Diagnose my engine noise... clanking

[mr2mike]

EDIT: NEVER BUY A PROSPORT EXHAUST GAS TEMP (EGT) GAUGE!

This engine has less than 2000miles on it.

The possible reasons for this noise are:

EGT probe in combustion chamber... broke off or melted off at some point
(Took off turbo and ext. manifold to see if I could find it and nothing was there)
Rod knock
Something up with the valves

Please help
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYCUCx37Ts0

I've taken off turbo, ext. manifold, valve cover, intake manifold. Looked in combustion chambers.
No sign of anything loose.

[Mista.2]

wow thats a weird sounds kinda sounds like mine did when i started it after i rebuilt it. turns out i didnt tighten my adjustable cam gears.

[mr2mike]

Ok, I've got adj. cam gears. I'll check to make sure none have slipped. I haven't degreed them yet so they should both be at zero.

Thanks

Anyone else with ideas?

[heavyD]

That sounds like rod knock to me.

[Redlyne_mr2]

its all top end noise.. so cant be.. hard to tell in the video.. Ive heard it in real life.

[962 kid]

Sounds nothing like a rod knock, much too random for that. Pull your valve cover and check for bolts in the head.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by 962 kid
Sounds nothing like a rod knock, much too random for that. Pull your valve cover and check for bolts in the head.

Well smarty pants if you read he already took off the valve cover.:rolleyes: It sounds too loud for it to be valvetrain. Have you taken turns pulling the spark plug wire off each cylinder at idle? If the knock goes silent you have isolated the cylinder. Pulling off the oil pan isn't that hard, you may want to do that and check for yellow metals and the seized bearing would have no side play.

Rod knock resonates up the cylinder which is why you hear it at the valve cover.

[revelations]

Is the engine making metal?

[mr2mike]

I think I've found it.

Got a small tube hooked to a shop vac and pulled a small piece of the ProSport EGT probe (Don't buy Prosport!!)

I thought it solved it, started it and its still there. I think there's more of the probe in the intake valves. Is there an easy way to get it?

I'm afraid I'll be having to take the head off and probably replace on or two of those valves on the intake, maybe even the exhaust. Its a newly rebuilt head so everything is machined recently.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by mr2mike
I think I've found it.

Got a small tube hooked to a shop vac and pulled a small piece of the ProSport EGT probe (Don't buy Prosport!!)

I thought it solved it, started it and its still there. I think there's more of the probe in the intake valves. Is there an easy way to get it?

I'm afraid I'll be having to take the head off and probably replace on or two of those valves on the intake, maybe even the exhaust. Its a newly rebuilt head so everything is machined recently.

That sucks man but at least it's not a spun rod bearing. Have you tried one of those little magnetic pickup tools that you can drop in the cylinder through the plug hole? You may have to remove the head to see what exactly happened in there as that is pretty loud knocking.

[mr2mike]

I'm gonna try to track one of those things down, my uncle said they make really small ones that can get in there.
Princess Auto he said should have it. Anywhere else that's not way out of my way?

[heavyD]

Originally posted by mr2mike
I'm gonna try to track one of those things down, my uncle said they make really small ones that can get in there.
Princess Auto he said should have it. Anywhere else that's not way out of my way?

Princess Auto should have one of those sorts or even House of Tools. No toolbox is complete unless you have a couple as they have saved me many a times.

[mr2mike]

Problem solved.

Took head off and retrieved all pieces. Thank god, no sidewall scrapes or damage and valves are still mint.

Now if MCS can come through with a new metal headgasket. Yes I went with them again ONLY because they built my engine in the first place so I want to replace with exactly what they sent me originally.

The rush is on to get it all back together and drive this thing before it snows.

Atleast my coolant is totally flushed at this point and my cylinder heads are carbon free again.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Originally posted by mr2mike
Problem solved.

Took head off and retrieved all pieces. Thank god, no sidewall scrapes or damage and valves are still mint.

Now if MCS can come through with a new metal headgasket. Yes I went with them again ONLY because they built my engine in the first place so I want to replace with exactly what they sent me originally.

The rush is on to get it all back together and drive this thing before it snows.

Atleast my coolant is totally flushed at this point and my cylinder heads are carbon free again.
Thats always a bonus.. has MCS not sent the HG yet? I thought you ordered it ages ago?

[heavyD]

After all that noise there weren't any scrapes.:eek: That's good news. What size were the pieces? Sucks that you had to go through the hassle of a HG removal.

[mr2mike]

The pieces were very small. About 2mm in size. Most of them I couldn't even pick up, I had to vacuum them out or they came out on the cloth when I did the initial wipe of the piston head to soak up the coolant that got in there when I broke the seal on the headgasket.

Never found a large pieces like I thought I would. I hope the clanking is over with now.

