Ticking noise at 2.5k+ rpm

[Sephent]

Hey. Any idea what this noise is from and how to fix it and how bad it is? Makes the noise at 2.5k+ rpm. Sometimes it is louder. Sometimes it doesn't make the sound. Sometimes I barely hear it when at cruising speeds. It's worse in the lower gears at 2.5k+ rpm. Sounds like it's coming from the right side of the engine on top. Thanks!

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[Widgmaster]

Wooow... Sounds like a rod ready to let go .... or maybe a stuck lifter ...also sounds like valve chatter which may be the sound coming from the top of the motor. You better get after that right away . Id hate to hear you blew your motor brother ..If you have a stethoscope maybe you could pin point your problem ..

 

[609DSM]

Yikes, doesnt sound good. Not familiar with that noise. I would tear down your engine and figure out what could be causing that, assuming you have the time to do all that.

Not sure if that is your daily but that sound is worrisome my friend.

 

[motomattx]

Yeah, thats a no from me dawg. Thats a rod that wants to come out and see the daylight or a broken piston or a worn wrist pin in that order depending on mileage.

 

[Sephent]

Ugh. Was worried that was it. Had the same issue with a non running gsx I picked up last year. Was just WAY worse and did it at idle. This is a temporary bandaid car till I get my main car fixed up from totaling it. Was just hoping it would last longer and still be good for resale if I didn't decide to keep it in the end. I'll make sure to baby it from now on. Maybe add a lucas additive or something to it also...

 

[Mello]

There's no snake oil made that will fix this. You won't get very far babying either. Time to park it & fix.

 

[Kryndon]

Either a rod(s) or balancer shaft(s). In both cases you probably have a few minutes of running time before it properly dies, so forget about "babying" it and driving anywhere. First time I suffered spun bearings/rod failure was on the highway. I suddenly started hearing a light tick, which over 3-4 miles got louder and louder, more like knocking. At that time I wasn't so knowledgeable so I thought it was valves hitting or something. Pulled over and called a tow truck. He left my car about half a mile away from the nearest shop, so I thought I could 'chance it' and drive over. On the first crank I heard a loud SNAP and it seized up.

Drain a bit of the oil to confirm you've got bearing material in there. In either case the engine is done. And it's not like the sound of a bad lifter or even bad pulleys. I've heard those; this ain't it, unfortunately.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Either a rod(s) or balancer shaft(s). In both cases you probably have a few minutes of running time before it properly dies, so forget about "babying" it and driving anywhere. First time I suffered spun bearings/rod failure was on the highway. I suddenly started hearing a light tick, which over 3-4 miles got louder and louder, more like knocking. At that time I wasn't so knowledgeable so I thought it was valves hitting or something. Pulled over and called a tow truck. He left my car about half a mile away from the nearest shop, so I thought I could 'chance it' and drive over. On the first crank I heard a loud SNAP and it seized up.

Drain a bit of the oil to confirm you've got bearing material in there. In either case the engine is done. And it's not like the sound of a bad lifter or even bad pulleys. I've heard those; this ain't it, unfortunately.

All of this is great info, but the 420a does not have balancer shafts.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

Hey. Any idea what this noise is from and how to fix it and how bad it is? Makes the noise at 2.5k+ rpm. Sometimes it is louder. Sometimes it doesn't make the sound. Sometimes I barely hear it when at cruising speeds. It's worse in the lower gears at 2.5k+ rpm. Sounds like it's coming from the right side of the engine on top. Thanks!

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There are only 8 bolts holding on the valve cover. Pull that thing off and make sure there are no gaps between the lifters and cams. If that checks out then it is time for a rebuild of the bottom end. Good luck man

 

[motomattx]

The positive is that those cloud car 420a engines are very abundant in yards and pretty cheap to pick up for maybe a few hundred dollars if you just want to do a weekend swap out on it.

 

[BLACK'98DSM]

They're easy to rebuild too, and parts are cheap.