engine noise (with video)

[Aikmanson]

Originally Posted by BuHuSPG

I'll throw my hat in the ring to 2nd the exhaust leak. They can often confuse you because they sound very metallic when they leak close to the engine.

FWIW, Ford F150 are notorious for exhaust manifolds cracking, and when they are really bad, the trucks sound like they have a full set of silverware bouncing around in there, but are perfectly quiet when the leak is repaired. It's an alarming sound to hear.

People mention using a stethoscope to try to pinpoint where the sound is coming from and that is ideal. I don't have one, but you can cheat with a few feet of hose up to you ear moving around the engine trying to find the sound. Yours is loud enough that it may work.

I am leaning toward exhaust leak now as well, doesn't make sense for it to be something more serious randomly occurring (car is not driven hard), when it could be something simple. Seeing how there is CLEARLY a bolt missing, I will go this route. Will take a look at it today and see if I can confirm it at all. Gonna try the long screwdriver trick.

Thanks everyone.

[jk88]

Originally Posted by Aikmanson

Well I will hope for an exhaust leak then. Would it make sense for it to "go away" when running higher rpms. Could be masked by my loud exhaust on the highway, but I hear no tapping when around 2500.

Mine would go away when the engine was hot... the metal expanded enough to close the gap.

Originally Posted by Aikmanson

Any ease way to tell if it is an exhaust leak?

1) Buy the correct bolt and spacer. 2) Put them in. 3) See if sound goes away.

Originally Posted by Aikmanson

I am leaning toward exhaust leak now as well, doesn't make sense for it to be something more serious randomly occurring (car is not driven hard), when it could be something simple. Seeing how there is CLEARLY a bolt missing, I will go this route.

Yeah I mean it may turn out to be something else, but if Saabs have taught me anything, it's that you might as well start with the easiest/cheapest/simplest solution first.

I could do a better job taking my own advice there, too.

[Saabeh]

I remember when Kaylan put up a video of engine noise, everyone was like OMG ROD KNOCK. I feel like people who are so quick to diagnose rod knock, have never actually heard how terrible it sounds. Its not a tapping.

[Aikmanson]

Originally Posted by Saabeh

I remember when Kaylan put up a video of engine noise, everyone was like OMG ROD KNOCK. I feel like people who are so quick to diagnose rod knock, have never actually heard how terrible it sounds. Its not a tapping.

That is what I was getting at. I have heard rod knock before, and this is certainly not rod knock.

[pitman]

was the timing chain and tensioner replaced? its a buch of possibilities imo. no one can tell forsure form a 30sec clip

and i was missing a exhaust stud, i had no leaks and no noises. the one at the top closest to battery.

[Trollhättan Bil]

Originally Posted by Aikmanson

Well I will hope for an exhaust leak then. Would it make sense for it to "go away" when running higher rpms. Could be masked by my loud exhaust on the highway, but I hear no tapping when around 2500.

Typically the tapping goes away at higher RPMs because you are circulating a higher volume of oil (what with the oil pump being directly driven by the crankshaft), or (as you've mentioned), you simply cannot hear it over the drone of the engine/exhaust.

[mike saunders]

Piston slap can be mistaken for rod knock, and can happen from low oil pressure...but this is more likely a oil-starved lifter...

[Cm452]

I'd say exhaust leak as well. Definitely not rod knock. If it is any help,I remember posting here a startup noise-sounded like marbles in a can. Every answer under the sun was tossed out and I threw parts like a MOFO. Turned out to be the chain guide on the valve cover. 'Twas old and hard and shrunken and rattled around.
I would also recommend an oil pressure gauge regardless-it is a very important tool that everyone overlooks.
-Cm

[Aikmanson]

UPDATE:

No exhaust leak, turns out that bolt snapped off long long ago, as I found a picture from a few days after the new gasket was put on.

Lifters were starved of oil, bottom of the engine is covered in shit, looks like the oil feed line to the oil cooler is leaking. For now, changed the oil and fired her up. Tapped for around 10-15 mins but then the lifters quieted down, like they did before I drove it home. My dad is going to drive it over the winter and keep topping her off with oil (cheaper than driving his truck even while doing this, by a lot). I will drive the BMW and have tons of fun in the snow.

[Saabeh]

Dont let it die!

Sell to me?

[Aikmanson]

Originally Posted by Saabeh

Dont let it die!

Sell to me?

If you really would like it back, send me a text and we can talk. I do not plan on letting her die.

[Aikmanson]

EDIT - oil feed line to oil cooler was rotted worse than we thought. car would leave a puddle everywhere she went. So had her on stands this morning and fixed the line up, good as new and runs like a champ.

Gotta love this car.

[Easily]

good to hear, i have a lifter noise, im going to jump into this in a few days!

[Aikmanson]

Originally Posted by Easily

good to hear, i have a lifter noise, im going to jump into this in a few days!

These cars are very vocal when they are low on oil, once you refill the car with oil, it takes a good 10 minutes of idling to get the lifters full of oil again and stop the lifter noise, could take even longer.

PS - my car is good to go again

[VI009DZ]

Also something to note when moving forward......EVERY camera I've seen really exaggerates the slightest clicking noises, and makes them sound much worse than they were. I took a video of the engine running in my '88 SiS at one point, and that car runs BUTTERY smooth. Once on the computer, there was a ferocious ticking sound. Turned out that the camera would really pick up on the injectors pulsing. Weird.

When you have rod knock, you KNOW you have rod knock.

[Aikmanson]

Originally Posted by VI009DZ

Also something to note when moving forward......EVERY camera I've seen really exaggerates the slightest clicking noises, and makes them sound much worse than they were. I took a video of the engine running in my '88 SiS at one point, and that car runs BUTTERY smooth. Once on the computer, there was a ferocious ticking sound. Turned out that the camera would really pick up on the injectors pulsing. Weird.

When you have rod knock, you KNOW you have rod knock.

I am going to disagree in this case. It sounded WORSE in person than it did on video. Video was taken on my iPhone 4. I knew right away it was not rod knock, but could not rule out timing chain at the time.

I did film a walkaround video with my digital camera of my friends car he is trying to sell, and it made his car sound a little "ticky" with the hood open. Car is a 2010 3.8 gen coupe, with only 13k miles so the engine is fine.

[NeedForSwede]

Is it increasing with revs? I've always had a slight tick that sounds pretty similar to yours, but it doesn't increase with revs and goes away when a gear is selected, even if the clutch is pressed down.

[Aikmanson]

Originally Posted by NeedForSwede

Is it increasing with revs? I've always had a slight tick that sounds pretty similar to yours, but it doesn't increase with revs and goes away when a gear is selected, even if the clutch is pressed down.

Like I said, this problem is solved. But, my ticking did increase with revs, it was much more noticeable at idle due to my loud exhaust.

EDIT - thinking more about your problem, are you sure it is engine related noise and not transmission? I don't see why being in gear or having the clutch in would make an engine noise disappear.

[Trollhättan Bil]

Originally Posted by Aikmanson

These cars are very vocal when they are low on oil, once you refill the car with oil, it takes a good 10 minutes of idling to get the lifters full of oil again and stop the lifter noise, could take even longer.

PS - my car is good to go again

But that takes all of the fun out of bleeding the head plus, given the amount of time the car sat, coupled with the opening and closing of the system during the repair/hose replacements, there could well be air trapped in the system somewhere that could result in a problem surfacing down the road, a more so exacerbated problem should a cumulative air bubble make it's way into a part of the system not so resilient.

Like is said, an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure.