noise around 2-2.5 grand

[gstowner]

I have a noice that I cant really describe. Its not a grinding or squeaking. It only happens at 2-2.5 grand after that it stops. It sounds like its on the timing belt side. Dont know if its anything major. It doesn't sound really major. Just want to know what it is if I need to get it fixed. Can anyone tell me what they think it is with the limited info I gave.

 

[BUCK]

Rod knock or Balance Shaft bearing knock is always a safe bet...

 

[Stock92Talon]

I have the same noise. In the same place.

 

[gstowner]

I just had the timing belt changed. And he replaced all the tensinors including the balance tensinor. Could this have anything to do with it. Is the rod knock or balance knock anything major?

 

[Stock92Talon]

I just had the timing belt changed. And he replaced all the tensinors including the balance tensinor. Could this have anything to do with it. Is the rod knock or balance knock anything major?

GSTOWNER My timing was also recently redone. So we almost definitely are hearing the same noise. Mine seems to do it at part throttle, but if I give it full throttle it seems to go away. How about you?

 

[gstowner]

GSTOWNER My timing was also recently redone. So we almost definitely are hearing the same noise. Mine seems to do it at part throttle, but if I give it full throttle it seems to go away. How about you?

EXACTLY!!!! Me too. Also once I hit 3 grand its gone. I wonder if its something with the tensinors?

 

[Stock92Talon]

EXACTLY!!!! Me too. Also once I hit 3 grand its gone. I wonder if its something with the tensinors?

My tensioner, tensioner pulley , idler pulley are all brand new. What the hell.

 

[gstowner]

My tensioner are all brand new. What the hell.

I know mine are too. Im gonna talk to my mechanic tomorow to see what is up. It definetly sounds like you and me have the same thing though.

 

[Stock92Talon]

Yea keep me posted on what you find out. I am having other issues with my POS so i am not driving it anyway.

 

[gstowner]

Yeah im gonna go down tomorow and tell him about it and tell him that you have the same problem and ask him what he thinks. I'll just PM you either tomorow or Tuesday.

 

[gstowner]

stock92talon I PM'd you with what I found out.

 

[WhiteTsiAwd]

Can you post here what you found out, so it will benefit others aswell. I have the same noise but only sometimes, and its b/t 2-2.5k. I think its my crank pulley and it has split but i am not sure.

 

[gstowner]

I took it to my mechanic today and he said it sounded like the timing belt was rubbing on the bottom cover. He just replaced the timing belt, balance belt and all tensinors last week. He said the person that changed the timing belt last broke the bottom cover and glued it back together and but silicone over it. So it wasnt completly strait. He's gonna take it apart and check it out next week when I get my ac fixed.

 

[SilverMitsu]

OMFG what a lousy mechanic, and didnt even have the balls to tell you....

 

[gstowner]

OMFG what a lousy mechanic, and didnt even have the balls to tell you....

have the balls to tell me what?

 

[rv7builder]

If the noise is a metallic tapping noise between a range of rpms (around 2800) it is the tensioner pulley arm bouncing off the tensioner. In that rpm range, the belt system has a natural harmonic that takes all the slack out of the belt by the tensioner, then puts in all back and allows the tensioner arm to move enough that it comes off the tensioner and then smacks back into it - making the noise.
Try taking the timing belt cover off and rev it up until you hear the noise. Watch the belt and you'll see what I mean.
I had this same problem on my '90 laser rs turbo a few years ago. That was right before I replaced all of my exhaust valves. Enough tension came off the belt for the cam to slip a couple notches and the pistions and valves bumped heads. The valves lost.

Even if the tensioner is new, it can be out of adjustment. The tensioner needs to be compressed and locked in place with a pin through the hole in the side. Then the belt needs to be tightened using the tensioning tool. Then the pin can be pulled.
I did this a couple times before I got it right. (I didn't actually use the tool)

Having learned the hard way, if my car started making that noise again, I wouldn't drive it until it's fixed.

 

[Stock92Talon]

If the noise is a metallic tapping noise between a range of rpms (around 2800) it is the tensioner pulley arm bouncing off the tensioner. In that rpm range, the belt system has a natural harmonic that takes all the slack out of the belt by the tensioner, then puts in all back and allows the tensioner arm to move enough that it comes off the tensioner and then smacks back into it - making the noise.
Try taking the timing belt cover off and rev it up until you hear the noise. Watch the belt and you'll see what I mean.
I had this same problem on my '90 laser rs turbo a few years ago. That was right before I replaced all of my exhaust valves. Enough tension came off the belt for the cam to slip a couple notches and the pistions and valves bumped heads. The valves lost.

