I just bought a car, and it seems to click when i accelerate the car. i at first though that it was the speedometer, which seemed to shake while it was rotating, but my mechanic friend said that it might have to do with the valves. the sound only occurs when i accelerate the car, and it comes from the front left hand side. my car has a quadrajet-ed 305 v8

 

Check the oil, when you are low on oil you can hear your engine ticking


you said it comes from left side, thats the side you use to dump oil in the valve cover,

does your car leek oil? sounds like a lubercation problem

 

Try adjusting the valve lash.

 

Gets louder when you step on the gas? Sounds like "tick, tick, tick, tick?"

Easy. Exhaust leak. Usually right up around one of the exhaust ports. Very common with headers, less common with factory exhaust manifolds.

 

Ah ha! I have that same problem! And I too thought it was the speedo or something like that (but realized it wasn't when I pulled the speedometer apart to add the 140 guage), and also that it will happen in neutral/park.

Hmmm I'll have to check for exhaust leaks. I'm pretty sure I have one where my 3" cat-back mounts to the cat as well.

Oh, and I have stock manifolds by the way. Replacing exhaust manifold gasket should do it then, no? Maybe I'll just wait until I get headers for that though

 

I would go with Copper Header gaskets, that will seal them up real good.

If there still is a ticking sound, It could be a loose roller rocker, and that ticking you hear is your rod(s) hitting the loose rocker(s).