Horrible Engine knocking

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D366Y
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Horrible Engine knocking

Post by D366Y »

To add to my list of problems, the engine on the GL seems to be making a horrible rattling or metal-on-metal kind of noise. I can't seem to find anything fouling another component or anything vibrating, but it only occurs at higher revs - when idle there is no strange sound...

Hopefully the video below works and you can hear the noise starting around 16/17seconds, basically until the end of the video. I can't figure it out for the life of me, and considering I've just had the engine stripped down, all the seals and gaskets changed then built up again I won't be chuffed if it has to be done again! To me it sounds like something under the rocker cover....

ImageVIDEO0004 by Danny Hassall, on Flickr
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Not_Anumber »

Is your oil pressure ok ? Have you checked your valve collets are all in place
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D366Y
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Currently full up and no more space but I still want a 2.8...
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by D366Y »

Not_Anumber wrote:Is your oil pressure ok ? Have you checked your valve collets are all in place
I haven't taken the rocker off yet so not checked the valves but I did think/worry that could be the issue. The oil level is good, and the oil light goes off once started but I don't have a pressure gauge as it's only a GL!

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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Paul G »

First thing you've got to do is get that rocker cover off and look at the cam and are all the followers in the right place. Check the valve clearances too and as someone else said check the valves have their collets still in place. Perhaps pull off main plug lead then crank the engine to see that cam oil spray bar is spraying.

Also whip the plugs out and shine a small torch down the cylinders to see if anything has got inside the cylinder whilst the recent work was carried out. Also look at each plug carefully to see it is intact and see if any particular plug is a different colour to the others.

Sounds like the exhaust is blowing a bit or is that me?
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Jasonmarie »

very strange can’t say I have ever heard that noise , what’s strange it takes it time to start the noise . As everybody says check the normal stuff and go from there . Hope it’s a simple easy fix mate .
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by fordperv »

Have you had the cam pulley off? If so is there a possibility you havnt quite tightened it up enough?
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Paul G »

fordperv wrote:Have you had the cam pulley off? If so is there a possibility you havnt quite tightened it up enough?
That makes sense.
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by D366Y »

Thanks for the quick responses guys, I know the exhaust is blowing a little bit under the car, I haven't noticed anything from the manifold but I could just be ingoring it - I give up on those bloody sportex things! :banghead:

I'll have to start stripping it back and see if I can figure it out

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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Mr B »

Hi mate,

With the engine idling/revving take one plug wire off at a time and see if the noise goes away or goes much quieter, if for example you remove number 1 cylinders plug wire and the noise goes away/quietens down then there is a very good chance the issue lies in that cylinder, it won't save you from pulling the motor apart but it will give you a head's up as to where to concentrate your search.

Be careful when pulling the wires off with the engine running, electric shocks sting a bit...guess how I know....

Wayne
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by D366Y »

Mr B wrote:Hi mate,

With the engine idling/revving take one plug wire off at a time and see if the noise goes away or goes much quieter, if for example you remove number 1 cylinders plug wire and the noise goes away/quietens down then there is a very good chance the issue lies in that cylinder, it won't save you from pulling the motor apart but it will give you a head's up as to where to concentrate your search.

Be careful when pulling the wires off with the engine running, electric shocks sting a bit...guess how I know....

Wayne
Haha thanks for the tip, I'll try get some thick rubber gloves then!

Cheers
Danny
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Jasonmarie »

Some really good points there to find out . I did let my dad have a listen today and he was puzzled like all of us . I said you had work done but it’s been ok .

Only thing he could think of was Piston slap ? Or Cambar when did you last check the oil spray bay ?

Hope it’s a easy fix for you Dan . And keep us posted .
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Arya2.0S »

Oh dear, yeah definitely get that rocker cover off and check the valves and the followers. Definitely sounds like something relating to that, i'd also adjust those valve clearances while you're at it as it shouldn't sound that tappety, i know this from my own experiences.
Is your car a 1.6 or a 2.0? I seem to recall you have a 1.6 with a 2.0 cam in it is that right? That would no longer make it a non interference engine am i right? So the valves and the pistons inhabit the same space now, could it be something related to that?
I'm now mechanic and definitely dont know what im talking about so just guessing, but id definitely start with getting the rocker cover off and going from there.
Worry about the exhaust blowing later. You might just need some new manifold gaskets and bolts, as the old ones can stretch over time and not form a tight seal.
Good luck! I understand your pain.
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Paul G »

Arya2.0S wrote:Oh dear, yeah definitely get that rocker cover off and check the valves and the followers. Definitely sounds like something relating to that, i'd also adjust those valve clearances while you're at it as it shouldn't sound that tappety, i know this from my own experiences.
Is your car a 1.6 or a 2.0? I seem to recall you have a 1.6 with a 2.0 cam in it is that right? That would no longer make it a non interference engine am i right? So the valves and the pistons inhabit the same space now, could it be something related to that?
I'm now mechanic and definitely dont know what im talking about so just guessing, but id definitely start with getting the rocker cover off and going from there.
Worry about the exhaust blowing later. You might just need some new manifold gaskets and bolts, as the old ones can stretch over time and not form a tight seal.
Good luck! I understand your pain.
This one is a 2 litre automatic Arya.

To be honest if it's not inside the rocker cover, something on a piston or loose pulleys I'm fearing it's a cracked piston or cracked torque converter flex plate. I want to be proved wrong and hope it's a much more simple fix. Got to wait and see and obviously the sound is only what we can hear on a phone recording.
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Mr B »

A cracked flex plate/loose torque converter bolts is possible, I'm not so sure piston slap is a viable candidate though as piston slap normally goes away as the engine warms up (pistons expand in their bores with the heat) unless they are extremely worn, the remove one plug wire at a time trick I mentioned earlier can help to identity piston slap as well.

I have a perfect video of an Essex V6 with horrific piston slap but have no idea how to post it on here :(

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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Arya2.0S »

Paul G wrote:
Arya2.0S wrote:Oh dear, yeah definitely get that rocker cover off and check the valves and the followers. Definitely sounds like something relating to that, i'd also adjust those valve clearances while you're at it as it shouldn't sound that tappety, i know this from my own experiences.
Is your car a 1.6 or a 2.0? I seem to recall you have a 1.6 with a 2.0 cam in it is that right? That would no longer make it a non interference engine am i right? So the valves and the pistons inhabit the same space now, could it be something related to that?
I'm now mechanic and definitely dont know what im talking about so just guessing, but id definitely start with getting the rocker cover off and going from there.
Worry about the exhaust blowing later. You might just need some new manifold gaskets and bolts, as the old ones can stretch over time and not form a tight seal.
Good luck! I understand your pain.
This one is a 2 litre automatic Arya.

To be honest if it's not inside the rocker cover, something on a piston or loose pulleys I'm fearing it's a cracked piston or cracked torque converter flex plate. I want to be proved wrong and hope it's a much more simple fix. Got to wait and see and obviously the sound is only what we can hear on a phone recording.
Ah ok then ignore what I said about interference.
Hope it isn't a case of rod knock. Start with the easiest possibility first, valves and followers. It's very easy to mishandle something so trivial, especially after an engine rebuild since let's face it, whoever did it probably hasn't worked on an old engine in years, if at all... unless of course you did the work yourself or took it to a specialist but even then there's always the possibility of human error.
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Andrew 2.8i »

Mr B wrote:I have a perfect video of an Essex V6 with horrific piston slap but have no idea how to post it on here :(
Hi Wayne,
If you upload the video to Youtube or Flickr, you can paste the link in your post here.

Andrew.
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Mr B »

https://www.flickr.com/photos/142932409 ... ed-public/#

Piston slap vid, Essex V6, number 2 piston was toast

Andrew, thanks for the Flickr advice, I ain't got a clue about that stuff mate

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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Jasonmarie »

Cheers Mr B yes you can really here that , hope Dan sorts it and it’s a easy fix

Any news yet Dan
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by D366Y »

I'm outside now and just taken the rocker cover off, but to be honest I haven't the faintest idea what I'm looking for. When I turn the engine, the cam turns and the followers with it, there is oil coming out of the spray bar when I turn it over with the king lead off which is a start I guess...

The Haynes book of lies makes checking the valve clearances so easy, but the first thing it says is to turn the engine until two cams on one piston make a V shape... What the flying fudge??? :banghead: None of mine look like they are doing that
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Re: Horrible Engine knocking

Post by Paul G »

Danny, where is the car at the minute? Would you like me to pop over and have a look at it? Paul.
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