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Loud noise from under timing cover below 3000RPM

natoe

Well-known member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
66
Location
Corvallis OR
After a 45 minute highway drive my car started making very loud RPM dependent noise which is coming from the timing side of the motor. It has ran smoothly for several months prior to this. The timing belt looks good from the top (I did the timing belt and all components less thank 10k ago). Balance shafts are removed.

It's a loud clicking noise but it immediately goes away at and above about 3k revs.

I took the accessory belts off to see if it might be the water pump or something but it still did it.

Anybody have any ideas or had similar issues before??? not looking forward to pulling the front apart, AGAIN.

HELP! Thanks.
Nathan
 

Barnes

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Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Messages
6,249
Location
Richland, WA
Hmmm. Take the upper timing belt cover off. Start the engine and let it run for 2-3 mins. Turn the engine off. Immediately feel the tension in the belt between the cam gears. Is it tight? If not, something is wrong with your tension. Also, start the engine, and have someone rev the engine while you watch the belt. Does the belt vibrate a lot? That is, does it move up and down instead of staying smooth? If it vibrates, something is wrong with your t-belt tension.
 

Nate

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Joined
Feb 23, 2001
Messages
944
Location
Worcester, Pa
You're going to have to remove that plastic timing cover and check the tensioner. It sounds like it's too loose.
 

natoe

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Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
66
Location
Corvallis OR
So you think a loose timing belt could make THAT much noise? I checked the tension by hand without it running and it seemed fine, but I'll go run it for a bit and check. Thanks.
 

natoe

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Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
66
Location
Corvallis OR
Wow I feel like a complete idiot. Didn't even have to start the car to see the belt was too loose.

SO, is this usually because the tensioner slipped and I just need to redo it? Or is it because the tensioner piston is bad? The tensioner only has 10k or so on it.

Thanks for the input! I'm usually pretty good at troubleshooting but I missed the obvious! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 

Barnes

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Joined
Feb 9, 2003
Messages
6,249
Location
Richland, WA
Also, with a properly working t-belt, the belt WILL be loose if the car has been off for a while. You HAVE to run the car for a little bit for the tensioner to take up the slack. Follow my procedure above and see what you get.

My guess is the bolt holding the tensioner pulley tight backed out. I would be surprised if a new OEM hydraulic tensioner died after only 10k. Your tensioner arm is probably loose now and is tapping off the top of the hydraulic tensioner.
 

natoe

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Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
66
Location
Corvallis OR
Turned out the tensioner was bad and leaking.
Replaced the tensioner with an OEM, everything else has less than 10k on it, belt looks in good shape.

***NOW, I checked 10 times that the crank, oil pump, and camshaft pulley timing marks were all lined up even after hand spinning the crank... but the car will not start. It won't even fire or stumble at all, it's acting like there is zero compression.
Up to this point of taking the timing belt off it had been starting fine, but acting like it was a tooth off or just had a really slack belt, but it would still start up fine.

Any ideas...?
 

fuel

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Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
2,165
Location
Toronto, ON, Canada
I think you have your timing messed up. Are you positive the cam timing is correct? The dowel pins should be pointing up at the 12 o'clock positions and the timing marks on the cam gears should be level with the top of the cylinder head and pointing at each other. Given there's two timing marks on the cam gears, I would hazard a guess that your cam timing is 180deg out and the dowel pins are pointing downwards.
 

natoe

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Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
66
Location
Corvallis OR
Jesus. In my hurried reassembly I didn't realize there are two timing marks per cam gear..?

That would certainly be my issue then. Thanks for the reply.... time to tear it apart again, I'm really getting good at this. :p
 

donkeylips

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Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
552
Location
Rochester, NY
You probably can't bend valves if your cams are upside down can you?
 

SouthCaliVR4

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Joined
Jul 31, 2010
Messages
984
Location
North county San Diego
Well, if the marks are lined up correctly the engine will still be timed right but if you have balance shafts they'd be out of phase however, both dowels up or both dowels down it would still be in time. so, you must have one dowel up & one down or something along those lines.
 

natoe

Well-known member
Joined
May 15, 2007
Messages
66
Location
Corvallis OR
it wouldn't bend valves because they are all opening when only one bank is supposed to. but i believe i have one dowel up and one down. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
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