few seconds. Like:

tk tk tk tk 3 to 5 seconds pass then tk tk tk tk

Engine noise is not good, mine started out like what you are talking about and now I have come to the realization that if you don't adjust the valve lash on these cars they get noisy. And will eventually mess up the cams themselves. Which at 549 a set plus labor, is not a good thing. Try to get a stethoscope and find out where the ticking is coming from. Other sources would be a bad injector, bad TOB, maybe even rod bearings, hard to tell, could even be a timing chain tensioner. Let me know what you find out.