Alright, been reading for a few hours of the wee night, and see you guys/gals seem to give pretty good advice. Here’s my story.


For a week before yesterday, my car has been making weird noises, but it doesn't seem to be affecting anything except itself, so I didn't really worry about it.

Then yesterday, in the arby's drive through, all the sudden it turns into a loud squeak and knock. It wasn't constant and wasn't quick enough to match up with the rpm, since my car idles at 850-900, it would have to tick way more then that to be bottom end right? The squeak goes away as soon as motor runsigher then idle, give it gas it goes away for a while, then comes right back. Maybe starved of oil?

But oil pressure was unchanged and I have an after market pressure gauge, oil pressure is a constant 15-20 psi at idle, and I suspect that is ok, am I right?

I went to a buddy of miles, he has a little more experience then I do, and he had some stethoscope thing. Probed around to tell me it’s primarily coming from my passenger side valve cover right above the front 2 valves.

He works at jiffy lube, and says he's never heard a lifter squeak before, but from his experience it being top end and all, that from his experience the problem is the lifters.


What should I do?

Thanks

 

whammoooo,


bump

 

A bad lifter will make a ticking sound that gets louder and faster with the engine speed. They do not squeak or knock. Pull the valvecover and check out the rockers. Sqeaking pretty much always comes from the pulleys. My water pump would sqeak at idle, then stop when i gave it a little more gas, had to tigthen the belts. The lowest my oil pressure goes is 30psi, stock gauge and stock 305.

 

Maybe you could give us some more detail...thus far all we know is that it's a car...model, year, engine, fuel delivery, trans...

 

305 tpi, maf, flat tappet, 138k miles.

Ok, here is what I am afraid of.

Today I was supposed to order my cam and lifter, plus other stuff from summit.

But now this has happened. Before the ticking was definitely a lifter noise.

Now what I am getting is 5 times as loud and still coming from the same area, top end. But I’m afraid the squeaking and such is all worse problems.

The squeaking only happens at low RPMs, once going, it disappears, and the knock stays the same level of loud, but at about 3500 or 4000rpm the knock almost completely disappears its sporadic, like, coming then going, then coming again...

At idle it sounds like there is a bolt in my bore, but there isn't.

I pulled the valve cover, and put my newly acquired stethoscope on it, and the tick happened exactly the same as the noise coming from the #1(first on passenger side) exhaust valve. Was identical, every other stud was off on timing actual knock came at different time then knock coming from stud. It’s hard to understand.

So is a topend full rebuild/replacement still a good idea?

 

bump

 

bump

MTH

 

It's impossible to be 100% accurate diagnosing over the internet, but I'd say your engine's shot dude.

That lifter knock you thought you've had was likely rod knock, and it's degenerated into metal thru the engine.

 

TTT BUMP Hurry up and respond!!

 

i sure hope it wasn't rod knock. But i guess i can alway buy my friends 350 from him still. Been sitting for so long after he rebuilt it, noone would buy it 3 years ago, so a few months ago he offered it to me for $200. Its an older 350, but it'll still work.




MTH

 

well, heres an update.

Today i started calling around.

I went to a good friends work place, discount auto parts, and they grouped around my car, astonished, they said, man, thats one of the loudest knocks i've ever heard, sounds like a combo of a rod and main.

So, tomorow my goal is to pull the pan, and to inspect, if results come out the way i suspect they will, then, its off to the west side to pick up my 350 thats been waiting on me forever. He has a hoist as well so hopefully i can borrow it and buy the motor from him.

 

you'll save yourself a lot of hassle by putting all of your top-end on that 350 too. Then it's basically like taking the engine out, and putting it right back in

Knock sucks

 

Yup, when one bearing fails it throws metal downstream and takes others with it.

Be cautious on the 350...if it's been sitting for years unused, there could be rust buildup in places you don't want it.

 

there is just a bit of surface rust in the lifter galley, nothing a little TLC cant fix, i'm motovated, and i need this done sooner then later.

but i understand you cant get performance and cheap, or reliable and cheap at the same time.