Possible exhaust leak

[rmrc51]

Finally finished putting my Valk Trike back together after many new additions. Once I started her up, I noticed a ticking when she's idling. If I remember correctly, this ticking could be from an exhaust leak. I did have the exhaust off and yes, I have new gaskets in place. So, hoping that it's just a matter of making sure my headers are tightened properly, here's two questions;

1. What is the foot pounds for the header nuts?

2. In trying the use a torque wrench, does anyone now of a trick to get the torque wrench on some of those impossibly placed header nuts?

Of course if any of you have other ideas regarding the source of this 'ticking', assuming that the exhaust leak isn't the problem, please feel free to suggest alternatives.

Thanks in advance.

[fudgie]

Did you desmog recently? Maybe a rubber cap is leaking or the JB weld did not hold. Happened to me. See if you can pin point the area as its running. Or it just could be the pair valves if you did not desmog.7 ft lbs I believe is the torque value. You could get a 1/4 to 1/2 adapter to fit your socket to the t -wrench. Or just snug them with the wrench.

[Patrick]

would be,, did this noise exist prior to the removal??  If not,, then it could very well be an exhaust leak.. What style gaskets did you use?? Copper or fiber??? The correct torque value is 7 #/ft,, and that ain't much.. I don't use a torque wrench on these,, I snug them up more than 7 #/ft and have never broken one[yet anyway]..Just be careful and gentle and it takes about three passes to get them all even.. Are you sure the old gaskets were removed?? All of them?? Are you sure the new gaskets are seated correctly?? Its very easy to screw this up and have a gasket or two or three to sit crooked..Now,, all this said,, sometimes these monsters tick no matter what you do.. Its one of lifes little wonderments.. Glenn seems to think that the tick is the oil pump chain and he may very well be correct..

[Tundra]

7lbs torque. Use a comination wrench as an "extension" of your torque wrench, Yes, use the torque wrench. If you don't you will be replacing broken studs, not fun when riding is on your mind. box end on the header bolt, open end fit over the torque wrench drive, you will be able to get them all easily. Someone has posted a picture of this previously, hopefully they will post again for you.

[N8171S]

The pair valves tick at idle.  Bring the throttle up slightly and if the noise stops that is what it is.

[rmrc51]

The pair valves tick at idle.  Bring the throttle up slightly and if the noise stops that is what it is.

Hopefully, it's the pare valve. Yes I do have the tick at idle and when I bring up the rev's slightly the tick goes away.


Regarding the other suggestions;

No, I haven't done a desmog.

Yes, I did remove all old exhaust gaskets.

The new gaskets are copper and I'm sure I have them seated properly.

When I installed the headers I didn't use a torque wrench. I just used my own judgment regarding how snug they should all equally be. I will go over them again with the torque wrench at 7 foot pounds.

Thanks for all of the suggestions! 

[PharmBoy]

I would recommend a 1/4" torque wrench with a 10mm wobble joint socket & 6" extension.  (7 ft/lbs = 84 in/lbs)  A good  1/4" torque wrench can be found on flea-bay worth the money now days and the 10mm wobble joint is cheap enough at Sears.  Both will last you a lifetime and you will use them for other things than just exhaust nuts.  Exhaust nuts are usually tightened to the max after the third time of torquing them with this setup.  The rear nut on #5 exhaust is the only one that this setup will not torque.  You will have to guess on this one.  (Like Patrick told me one time,"Just tighten it until you hear a crack and then back off 1/4 turn".)...JTL   

[rmrc51]

I would recommend a 1/4" torque wrench with a 10mm wobble joint socket & 6" extension.  (7 ft/lbs = 84 in/lbs)  A good  1/4" torque wrench can be found on flea-bay worth the money now days and the 10mm wobble joint is cheap enough at Sears.  Both will last you a lifetime and you will use them for other things than just exhaust nuts.  Exhaust nuts are usually tightened to the max after the third time of torquing them with this setup.  The rear nut on #5 exhaust is the only one that this setup will not torque.  You will have to guess on this one.  (Like Patrick told me one time,"Just tighten it until you hear a crack and then back off 1/4 turn".)...JTL   

Great suggestion! Will do!