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.

 

[shaggy4411]

Im trying to figure out what is making this clanking / popping noise that sounds like its coming from right under the valve cover area. It makes the noise from idle up till close to 3k rpm then it goes away in the higher rpms. The engine has 176k on it and i had all belts including timing done at 160k. The car is 96 GST and is completely stock with the exception of some gauges.

Here is a link to a cell phone video i took:

eclipse GST knock

 

[siceclipse]

i dont know what the hell that is but it has me terrified and thats not even my car!

 

[assault187]

pull the valve cover off and inspect

 

[talon187]

wow high miles time for a rebuild or 6bolt swap.

 

[Totaleclipse04]

it sounds like you might have a valve hitting a piston maybe. i dont know it sounds horrible. do you have any power loss. It might be pre detonation or something like that. Im not to sure

 

[No_Skillz]

it sounds like you might have a valve hitting a piston maybe. i dont know it sounds horrible. do you have any power loss. It might be pre detonation or something like that. Im not to sure

Please, if you're not too sure don't just throw random stuff out there. "Valve hitting a piston/Predetonation"? That would just scare the crap out of the guy.

The sound isn't consistent, so it seems as if something is loose in your valve cover. Take it off and see. (Have a valve cover gasket set handy).

 

[Totaleclipse04]

ok then what do you think it is. the sound alone scares the crap outta me. I think its a possablity.

 

[No_Skillz]

I think there is something loose in his valve cover. Block should be in good shape. Worst case scenario he needs to replace several pieces of his valvetrain, best case scenario he replaces 1 piece - whatever came loose.

Obviously DON'T START IT ANYMORE.

 

[shaggy4411]

Pulled the valve cover and everything looks normal to me but im not an expert by any means. Nothing was broken or loose that i could see and i did a quick compression test with valve cover off 140-133-120-110 ( i dont remember the exact numbers but pretty close to 10psi apart).

Here's a few pics:

pic1

pic2

pic3

pic4

 

[No_Skillz]

Make sure your hands are clean and prod around a bit to see if anything is loose.


And dude, what's this?

 

[assault187]

with the valve cover off, Rotate the motor manually with a freind by the crank bolt and listen/look around to see if anything is moving around in there. Easiest done with the plugs out.

In the 2nd pic closet to the intake cam gear behind the head stud....It looks like somthing there but im not certain

 

[98gst14b]

Are you getting descent oil pressure? With that many miles worn bearings can leak a lot of oil pressure causing inadequate oil to reach the lifters and take up all the valve lash. This popped up in my head when you said it goes away after the rpms get to a certain point.

 

[2nd gen gst]

Did you replace your tensioner when you did your timing belt?
Also from your video it seem the noise got louder when you got closer to the driver motor mount. Check to see if your alternator is secure, pulleys and such. I didn't see a top timing belt cover, I would double check to see if you might have anything that might have come loose and is bouncing around your timing belt area

 

[Pirrofab]

I don't recommend running this motor but IF you do continue to start this motor to check for the noise take a long blade screwdriver with a decent size wood or plastic handle and hold it firmly to different spots on the motor. Such as intake manifold, exhaust manifold and different spots on the valve cover and disconnect individual plug wires as you do this. While doing this hold your ear against the other side of the screwdriver. This will act as a doctors stethoscope and can help pinpoint the noise. Best of luck

 

[mentalTSiAWD]

Double check your cam timing. Make sure everything is in time. Make sure that there isn't anything in the timing belt cover. I definitely would not start that thing again until I had found the cause. That sounds a lot like a valve hitting the top of the pistion.

If your timing belt tensioner is loose you could jumped time on one or both cams. That sound is definitely not a lifter. If it were a big block chevrolet, I'd say you had a bad rod bearing.

I'm with No_Skillz. It looks like there's something hiding under that intake cam that doesn't belong. I can't tell what it is though.

 

[Fast-Orange]

I just bought a 1990 gsx that sat for a year, owner said it ran perfect, until i got it to my shop and got it running the next day, its making the same noise but alot worse and through all rpm range, it sounds like its comming right from under the valve cover i removed mine but couldnt find anything, would be a case a bad wrist pin or piston slap, maybe even a spun bearing but if i dont go to court and keep it ill tear it apart and figure it out. and keep it posted

 

[DSM1G90]

At a 176k on the motor and how farely clean the inside of that head, I'd say that the motor was decently taken well care of...

..but true, what is that in the head area in the drawn red circle. Bet that's hanging up on a lifter/tappet of sorts .. why of his knocking noise.

-DSM

 

[shaggy4411]

As for the tensioner pulleys i had the timing belt done at the dealer and they said they replaced everything even new water pump. I took the timing cover off to further inspect for anything loose and everything checked out even alternator.

I will have to wait till this weekend to check the timing and maybe check oil for shavings.

One of my dads friends suggested maybe a split coil that could be arching making that popping noise. Ive got the chilton book and will try to test the coil and power transistor this weekend.

 

[shaggy4411]

I looked at the red area again from the picture and its just a support for the cam shaft, guess the camera messed it up.

Here's some better pics:

pic1

pic2

 

[Tim Melton]

That is what my car sounded like before the cam seized up.Are you getting good oil pressure cause the oil in and under the valve cover looks all burnt up.

 

[Fast-Orange]

your cam seized up? what was the exact problem, siezed lifers or rockers?

 

[TheDon]

Skip here,

Yep, I think that 100 shot of NOS blew the welds on the intake manifold, now me and the mad scientist gotta rip apart the block and replace the piston rings you fried. You should probably get a 3.8L 4G, then you don't need the turbo to win races.

 

[shaggy4411]

I think the mystery knock is solved. I pulled off the drivers wheel and the engine guard cover, then when i cranked it up the crankshaft pulley was getting sucked in and hitting the block making the noise (kind of bouncing off of it). Might be a problem with the dampener pulley thats behind the crankshaft pulley.

Does anyone know how hard it is to change out those pulleys? Does it take special tools?

 

[jrohner]

I think the mystery knock is solved. I pulled off the drivers wheel and the engine guard cover, then when i cranked it up the crankshaft pulley was getting sucked in and hitting the block making the noise (kind of bouncing off of it). Might be a problem with the dampener pulley thats behind the crankshaft pulley.

Does anyone know how hard it is to change out those pulleys? Does it take special tools?

The damper is just 4 bolts with 12mm heads. The damper and the bottom pulley are the same thing. If you still have the plastic shield under the car on the sides, you just have to pull that off (& the tire) and you can get right in there with an impact or ratchet. The dampers do seem to go shot, the rubber deteriorates over time.

 

[No_Skillz]

Thats what I love about these cars. The most catastrophic symptoms end up being the most benign malfunctions. It's the ones you can't see/feel/hear that will get you.