[V8] Noise that is driving me absolutely CRAZY!!

[kyle leatherwood]

I pulled off the timing belt cover and checked the t-belt tension. it is 
dead in the center of the specs for the distance on the hydraulic tensioner 
rod.

The noise was described the best way I have heard yet in an earlier post. 
Sounds like someone dropped a bucket full of nuts and bolts in the engine.

I also pulled my valve covers not too long ago HOT!!! and checked the cam 
chains. They were both very tight with very little slack in them.

Well, I was unaware that so many people have this issue. Mine was with the 
car when I bought it. Person I bought it from stated that it started not 
long after he had the t-belt done on it.  I re did it when I bought it 
because only a halfway job was done then (belt and water pump only, nothing 
else) and was hoping one or more of the components not replaced then was the 
culprit. No such luck.

Hopefully, with everyones help we will ease a lot of V8 owners aggrivation 
(or not) with this odd noise.

Thanks Everyone,
Kyle


>From: "Ed Kellock" <ekellock at gmail.com>
>To: v8 at audifans.com
>Subject: Re: [V8] Noise that is driving me absolutely CRAZY!!
>Date: Thu, 23 Mar 2006 07:39:49 -0700
>
>  Chiming in.... I've had a noise only at idle and when warm since I owned
>the car.  I don't know if it's the same noise as I've never though of it
>relative to diesel noise, but it could be characterized that way.  It was
>unchanged by a timing belt service which included every moving part new for
>both timing and serpentine belts.  It seems to be in the passenger side
>cylinder head area.  I've always thought lifters or cam chain(s).
>
>Previous to my ownership the car had timing belt failure.  That repair has
>always been suspect in my mind because of some of the things I found when I
>did my own timing belt service, like mis-timed engine and stipped or 
>missing
>bolts, supposedly at a dealer, no less.
>
>In addition, at very low rpm in gear, there is a noticeable pulsation
>characteristic to the power delivery, as if one cylinder is significantly
>down on power as if due to a leaky/nicked or ill-actuated valve.  I had a
>compression and leak-down test done years ago and it was pronounced healthy
>but then they didn't improve how it ran either so I'm suspect of that
>service as well.  In fact, I don't think anyone but me or my friends have
>touched my car mechanically in 5 years.  Anyway, I'm talking about 1000 rpm
>in 5th gear trying to gently accelerate as if more out of intertia spurred
>by a feathered throttle than any real engine output.  The more throttle you
>give it, the more pronounce the pulsation is, until rpm increases and it
>becomes unnoticeable.
>
>Given my doubts about the valvetrain, etc. I always figured that the cam
>chains or a lifter were the culprit of both the noise and the pulsation,
>both of which I've come to ignore.  The car just doesn't seem to care.
>Frequent rev-limiter tests and a couple questionable trailer towing events
>have not brought about any engine behavior of any concern.
>
>I've always figured that when this engine goes I'll just drop a 4.2 in
>there.  In the meantime, full steam ahead, damn the torpedoes!
>
>Ed
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
> > From: v8-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:v8-bounces at audifans.com]On Behalf
> > Of kyle leatherwood
> > Sent: March 19, 2006 6:25 PM
> > To: v8 at audifans.com
> > Subject: [V8] Noise that is driving me absolutely CRAZY!!
> >
> >
> > Ok everyone.  I have officially gotten tired of hearing this abnormal
> > noise
> > that my 91 V8 5 speed makes.  This noise ONLY appears when the engine 
>gets
> > to operating temperature. Between startup and operating temp, the engine
> > is
> > as quiet as a mouse (a tiny bit of lifter tick on occasion).  This noise
> > sounds like there is a freaking diesel engine under the hood.  Engine 
>has
> > had entire t-belt service done with new bearings and rollers all
> > around.  I
> > have pulled both valve covers and checked cam chains, they are great.  I
> > have pulled off the serp belt to eliminate accessory noise.  Odd thing 
>is
> > that Mark Willoughby's 4.2 5 speed makes the exact same noise.  Keith at
> > Germanautoconnection says he rebuilt the entire valve train on a 4.2 
>once
> > to
> > try and eliminate the noise, but to no avail and told me not to worry
> > about
> > it.  Car drives beautifully, no loss of power of any kind.  AARRGG.
> >
> > Anyway, as anal and picky as I am about my vehicles, this noise is 
>driving
> > me nuts, so I must find out what is causing it.  My 1990 with 130,000
> > miles
> > makes no noise whatsoever, and this one only has 116,000 on it.
> >
> > Has anyone out there run into this and found out what it is??
> >
> > Any help with finding this out will save my sanity in driving this
> > wonderful
> > vehicle.
> >
> > thanks,
> >
> > Kyle
> >
> >
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