Loved it at first, but now I'm WORRIED.

[AZOTH99]

I got installed my headers on my charger. car was running smooth great no problems at all. no noises nothing. the day the headers were installed I got my Diablo in. Waited a day or so to tune the car. make sure the headers were fine. Installed the performance tune on the car and it ran great. loved the feel of it. the next day My CAI came in the mail. I installed that and changed the tune to the performance CAI tune. The next day I started to hear what sounds like the rocker knocking in the car?????? today it sounds like it is getting a bit worse. at first you could barely hear it. now you can easily hear it. Tomorrow I'm going to put the stock tune back in to see if it fixes the rocker sound. Have you had this problem before and if not what do you suggest? Could the diablo cause this? I may take the car back to the dealer and have them check it out, what do you think. I'll make sure the stock tune is back in before I do.
I'd really like to get some input here. I'm nervous to begin with about using the tuner. This is the first new car I have ever owned and plan on keeping it for a long long time. I hope you can help out. thanks in advance.

[AZOTH99]

ahhh i'm pretty sure it's an exhaust leak. not a tuner issue

[copracer288]

Probably. A header leak can sound VERY much like rocker noise.

BTW though, Diablo recommends a custom tune when you get headers.

[mikel]

Yeah, does not sound tune related at all...please post back and keep us informed as to the cause of the noise.

Thanks

[bacafrog]

Could it be pre-ignition? I dont know the extent of your auto knowledge, but there can be several things that sound like rocker noise. Just trying to help.

[PlumCrazyDaytona]

I know the sound you are referring too. Does it sound louder when the motor is cold, mellow when warm? Do you also hear it during partial throttle? I have the same headers and most likely the same hi flow cats. I have the sound as well and with and without the tune it is there. What I have found is that it's the headers, the have a ping like sound to them when cold and under different throttle positions. I have even pulled them and the gaskets are good my buddy calls it "header ping" usually it's cheap headers that can make the sound but it's nothing bad.

[AZOTH99]

You pretty much described it perfectly. It is driving my and especially the wife nuts. I crawled up there checked the bolts. tried to listen for where is was comming from on the headers and can't pinpoint it. the driver side makes no noise at all. The dealer said dont drive the car that way that it could break. I dont know I'm sure the gasket is good I'm just wondering if it is a bad weld in the headers. Do you have the ceramic silver ones too?

Talked to JBA and they said I need to check the torque on the bolts, that it sounds to him like the bolts started to back out. There was no torque specs on the instruction form. I checked most of the bolts already and they seem fine, I'll have to try the pain in the ass top ones later on when I have some time. They will send a new gasket out to me if I tell them I want one. They also suggested a brand gasket from Perses something about dead soft aluminum. he said also felpro's will work pretty good to seal up any small leaks from the headers. There carbon fiber gaskets are high temp gaskets for high performance cars with blowers superchargers etc..... basically he told me 8 second cars.

[PlumCrazyDaytona]

Cool sounds like we figured it out! I haven't checked in awhile but the header bolts were tight the last time I checked and the gaskets were not burned. I have the same ceramic headers, I think that some of the sound might be at the point were the header and cat pipe bolt up. When I did mine I did not use anything to seal that area so I plan on dropping the pipe and running some red hi temp silicone on the flared end of the header and re bolt. i did notice this morning that I have a real small leak at the x-pipe where the cat pipe clamps to the x-pipe, so I will re clamp silicone it and see what happens. If it takes care of the sound I will post it. I had this sound with the stock exhaust as well but not this pronounced.

[AZOTH99]

I'm pretty sure mine is at the head. I called JBA and talked to them, they seem to think I just need to tighten up the bolts, or change to a thicker gasket. The rest of the exhaust is fine. The passenger side was way tougher to install than the driver side. I put up a post with pics on www.chargerforumZ.com of the install. it is the forum with a Z not the other. everyone is nice and acts like adults on this forum.

[demonglory]

If the noise described is determined not to be an exhaust leak, and only started after the installation of the CAI, I would bet it's now you can hear the egr valve's actuation resonating through the CAI...Part throttle, heard on driver's side predominately, etc.