Ticking at 2000RPM and up

[dstarM]

So my eclipse is an automatic, and every time i'm at a stop and start to accelerate once my rpm's hit about 2000 the engine starts to make a ticking sound, almost like metal on metal, and it then it will stop once the car shifts to second gear, then it was start up again at about 3000 rpms, then it wont make that sound in 3rd and 4th gear.

does anyone know what this could be?
i'm thinking it could be my rod bearing but not sure.

anything helps!
thanks in advance!

 

[mitsubishikid]

Does the noise happen only when the car is in motion at 2k, or dose it make the noise also when you rev it in park or neutral?

 

[dstarM]

when i start the car it does it a little when the rpms spike a little, then if i rev it, it will happen too

 

[moronthr33]

Have you checked your oil level?

 

[dstarM]

yup my oil is filled up all the way, i changed it 2 weeks ago and its still doing it

 

[Djsniperwolf]

I was going to say Lifter tick.. Have you installed the revised lifters? Though lifter tick doesn't alwayds get louder with RPM. It just gets faster and more annoying.. Might be worth looking into..

 

[DSM1G90]

He's a 420A being an N/T ... bet you got a rod getting funky on you ...

Or, and I've seen this with DODGE motors is that when the lifters get weak, the followers raises hell with the cam lobes and you could have a cam lobe worn down where a cam needs replacing...

You're gonna have to pull the head cover off and see what is what going on underneath the cover ...

 

[Djsniperwolf]

Didn't even see that, thanks for the correction. I completely agree.. Valve cover/Head must come off to really know what is goin on..

I would check it out before running your car any further. If the lifters are not functioning correctly the cam lobes are NOT getting lubricated. This can turn sour very fast.

 

[CJBlakeIV]

Well do you think it's the transmission or the motor? I would place my bet with the rest of the people here and say it's on the top end. But if it is happening in 1st,3rd,and 4th and not 5th it could definately be something with your transmission. The car is automatic so there are more thing to fail than a manual.

 

[Djsniperwolf]

I'm guessing it's not happening in 5th because the engine is not rev'ing as high as the previous gears to cause the problem. Though I could be wrong here.. Drivetrain would somewhere to start as well...

 

[mitsubishikid]

Yeah I second that, he should open up the valve cover, and inspect the heads upper cam rotating assymbly.

 

[CJBlakeIV]

Well can you hear it at all lower than 2000? I still am thinking though if it's only in a 2or 3 gears it wouldn't be the motor but more likely the tranny. If it's AWD then the driveshaft possibly. I could be wrong but that is just what it is sounding like to me.

 

[dstarM]

I mean it does do it under 2000rpm when i start the car, it revs a little, and it will tick for a second and stop at idle, then when i start off it ticks immediately, tomorrow i'm going to open up the valve cover look at that, then take my oil pan off and check my rod bearings to make sure i don't have any metal shards in the oil, if anything I'll buy a new car or a new engine. haha

 

[primestick]

When you take the vavle cover off turn the engine over a few times and make sure that oil is making it to the top of the head.

 

[GSLENK]

Well do you think it's the transmission or the motor? I would place my bet with the rest of the people here and say it's on the top end. But if it is happening in 1st,3rd,and 4th and not 5th it could definately be something with your transmission. The car is automatic so there are more thing to fail than a manual.

I have a saturn sl2 that had bad lifter tick, I pulled all 16 of them to find 12 out of 16 collapsed and stuck.

The tick was audible from sometimes at idle, to all the time under load up to 4000 rpm where engine noise took over, or the cams switched... idk. I could never really hear it in 5th because of all the road/engine noise.

A few quick things you can do to eliminate some things... (besides pulling the cover may not reveal much to the untrained eye, it didnt for me until i started pulling lifters...)

1- do you hear the noise in neutral? rev the engine a bit at the throttle body listin while you are over top of the engine. if so, you can eliminate most drivetrain possibilites here, except maybe a loose flywheel/flexplate, which i highly doubt is happenning.

2- Pull the serpentine belt, maybe do this first, while the engine is cold to maximize your safe heat window. no noise means its in your accessory lineup

 

[jamezbennihanna]

Sounds like either lifters collapsed or you have a spun rod bearing either way you need to resolve before driving anymore it could harm the engine futher if not corrected.

 

[GSLENK]

check your oil pressure to see if it is a crank/main bearing...

 

[DSMGary]

I'm guessing it's not happening in 5th because the engine is not rev'ing as high as the previous gears to cause the problem. Though I could be wrong here.. Drivetrain would somewhere to start as well...

I didnt know they made a 5 speed AUTOMATIC transmission for these cars