I Cannot Believe This Bullsh#t

[da kang3]

if it's not one f'n thing on this car, it's another. and sometimes both. okay well yesterday i was drivin, just cruisin on the highway and then i decided i needed to get some gas. when i get off the highway and stop at the gate to get on post i hear this rattling sound. sort of like something plastic draggin from my car or the window vibratin or the door not bein closed all the way, well whatever. and then i get to a stop light and it's gettin harder to get movin, like there is absolutely no power in first gear at all. it feels like im drivin a freakin honda or somethin. then i go get gas and im on my way back to the b's and the shit just keeps gettin louder and louder. this is sooo f'n embarrassin, right in front of where i live and it's like everybody stops doin what their doin to listen to my car rattlin louder and louder. and believe me it's not cause they've just seen a gsx roll through. could someone please tell me whats wrong and what i gotta do?

 

[nuggets]

was the car trying to pull to one side? take off your wheels and do a quick check of your balljoints, axles, etc.

 

[da kang3]

no it doesnt pull to one side. it does it even when im sittin still. as soon as i turn it on it does it and it's loud as sh#t

 

[raped]

when the engine is running and the car is not moving does the noise stop when you put the clutch in?

 

[1fast97gsx]

could be a transmission bearing or an engine bearing. Come to think of it it could be a whole lot of things. We need more details.

 

[da kang3]

when the engine is running and the car is not moving does the noise stop when you put the clutch in?

no the noise does not stop

 

[da kang3]

when the engine is running and the car is not moving does the noise stop when you put the clutch in?

no the noise does not stop with the clutch in. and let me know what else u need to know. pretty much what i wrote is all i can give u unless u let me know what else u need to know. i know the noise is coming from the driver's side of the engine bay

 

[RayH]

Sounds like it could be a separated crank pulley. If it is, you do not want to start the engine again until it's fixed cause once that pulley fails, repairs can get rapidly more expensive if you keep driving it.

If it is the pulley you can cut the belts on it (power steering, cooling and alternator) and limp to a mechanic but just beware of overheating, you'll be running off the battery so it needs to be in good shape and you will not have power steering.

 

[Illicit TSi]

Whats your driving style under normal conditions?Do you drive hard al the time or do you do speedlimit or MAYBE 5 over all the time?Does the noise stay the same with engine RPM or does it get louder the higher the RPM's?ANY other info you can think of that I havent would be even more helpful.

Also is it Turbo?Do you have a boost guage?If so does the boost go above 0?It MIGHT just be a bad or blown turbo.. in some cases and one is on this board the Shaft gets so much play that it rattles and sounds like something loose OR rice crispies in this guys words.Also you would lose power or feel like it lost power.Also it MIGHT blow smoke.. sometimes immediately others it takes a few days.

 

[da kang3]

no i dont push it yet. but my driving style is no where near the speed limit when im drivin a car thats broken in. but this is my first rebuilt engine and ive heard enough stories that i drive the speed limit and i hardly ever take it over 3-4000 rpm in any gear. the question about the higher rpm, im not sure, i was too busy concentratin on not tryin to do anything drastic to it on my way home. and the answer is probably no because the speed limit on post is 30 and when i got to the b's i slowed to about 10 and the noise was significantly louder at 10mph than it was at 30. yes it is a turbo. i just took it to the shop that i go to and they say it may be the tensioner or pre-tensioner? does that sound right to anybody? or an exhaust bearing? if this is any help, i think they narrowed the noise down to the side of the motor where the long black hood covers the belts is at. somewhere in there. any ideas?

 

[Illicit TSi]

ok this is gonna sound kinda mean.. but EXHAUST BEARING? WTF is that.. I been workin on cars for a long time and I work at a speedshop that is IN a dealership and i have NEVER EVER heard of a Exhaust bearing.Unless the ONLY bearing I can think of is the Bearing on the Exhuast side of the Turbo.. But that would be the ONLY thing that could get played off as an exhaust bearing.Sorry to say it but they sound like they COULD be tryin to get more $$ out of you.If YOU yourself narrowed it down to under or around the timing belt cover then I would say it could be a cam pulley.DSM's have hydraulic tensioners so I dont think it could be that.

