HELP BEFORE I BURN IT TO THE GROUND

crazyespn

Member
Established Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2018
Messages
35
Location
Texas
Don't even know where the start. I wanted to park my Shelby to avoid anymore wear and tear. Work is 74 miles a day round trip. Had an old F150 I had $700 bucks in, and this kid wanted to trade a 01' BULLIT straight across which I did. So Initially it ran for 10 sec when I got it, thought well it runs, let me make this my new DD. Take it a shop have it looked over because of a tap/knock.

I take a chance, put new plugs/ accel coils/ full ac kit/ new heater core/ powerstop brake rotor kit/ SR shocks, PCV valve, EGR valve, changed the oil with Schaffers and new filter, new fuel filter, new battery. Some major maintenance. Take it to a performance shop and have lash adjusters fixed, after that mechanic said it was the problem and the performance shop agreed with him.

Well noise is still there. No one can figure it out. Sounds like it echoes through the bell housing but also sounds like under the intake. While changing lash adjusters the mechanic inspected the timing chain etc. by looking behind front cover, everything looks good. It gets quiet but at a certain RPM it comes back. They have used a stethoscope all over that thing and can't pin point it.

So far, releasing the clutch does no difference, removed belt and accessories are not the culprit, hooked up to the laptop shut every cylinder down one by one , new lash adjusters, the rockers are all good and free moving and the noise still there.

I have researched this and there are many threads and videos but no response to what was the final outcome. Any ideas of what to look for now. Going to change the harmonic balancer just in case old one is bad. TO make matters worst it has a pin hole in radiator leaking and I can't even put one in because the core support has been pushed up and back. I don't know if I should keep throwing money at it or BURN IT TO THE GROUND.
 

Brewkett

Member
Established Member
Joined
May 26, 2017
Messages
32
wonder if you might have a broken timing chain guide? You normally need to remove the front cover to inspect as the 4v head / timing chain gears cover a large area and makes it hard to see the guides, I've come across many chain guides that wear though and the chain rubs the tensioner.
 

DSG2003Mach1

Well-Known Member
Established Member
Premium Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2004
Messages
15,913
Location
Central Fl
the crank pulley is just a damper, not a balancer. If the outer right hasnt separated (itll move back into the timing cover or forward, it'll be obvious) you're just wasting more time and money
 

01yellercobra

AKA slo984now
Established Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2005
Messages
21,128
Location
Cali
Sounds like one of the tensioners is going bad. Had the same issue on my 01. The tapping would come and go as it pleased. Swapped both main tensioners and good to go after that.
 

crazyespn

Member
Established Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2018
Messages
35
Location
Texas
Sounds like one of the tensioners is going bad. Had the same issue on my 01. The tapping would come and go as it pleased. Swapped both main tensioners and good to go after that.
Replaced both already. We have removed the belt and ran engine noise still there.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

01yellercobra

AKA slo984now
Established Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2005
Messages
21,128
Location
Cali
Replaced both already. We have removed the belt and ran engine noise still there.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

Did your mechanic actually pull the timing cover or did he just look down the chain? Your post makes it sound like he didn't remove the timing cover.
 

PaxtonShelby

iamdrab
Established Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2010
Messages
5,434
Location
Pittsburgh, PA
Not the serpentine tensioner...the timing chain tensioners. They keep the timing chain tight using oil pressure. When the seals go bad they lose pressure and the chain gets loose and can rattle. This can result in the chain guides getting chewed up or broken. I have my wife’s 2005 Aviator half apart now for a timing gear job - it sucks donkey balls.
 

crazyespn

Member
Established Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2018
Messages
35
Location
Texas
Did your mechanic actually pull the timing cover or did he just look down the chain? Your post makes it sound like he didn't remove the timing cover.

He just looked down the chain. Since I am pulling the harmonic balancer going to pull the cover and see whats going on.
 

crazyespn

Member
Established Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2018
Messages
35
Location
Texas
Not the serpentine tensioner...the timing chain tensioners. They keep the timing chain tight using oil pressure. When the seals go bad they lose pressure and the chain gets loose and can rattle. This can result in the chain guides getting chewed up or broken. I have my wife’s 2005 Aviator half apart now for a timing gear job - it sucks donkey balls.

