Engine Noise / Ticking, Knocking, Tapping MERGED

[eric489]

All threads with vague titles regarding engine bay noises are now merged HERE.

If you honestly feel we can diagnose an internal engine problem from a poor description or low-quality video / audio sample, give it a shot.


I own a 1997 gst spyder and there is a ticking noise comming fron the engine. It comes and goes and it mostly sounds bad at idle. I have 97,000 miles on it and i change the oil regularly. I changed it about 2000 miles ago I need help to fix the problem.

 

[Timechg]

Which balance shaft stud did you use? The mitsubishi one or the generic one? I had the cheap installed on mine and then it seized up because it wasn't machined right. I bent all my intake valves as a result. I would recommend you taking off the timing belt and see if your oil pump sprocket can turn freely, otherwise you might be in it for the worse.

 

[Timechg]

Which balance shaft stub did you use? The mitsubishi one or the generic one? I had the cheap installed on mine and then it seized up because it wasn't machined right. I bent all my intake valves as a result. I would recommend you taking off the timing belt and see if your oil pump sprocket can turn freely, otherwise you might be in it for the worse.

 

[dsmpat95]

Try and pull each spark plug wire(one at a time while the car is running) and if the nose goes away with one plug out in may be your rod. IF no differnce its sometihing else.

 

[Red95Gs-t]

thats one of the tests i did..the noise never changed.
and the oil is clean.
i will try to get a sound clip up if i can figure out how.
you really have to hear it to understand..
really nothing like anything ive heard before..had a mechanic tell me he knows 100% it isnt a knock.. anyway a cam that isnt positioned right be able to make that noise or you crankshaft be all out of wack.
im desperate here.
thanks everyone.
love this site.
Jared

 

[94tal00n]

is this the same for the SOHC engines????

 

[icekilla126]

when i rebuilt my engine saoked lifters in oil for about a day..........no noise at all

 

[94tal00n]

ive got a 94 talon with the SOHC motor in it and #1 and #2 exhaust rockers are "loose" (i can physically move them) any help???

 

[propeine]

Either your lifters are junk or just haven't filled up with oil yet. Lifters are relatively cheap I'd say just replace them.

 

[Daaan]

I have a 1992 eagle talon n/t. I rebuilt it 5000km ago and the re-used lifters made a hell of a noise. It will go away eventually, i was scared it wouldn't.. but it did. It took a day or so for all lifters to stop. They will stop one by one.

 

[tiffanddave]

new to the import scene, just bought a 95 eagle talon non turbo, off of a guy that let the gasket for the oil pan leak like crazy and obviously when he was drunk ran it without oil not too sure how many times he did this. He had the car four months. I put oil(cheapest to get home) and started it, had a slight clicking/ticking noise he said bcuz it had no oil. drove it home, stopped on the way to add oil every so often, and parked it. Started it later and the noise was really loud constantnot just slight when taking off like before. Sounded like the crank, or a bearing went. I put more oil and started it again, noise went away until i gave it some gas, just a slight noise again! Anyone with any ideas? Would really love some assistance Thanks so much in advance! Oh it's 5 speed also if you need to know this, with over 200,000 miles

 

[KelTsi90]

Same happened to my friend it was a broken rod bearing. It could also be a lifter tick.

 

[Defiant]

Not likely to confuse lifter noise with a blown bearing. It can also be a balance shaft bearing.

Just for your reference, DSMs are American cars with Japanese motors and gearboxes. The Government classifies them as American cars.

 

[BCBruins17]

Alright I drive a 92 Eagle Talon TSi FWD stock with the exception of a hacked air can and MAF. I bought a mechanical boost gauge and proceeded to install it on Tuesday evening. I ran the hose through the fire wall, tapped into the right hose and attached it to the gauge to take for a quick spin to test it. The gauge worked fine but wasn't reaching maximum boost compared to what my stock gauge read(i know its not completely accurate) but the power still felt the same.

