[sorner]

Mike, that sucks... I hope that doesn't happen to me. This engine replaced a grenaded one, I don't want another grenade job. Obviously its hard to describe sounds in typed text, I thought it was a ticking sound at first, when the engine is at full throttle it kind of sounds like a ticking sound, but at slow RPM's it's definitely a chirping sound. The orange neoprene seal is in there. What I don't understand is just why it's making this noise. it's a reed valve, and it stays shut when the engine is off. It's not a blowby issue, because I took the plugs out and turned it over and it still does it with no compression. The only time it doesn't make the sound is if I hold the reed open. It's intact and doesn't look bad to my eye. Maybe it's not making a good enough seal and the air blowing past the reed is making it like a duck call. I have the umbrella style from the other engine, I was thinking about installing that to see what it does. I know it should be replaced with new, but I don't want to drop about $60 for all the parts if it's not actually the cause of it.