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.

 

[beniger]

that happened to me once it was my timing belt it snapped. then it happened to a buddy of mine it sounds like something is tapping then his belt popped too

 

[boostedjay32]

i dont think its the belt .. he said timing was good.. belt must be fine..

 

[beniger]

timing may be good but how old is the belt? new? reused? tensioner? you did just rebuild

 

[Calan]

What is causing that irritating noise?

Could be the ISC (although you'd hear it at...well...the ISC ), or an exhaust leak. Exhaust leaks are hard to isolate; the best way I've found is to use a mechanic's stethescope with a piece of rubber or silicon tubing instead of the extension rod. You may also have something in the pulleys or belts hitting somewhere...I had a frayed belt that was smacking a bracket once that sounded a bit like "ticking".

Could still be the lifters as well if you went with the 1G's. You should definitely use the 3G "revised" lifters when you replace them.

 

[DSMSherie]

Ok, so I'm turning into my driveway last night and as I downshifted as I made my turn, my clutch pedal went to the floor. I have NO hydraulic pressure whatsoever. I coast into my garage and get out and check my clutch reservoir... its full... nothing is leaking. I have just replaced the clutch line, master cylinder, and slave cylinder within the past 2 months so I don't think any of those are the problem. I had my husband come out and start the car with the clutch depressed while I listened for noise on the timing belt side of the engine. I have no noises at all. All I noticed yesterday morning when I started the car was a couple minor ticks which I chalked up the lifter tick because it went away after about 10 seconds and it didn't do it anymore after that. I guess I'll pry against the crank pulley and see if I get any play... but has anyone ever had crankwalk without any knocking or ticking?? I just don't get it... my car has always shifted perfectly and has never given me any problems even though she is pretty heavily modded. Has anyone else ever has this happen? Silent crank walk???

 

[96eclipzGsT]

Yes, have someone rev the car up, while you watch the crank pulley from the side. If it is walking you will see it move in and out. How many miles on the car?

 

[DSMSherie]

Yes, have someone rev the car up, while you watch the crank pulley from the side. If it is walking you will see it move in and out. How many miles on the car?

109,000

 

[EclipticalGS]

just remove ## splash shield and push in and out. if theres play, then you know it's CWalk, BTW, what way were you turning, it had to have been a right turn for the flywheel to disengage. Any way I tell you that your slave cylinder or master cylinder could have went out, it doesnt necessarily have to leak to be bad you know!.

 

[kthackst]

I just replaced a crankwalked engine. You only get the ticking noise when the crankwalk is extreme. Extreme meaning side to side and radial play. The ticking is the noise the radial play makes. If you hear ticking from your crank you only have about 5 miles left. I drove my crankwalker for 5000 miles before I 6 bolt swapped.

All I can say is take that hard left turn at low rpms and see if you lose clutch pressure. If it only takes a tap to disengage the clutch and it falls to the floor... welcome to the club.

 

[DeadsEvolution1]

Ya Calan I totally agree with the 3g lifters. We just wanted to try out lifters that weren't ticking in another car to see if that was my problem and it wasnt you know.
The timing belt is brand new replaced the same day as we did the lifters so yesterday. My timing belt tensioner is still popping out well so I reused it. Meaning the hydraulic system in it tested out well it comes out all the way and recoils easily. The idler pulley and the tensioner pulley have not been replaced and I have owned the car for 5 months. So the condition is unknown.

Today My front crank shaft seal decided to start leaking oil so I replaced it while having to redo the timing I spun the rear gear that holds the timing belt (I have the balance shafts removed) and it make a noise. so I spun it some more and same issue. Now I don't understand that but maybe that is the cause of all the noise. I started the car without the timing belt cover on or water pump etc and all the sound appeared to be coming from that. What would cause this and how do I go about getting a replacement since the balance shafts are gone????

 

[Calan]

Are you referring to the oil pump? The lowest sprocket closest to the firewall that the t-belt goes around is the oil pump sprocket. If it is making noise, it could be that the nut has loosened and is scraping the t-belt cover, or if it is still making noise with the cover off and is tight, you may have an oil pump that is worn...although I wouldn't normally think of it as sounding like lifter tick...but I guess it could if it was bad enough.