Does it get louder with the engines RPM's?HAve you removed the balance shafts yet?If not Try getting a balance shaft eliminator kit if you are CERTAIN it is NOT the cam pulleys.

 

[4pistons]

i have NEVER EVER heard of a Exhaust bearing

An exhaust bearing is the part that always fails when a unscrupulous mechanic is trying to rape a customer that doesn't know anything about cars!

There is no such thing on ANY car!!! Get out of there fast and go somewhere else!!

Rick - '91 GSX

 

[Defiant]

If it is the pulley you can cut the belts on it (power steering, cooling and alternator) and limp to a mechanic

Good god, not if the shop's more than a thousand feet away.

 

[Illicit TSi]

An exhaust bearing is the part that always fails when a unscrupulous mechanic is trying to rape a customer that doesn't know anything about cars!

There is no such thing on ANY car!!! Get out of there fast and go somewhere else!!

Rick - '91 GSX

Well I was tryin to say that nicely and subtly.. .We need to teach him about his car.And fast otherwie hes gonna be bending over alot for mechanics..

 

[da kang3]

oh yea, i may have forgotten to add this tid bit, i usually put it in most of my posts but, im not too much of any good with motors yet, but im workin on it. and if i say somethin that makes no sense, like exhaust bearing, i may have just mixed a bunch of things that i may have heard up and come up with that as what i heard, sorry about those things , but today im havin the oil pan taken out to see whats wrong or it can be fixed from the bottom WTF . but what do u all think about that pre-tensioner/tensioner thing i think i mentioned earlier. is there any way it could be that. and if it does happen to be one of my rod bearings, what can i do, just replace that one and hope it's gonna be alright. i know some of u will say that i should maybe upgrade it now while it's apart, but im gonna wait til i at least get it runnin okay and all the kinks worked out of it before i order a bunch of replacement parts and do it all then

 

[speedworx]

someone already stated hydraulic tensioners, so I doubt its that. Is it turbo. I know a guy who has so much shaft play that it sounds BB's rolling in a tin can. Prolly bad pulley or cam gear from what you and everyone else has said. So have the mechanic show you the prob before they fix it so dont get raped.

 

[wannaspoolRS]

someone already stated hydraulic tensioners, so I doubt its that. Is it turbo. I know a guy who has so much shaft play that it sounds BB's rolling in a tin can. Prolly bad pulley or cam gear from what you and everyone else has said. So have the mechanic show you the prob before they fix it so dont get raped.

im gonna agree with speed...my buddy had the exact same thing...he just bought a 65trim

 

[Illicit TSi]

oh yea, i may have forgotten to add this tid bit, i usually put it in most of my posts but, im not too much of any good with motors yet, but im workin on it. and if i say somethin that makes no sense, like exhaust bearing, i may have just mixed a bunch of things that i may have heard up and come up with that as what i heard, sorry about those things , but today im havin the oil pan taken out to see whats wrong or it can be fixed from the bottom WTF . but what do u all think about that pre-tensioner/tensioner thing i think i mentioned earlier. is there any way it could be that. and if it does happen to be one of my rod bearings, what can i do, just replace that one and hope it's gonna be alright. i know some of u will say that i should maybe upgrade it now while it's apart, but im gonna wait til i at least get it runnin okay and all the kinks worked out of it before i order a bunch of replacement parts and do it all then

It very well could be a rod bearing.If its jsut one you SHOULD replace all 4 to prevent failure again.If one is bad generally the others will follow shortly there after.and again.. I said it before.. CHECK THE TURBO.Have it taken out and checked for shaftplay.Better safe than sorry.Also I aid it before.. THE TENSIONERS ARE HYDRAULIC.. so I REALLY doubt it would be that.Check cam pulleys for looseness or "play" check the crank pully for the same.. Try and wobble these parts.. if they wobble then you likely have found the problem.If you can upgrade by all means do it.Also while the Timing belt cover is off check the Timing belt.. If its been a while since its been changed Might as well do it now before it breaks,because if it breaks then you are either gonna have to get a new head or new engine all together.