Even if the tensioner is new, it can be out of adjustment. The tensioner needs to be compressed and locked in place with a pin through the hole in the side. Then the belt needs to be tightened using the tensioning tool. Then the pin can be pulled.
I did this a couple times before I got it right. (I didn't actually use the tool)

Having learned the hard way, if my car started making that noise again, I wouldn't drive it until it's fixed.

That is exactly what I am hearing. I am compressing the auto tensioner as stated by vfaq. I keep having to do my timing belt am still not driving my car due to it not going over 3800 rpms. I hate this car. Do you want it?

 

[rv7builder]

Thanks for the offer, but I have had enough of these cars for one life time. I've had a '90 Laser RS/T, '95 GSX, and now a '97 Spyder GST and my wife had a '94 Talon N/A.

I'm not sure why it wouldn't work if you followed the vfaq. I know it's hard to reach and see in there, but if I recall, there's a spec that once it's installed, the piston should protrude from the tension a certain amount. If it's more than the spec, it could run out of travel and cause the noise.

Also, it sounds like you've done it more than once. The piston should be fairly hard to push back in and re-pin it. I put mine in a vise and SLOWLY tightened it to get it back in. If it goes right in, the tensioner is bad. There's oil in there that has to go through some pretty small holes and if you push it too fast or too hard, I think it can ruin some seals or something. It will then be springy, but won't have any damping effect - like when shocks are worn out on a car. It's been a while, but it seems like I spent about 2 minutes with it in the vise to get it back in position.

Why won't it rev over 3800? Does it run rough? The timing on one of the cams may be off a tooth. Mine ran very bad (one tooth off) just before it didn't run at all (a few teeth off and bent valves).

 

[gstowner]

How long did you have this noice before it bent the valves?

 

[rv7builder]

It was a while ago, but I think this is how it went.
It started making the noise and it took me a while to figure out what it was. I drove it for a week or two I think. I'm not sure if I ever did determine what the problem was before I decided to replace the timing belt. I knew they were supposed to be replaced and that's where the sound was coming from, so I tore into it.
When I put it back together I didn't get the tension set right, so after all my work - it was actually worse than what I started with. oops. After that it wasn't more than 20 minutes before it jumped a tooth and ran rough. I shut it off and tried to restart it and it cranked, but woulndn't fire (no compression). So I put a wrench on the crank bolt and tried to turn it over by hand and it got to a point where it wouldn't turn (valve hitting the piston).
So, if it just started making the noise - it may be okay for a while ( I don't recommend it though) and if started after working on the belt or tensioner I wouldn't even crank the engine over.
If I remember, the valves were $12 or $15 a piece and there are 8 (only the exhaust cam moved). That was a little expensive, but it took a long time to rebuild the head. Or it would take a lot of money to have a shop rebuild the head. Your choice.

 

[gstowner]

If the noise is a metallic tapping noise between a range of rpms (around 2800) it is the tensioner pulley arm bouncing off the tensioner. In that rpm range, the belt system has a natural harmonic that takes all the slack out of the belt by the tensioner, then puts in all back and allows the tensioner arm to move enough that it comes off the tensioner and then smacks back into it - making the noise.
Try taking the timing belt cover off and rev it up until you hear the noise. Watch the belt and you'll see what I mean.
I had this same problem on my '90 laser rs turbo a few years ago. That was right before I replaced all of my exhaust valves. Enough tension came off the belt for the cam to slip a couple notches and the pistions and valves bumped heads. The valves lost.

Even if the tensioner is new, it can be out of adjustment. The tensioner needs to be compressed and locked in place with a pin through the hole in the side. Then the belt needs to be tightened using the tensioning tool. Then the pin can be pulled.
I did this a couple times before I got it right. (I didn't actually use the tool)

Having learned the hard way, if my car started making that noise again, I wouldn't drive it until it's fixed.

rv7 your the man. Thats exactly what it was. I ordered a new tensioner yesterday. It wasnt keeping tension on the belt. Im really lucky it didn't jump and bend the valves. When I changed the timing belt last month I just bought the kit and for got about the tensionor adjuster. Thankfully I cought it fast enough.

 

[rv7builder]

Glad to hear you got it fixed!

 

[rv7builder]

My guess would be that it's getting worse recently because you recently had it off and inevitably it didn't go back together the exact same way.
Check to see that there is still some damping effect in the tensioner and that the amount of the shaft that is protruding is within spec.