BTW - your tensioner shouldn't "recoil easily", if you really mean what that sounds like. . In fact, it should require a vice or something similar to compress it if it's off the car, or a tensioner tool if it's bolted up. If you can compress it by hand, it is shot.

Any time you replace the t-belt and the age of the other components is unknown, you really should replace the tensioner and pulleys, as well as the water pump and front case seals while you are there. The small amount of additional $$$ in parts is nothing compared to the labor involved in tearing it back down to that point, IMHO.

 

[DeadsEvolution1]

Ya i worded that wrong. I do not have the timing belt tools so I use a C clamp to recoil it down into place. It takes some force and isn't easy to do so the belt tensioner is good. My fault for wording that wrong.

Water pump was replaced 10 ish miles ago if that, the pulleys I just ordered online so waiting for them (order yesterday), Just did the crank shaft seal today, so ya I should have done it right away.

The rear balance shaft is where the oil pump gets spun from??? If that is a newbie question my fault but I had no idea

 

[Calan]

yep... when you do a BS removel, the rear b-shaft gets replaced with a short "stub" shaft. That sprocket drives both the rear BS shaft and your oil pump, which is integrated into the front cover just behind the sprocket.

BTW - There are two different styles of stub shafts. You want the OEM one with the oiling groove cut into it. Here is another thread with some more oil pump and stub shaft info.

 

[DeadsEvolution1]

Ya it was an OEM kit that my friend bought and sold to me due to his new motor already had balance shafts removed. But hmm It almost seems maybe my oil pump is failing

 

[Calan]

Oil pumps definitely can fail, but something doesn't "feel" right about that being your problem based on what you've described...if that makes any sense.

What was your oil pressure like? Did you just rebuild the motor?

 

[DeadsEvolution1]

I dropped in about 2 months ago, A used block that came from a good running TSI but we did a leak down before he pulled it out of the car to make sure the rings and what not were still good. After dropping it in my car it was at 155psi on all cylinder compression wise. The head got new valves and what not in it before dropping it back in

 

[Calan]

Well, you could always pull the front cover and check everything out. With the t-belt off, your only a few bolts away from pulling the oil filter housing and front cover.

It would also give you a good excuse to replace the gaskets, port the oil filter housing, change the stub shaft if you wish to (if necessary), etc.

 

[DeadsEvolution1]

Ya not a bad idea it only takes me about 15 inutes to get to the timing belt anyways so It wouldn't hurt. I just want to figure out what this tick is and get it to stop

 

[beniger]

can you post a video?

 

[DeadsEvolution1]

Yes I will post a video tomorrow of the noise. My oil pressure according to my stock sending unit is normal as far as that goes. No issues there. But here is the thing I don't think it's the oil pump. The noise goes away after 2k rpms on idle, it doesn't seem to be anything that is damaging. But maybe somehow it's still the lifters. I couldn't imagine how but you never know

 

[turbotemper]

im in a similar situation with a noise i can locate inside the timing cover. I noticed my oil pressure going down lately but goes back up when i rev it. It has been going on for about 500 miles. I am planning on rebuilding the motor soon as it has 146k miles.

 

[96eclipzGsT]

My guess is whoever did the timing belt didn't use the proper tools to set the tensioner correctly. It is fully extended and the idler pulley arm is jumping up and down on the tensioner making a funny noise.

Look at the rod sticking out the top of the tensioner, it should be compressed to less than 1/4 inch if you more sticking out there is your problem.

 

[DeadsEvolution1]

The rod is barely out actually. I took a look at it yesterday when I replaced all my gaskets and what not. I still can't isolate the issue

 

[96eclipzGsT]

The rod is barely out actually. I took a look at it yesterday when I replaced all my gaskets and what not. I still can't isolate the issue

You didn't by any chance break the set screw loose on the bottom of it did ya? If so throw it away and buy a new one.

 

[Silver99GSX]

Mine made a rod knock type sound and turned out to be my harmonic dampener(Crank Pulley)