 

[ScottsTSIAWD]

exhaust bearing? WTF have someone you trust check the harmonic balancer. If it separates it sounds horrible and will just get worse.

 

[Illicit TSi]

Balance shafts do the same when they are outta whack.. generally this is a easy fix.. remove them.. . I forgot I suggested that earlier to.And to Reiterate on that... We have balance shafts NOT a harmonic balncer..they do the same thing as a harmonic balancer but you either have one or the other and our cars have balance shafts.

 

[ScottsTSIAWD]

oops. you're right, had a small brain fart there. Balance shafts would be correct, not harmonic balancer.

 

[Illicit TSi]

oops. you're right, had a small brain fart there. Balance shafts would be correct, not harmonic balancer.

not a problem we all have those times.

 

[da kang3]

yes it is my rod bearing. it's the fourth one, the bearing looks like somebody shaved the sides of it and they're kinda jagged and sharp. the mechanic is tellin me that i gotta replace the crank cause it put notches and cuts in my crank. and ive seen it and it has. but do i really need to replace the crank or can i just get new rods and bearings? and also im thinkin of strokin my engine. im kinda floatin towards not doin it now and just knife edgin my crank and upgradin the rods and stuff. what do u all think? if i were to stroke it, i know people say that the 6 bolt is better than the 7 bolt(which is what i have-7 bolt), but how much money and work would go along with that? if im just wantin my car to be a nasty ass street car that goes to the track once or twice a month if that, then would it be pointless for me to stroke it? and if i do stroke it would it be easier to just do the 7 bolt 2.3 or 2.4L rather than tryin to do a 6 bolt swap? im not the richest person in the world so as u know im on a tight budget, here in the army we dont get paid what most people get paid. so that bein said what do u guys think or suggest? and i kinda need an answer pretty quick so i can know what i want to do without havin my car be at the shop for a while rackin up useless money thanks

 

[Illicit TSi]

yes it is my rod bearing. it's the fourth one, the bearing looks like somebody shaved the sides of it and they're kinda jagged and sharp. the mechanic is tellin me that i gotta replace the crank cause it put notches and cuts in my crank. and ive seen it and it has. but do i really need to replace the crank or can i just get new rods and bearings? and also im thinkin of strokin my engine. im kinda floatin towards not doin it now and just knife edgin my crank and upgradin the rods and stuff. what do u all think? if i were to stroke it, i know people say that the 6 bolt is better than the 7 bolt(which is what i have-7 bolt), but how much money and work would go along with that? if im just wantin my car to be a nasty ass street car that goes to the track once or twice a month if that, then would it be pointless for me to stroke it? and if i do stroke it would it be easier to just do the 7 bolt 2.3 or 2.4L rather than tryin to do a 6 bolt swap? im not the richest person in the world so as u know im on a tight budget, here in the army we dont get paid what most people get paid. so that bein said what do u guys think or suggest? and i kinda need an answer pretty quick so i can know what i want to do without havin my car be at the shop for a while rackin up useless money thanks

Well it all depends on what you want.. If you go with the crank job then the pistons and rods have to be balanced and the crank will HAVE to be checked for play and the CORRECT bearings have to be put in to prevent crankwalk.Then to add you wanna stroke it.. Your gonna need new pistons that are a bigger bore and stroke,bigger stroke rods,ECT.. theres alot of money involved there and a risk.

I would invest in a 6 bolt swap.Get it done and outta the way.. you will need a tranny from a first gen tho, otherwise it will mess the tranny up or in some cases may not even work/fit altogether.just my .02

 

[98autogstspyder]

Well what are your goals. Many people with all wheel drives do 12 second quarter miles without ever having to change the displacement of their engine.

state your goals and maybe we can help ya out.