Pontiac Repair: Ticking noise?????, spark plug wire, aluminum head

Question
QUESTION: I have a 93 Grand Am inline 4 98.000 miles.It has a rough idle and a dead cylinder.When i removed the spark plug wire i heard a ticking noise.U only hear the ticking noise when the plug wire is removed.It also blows black smoke at high RPM.Gas mileage is around 16-18 city,23-25 hwy.It runs fine other then the rough idle.Is it a burnt valve(hope not)

ANSWER: Hey Trent:
That ticking noise may be the spark jumping from a cracked plug to the engine head? That would also cause the dead miss. You could have a bad coil housing on this as well it's the big plactic cover under the aluminum cover. Or maybe one of the short plug boots? I would look at an igntion isssue. Unless the ticking noise you hear is like a swewing machine ticking noise then that my be a lifter issue. Good luck :)


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QUESTION: Thanks 4 the fast response!Can a spark plug ignite without a wire attached to it?It does'nt sound like a sewing machine though.How could I tell if it was a lifter problem?

Answer
No it's can't ignite without the plug boot on it. The more I though about it maybe the spark plug came loose in the head and the compression is leaking past the threads of the plug. That could also be why it's misfiring. That's not a good thing considering this is an aluminum head engine wait untill the engine is cold and see if the plug is loose if so try to back it all the way out first before you try to tighten it. If you meet with any resistance at all stop and take it to a repair shop before you damage the threads in the head even more. If it were a lifter issue it sounds like a sewing machine and it sounds like it going 1/2 the speed of the engine. good luck.