We are pulling the balancer going to pull the front cover and inspect. Already sank this much into it whats taking a look going to hurt at this point.
 

01blckcobra

Active Member
Established Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
Messages
314
Location
Wisconsin
Check the flywheel bolts they have know to loosen up.
Honestly without hearing the noise hard to pin-point.
Could be a oil restrictor in tje head, lash adjuster, timing components, internals, ect...
 

FIREBALL

Active Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Messages
509
Location
Calif
Need more detail of sound and is it only coming from the middle, is it at all RPMs or just idle, is it only when cold or hot or both, and need to know what your oil pressure is at idle and 3000+rpm? Is the middle sound coming form the top or bottom or both? pressure needs to be taken with a mechanical oil pressure gauge. Last but not least and needed to be done first is a compression test. Dont think you ever said how many miles on engine?

If valve train and external noises have been ruled out, my best guess is a rod knock, piston slap, or piston pin, maybe one of the middle rods or pistons. One way to diagnose piston or rod noises is to remove each spark plug wire one at a time, if the knock quiets down or goes away (with engine running on 7 cylinders)then the unplugged cylinder is where the problem is. Also a bad piston pin will give a rapid double knock at top dead center and bottom.
 
Last edited:

ImaSnake

New Member
Established Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2019
Messages
20
Location
Gulf Coast Texas
Hey buddy, I am super new to the forum and to cars. But I describe a similar problem between 1500-3000 rpms (2001 Cobra with 17k miles on it). Did tons of research and see there is a poor design with the bell-housing spacer. A lot of people found a solution in modifying it, problem is, all the photo-links from that forum are broken. My TOB is on its way out, and I figured I kill two birds with one stone and swap to a steel bell-housing plate by Ford Performance and pray.

Here are some helpful links:

Transmission Flex Plate Rattle/Vibration - IMBOC

stupid metal rattling noise at 3k rpm! EDIT: SOLUTION FOUND 9/7/07 - MustangForums.com
 

crazyespn

Member
Established Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2018
Messages
35
Location
Texas
Here is a video clip of the ticking. This is after 15 minutes of running





Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

crazyespn

Member
Established Member
Joined
Sep 11, 2018
Messages
35
Location
Texas
Need more detail of sound and is it only coming from the middle, is it at all RPMs or just idle, is it only when cold or hot or both, and need to know what your oil pressure is at idle and 3000+rpm? Is the middle sound coming form the top or bottom or both? pressure needs to be taken with a mechanical oil pressure gauge. Last but not least and needed to be done first is a compression test. Dont think you ever said how many miles on engine?

If valve train and external noises have been ruled out, my best guess is a rod knock, piston slap, or piston pin, maybe one of the middle rods or pistons. One way to diagnose piston or rod noises is to remove each spark plug wire one at a time, if the knock quiets down or goes away (with engine running on 7 cylinders)then the unplugged cylinder is where the problem is. Also a bad piston pin will give a rapid double knock at top dead center and bottom.
We already shut each cylinder down 1 by 1 and noise still there. I have some sound clips i posted of the noise.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
 

01blckcobra

Active Member
Established Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2009
Messages
314
Location
Wisconsin
Sounds like a knock instead of a tic. Check the oil for bearing material.
Either way, I'd pull the motor an tear it down. Not a healthy noise.
 

FIREBALL

Active Member
Established Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2016
Messages
509
Location
Calif
We already shut each cylinder down 1 by 1 and noise still there. I have some sound clips i posted of the noise.

How many miles on motor and what oil pressure (using mechanical gauge) Hot and Cold. The factory idot gauge doesnt tell you anything other than that there is some pressure but not how much.


Sounds like high mileage piston slap or piston pin and/or low oil pressure to me. Nobody here can really diagnose it without car in front of them. Also still need a compression check.
 
Last edited:

Users who are viewing this thread



Top