I proceeded to get everything hooked up like the wiring and then hiding the wires. After just getting the pillar to stay in place for a test drive I noticed the car sounded like it was running different. When I would rev the engine it sounded like it was working harder, as well, I felt a little more vibration throughout the car. I decided to take it for a drive anyways and while I did the car was no longer boosting all the way to it's stock set-up and felt sluggish. Boost would reach up to about 8-9 psi where the vacum reads at 20 and while just cruise the vacum would be at 10. Now, while in gear, the car jerks every now and then like its misfiring. I pulled the plugs and wires. When I pulled the plug nearest to the timing belt all sorts of oil came out with it so I let it dry a bit then checked the plug and wire, which sparked fine. I put everything back in and took it for another drive. The car still sputters and jerks when not on the throttle and now when I do get on the throttle you can hear a faint noise coming from the engine. The noise sounds to me as if there were/is a tiny piece of metal clanking around, but only when I get on the gas. If I rev the car in neutral the metal noise doesn't exist.

I have tried my best to describe this and I searched the forums first but didn't really know what to search for this problem. I don't see how trying to install a boost gauge would create such havoc, but maybe someone knows different? thanks for any help guys/gals.

 

[tiffanddave]

okay thanks, my husband is looking at it today, so i hopefullt will know then! Wish me luck i really love this car

 

[rich3389]

I have a non-oem stubby shaft in my oil pump for a BSE. I have driven it about 200 miles and the motor starting knocking, pushed the clutch in, and it idled at around 500 rpm(really low) then locked up.
I am in the process of taking it apart but I can free the motor up but spinning the motor backwards, then it will turn over a few times before it locks up.
Can a seized up stubby shaft make these symptoms or is it something far worse?

 

[delta448]

I seriously doubt it's that shaft, but I've seen stranger things.
Oil pressure low?
I'm thinking there is something physically broken which is catching inside the block or head. You shouldn't keep turning the engine over, you could cause more serious damage. I think you're going to have to tear the engine down to find your problem.

Also, you really should never turn the engine backwards for any reason.

 

[rich3389]

Oil pressure was fine until it shut off.

 

[anteversion]

with the clutch pedal floored and engine wanted to stall or reducing idle speed, might be a crankwalking 7 bolts.

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

ONLY DO THIS IF YOU KNOW THE CAMS ARE AT TDC!!!

1. Take off your timing belt with the engine at TDC
2. Try turning the oil pump sprocket. It should turn freely with no binding.
3. Take out your spark plugs.
4. Try turning the crank. Making sure your valves are still at TDC. That way you don't bend any of them.
5. If you can turn your crank only so far then you hit a stopping point. That means you are hitting your valves. And it is likely that your timing belt skipped a few teeth and you bent some valves. Or you installed it incorrectly when you installed the BSEK.

 

[rich3389]

I just did what was posted above, The oil pump spins freely, the crank spins then gets harder and harder to spin, it still spins it just take all of my force possible to get it to move even a little...
I guess its time to get another shortblock.
Hopefully tiger auto parts will give me my money back or send me another motor since i only put 200 miles on this one.

 

[->PrOjEcTGS<-]

The next step would be to take your head off and look at the valves. See if they have kissed the pistons. Then, try to spin the crank. If it is still hard to turn. I would suspect main or rod bearing failure.

 

[delta448]

^^Agreed.

Sounds to me like you may have more than a bearing failure however. If the crank still turns all the way over I'd expect severe damage for several reasons.

 

[Timechg]

I had a non OEM balance shaft stub. It was not machined correctly and it seized within 100 miles. I bent all my intake valves and had to buy a new oil pump/new valves because of it. I bought the OEM balance shaft stub and it worked perfectly for 9000 miles after the failure. If you turn the oil pump sprocket you might feel a dead spot, or in my case the oil pump sprocket would not move again. Hopefully that helps.

 

[rich3389]

Oil pump spins freely, the crank doest not, and timing was dead on before I took the belt off.

 

[Grimis]

that really sucks rich, deff something binding inside.
on a side note, tiger doest have the best customer service nor engine quality.