It couldn't have dislodged something from my bottom end or disrupted a valve shim?

[jvillain]

I am glad to hear it turned out better than expected. Due to the owner paying attention and taking action even though it really sucked to do so. I know how much work it is. No pits or any thing in the face of the piston or the dome?

If MTS doesn't come across with the gasket I know ChrisK at Engine Logics stocks them. It would suck to have to pay but it would suck worse not to get any more driving in. Mind you I guess it depends on how you think the weather is going to be over the next month or 2.


It couldn't have dislodged something from my bottom end or disrupted a valve shim?

No you will be fine. Hope you can get some driving in while the weather is good.

[mr2mike]

Originally posted by jvillain
I am glad to hear it turned out better than expected. Due to the owner paying attention and taking action even though it really sucked to do so. I know how much work it is. No pits or any thing in the face of the piston or the dome?

If MTS doesn't come across with the gasket I know ChrisK at Engine Logics stocks them. It would suck to have to pay but it would suck worse not to get any more driving in. Mind you I guess it depends on how you think the weather is going to be over the next month or 2.



No you will be fine. Hope you can get some driving in while the weather is good.

There was some slight pitting on the dome. Since its aluminum, I took some 600 grit sandpaper and moved down to 1800 and carefully sanded down the pits. It was pretty easy to do except obviously, being extremely careful not to touch the area where the headgasket seats. I think that's the best I could do without having it re-planed again. I tried not to take too much material off to effect the compression.

Those valves, I was the most concerned about but there's no chipping anywhere. They're actually 100% mint.

Hopefully MCS gets that gasket here this coming week. I ordered it before I took the head off but we all know how long they seem to take.

I also changed out the MCS leaky, heavily dented oil pan. I think its the gasket maker they use on the pan. It was seeping oil out around the whole gasket?!? But when I pulled it off, the gasketmaker wouldn't let go, it was on there good, so who knows why it was leaking as bad as it was. I hope to finally have the engine back to how it used to be soon.

[jvillain]

There was some slight pitting on the dome. Since its aluminum, I took some 600 grit sandpaper and moved down to 1800 and carefully sanded down the pits.

Sorry to hear that. Getting rid of pits will be next to impossible if they are of any size. The key thing is to get rid of any high spots caused by the aluminum being pushed up. Those can lead to hot spots. As you know the dome isn't perfectly flat to begin with so minor pits shouldn't be an issue.

[mr2mike]

Originally posted by jvillain


As you know the dome isn't perfectly flat to begin with so minor pits shouldn't be an issue.

That's what I was seeing. It's casted so there's the roughness just like the intake manifold, etc. I think what I cleaned up is smoother than stock so I should be good to go.

This headache sort of makes sense, thinking about it. I'd go out cruising with other MR2 guys and my engine would be the first to buck from alleged heat soak or something to that nature. I didn't like city driving. Then I'd get on the highway and it would fly and boost perfectly. I'm thinking it all started when the EGT gauge stopped working (thought it was a broken wire) because I would be thinking, damn, I wish my EGT gauge was working so I could see the engine temps. haha.

[heavyD]

Engine running yet?

[mr2mike]

I wish!

I ordered my headgasket from MCS Motorsports Aug22nd. Its been 16 business days and counting...

Once again... burnt by MCS. Hopefully after this, I won't have to order any more time sensitive parts from him. His shipping process must involve carrier pigeons.

If Redlyne gets his seat from Japan before the gasket, that'll be something.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Just to update everyone.. I ordered another Bride seat for my car from a company in Japan, I ordered the seat Sat Sept the 6th, it was shipped Monday Sept the 8th, I just received it today and that was from somewhere on the other side of the world.. sorry Mike I guess I won our bet.

[stealth]

I know what you mean Mike.

I ordered fuel lines from them, and it is a less than pleasent experience.

[thinmyster]

ill never order anything from them

[mr2mike]

I picked the gasket up lastnight. I called the Post Office and they had it in. I knew it would come down to the wire...

By the way I looked at the shipping info.

Shipped Sept 3rd. I paid Aug22nd.

The only reason I'm saying something is because I'd expect this from a private seller. I mean its usually a typical delay in sending out. But this is a licensed company.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Originally posted by mr2mike
I picked the gasket up lastnight. I called the Post Office and they had it in. I knew it would come down to the wire...

By the way I looked at the shipping info.

Shipped Sept 3rd. I paid Aug22nd.

The only reason I'm saying something is because I'd expect this from a private seller. I mean its usually a typical delay in sending out. But this is a licensed company.
damn so we both got our orders yesterday.. nuts.

[BigWill]

Try filling your gas tank up with WIN!

[ae92gts]

Originally posted by BigWill
Try filling your gas tank up with WIN!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: