So I have a 2012 Silverado 6.2L with Kooks 1 7/8th Headers, catted Y-pipe, and Magnaflow muffler in the stock cat back. I have been fighting what people call "normal" header ticking at idle and low rpm cruise. I refuse to believe that it's normal. I initially fought some leaks and got fed up and the only lasting solution was to weld the ball and socket collectors solid and welded the y-pipe. It still ticks. It's steady at idle but it can be intermittent at cruise (under 2k rpm). Sometimes it's there, sometimes it's not, and it varies in intensity and can change tone when bouncing over large bumps in the road.

Now before this truck I had a 2012 Camaro with the 6.2L that I put headers on and it never ticked. It was super smooth and the headers never gave me any trouble. The difference I think was that it had slip fit collectors vs the ball and socket on the Silverado. The ticking does sound like it's concentrating from the collector area. So with that in mind I'm thinking:
Should I cut out the ball and socket and weld in some slip style collectors?
Also what about wrapping the headers to help cut some sound? (I've used wrap before and my headers didn't immediately rot out and these are stainless so I'm not worried about it)

 

Are you sure you don't have leak else where in the system? At the header flange or one of the o2 bungs maybe.

Cut that bullshit ball/socket set off of and run an interlocking flanged v-band set up from racepartsolutions

 

I have Kooks headers on my truck and I have pronounced ticking. I thought it was the nature of the beast or valve train noise.

Is it the same kind of sound you can hear in this video at about 13 seconds

 

I recently replaced both flange gaskets with OEM gaskets and got no change in sound. That is after retorquing the bolts after a few heat cycles.

I'll double check the O2 bungs and that the sensors are tight today.

My next thought was V-Bands at the collectors for keeping them removable.

 

The headers are going to tick... thats all there is to it.

I'm not here to say yours isn't more than normal, but you will always get more noise than the stock manifolds. I was chasing a tick for a while in my truck with the ARH... but it turned out to be normal noise.

 

Ya that sounds the same. I can even hear it when you are under the truck.



I mean am I expecting too much from my headers? My Camaro didn't have a hint of ticking and it had the same engine as the truck (with the exception of the variable valve timing) So I know headers can run without ticking.

 

Where in NH are you?

 

Dover, Just inside the seacoast on the Maine border, you?

 

Ive also owned a 2002 Camaro and a 2008 G8 with headers. Both cars were loud but didn't have the exact same high frequency tick we are talking about. My car is matted on most panels (not that it blocks HF noise anyways). I had leaks at the slip fittings which are now all welded but the ball fittings have been great since I traded for different hardware. And I have tried a couple different muffler and pipe configs. Same exact tick. It a truck thing.... Never gotten it to go away.