Starting the car, particularly in the mornings, the car makes a strange sound until I have it above 1500 rpm or so. Once it's been running for a while and it's all warmed up, he sound pretty much goes away, but when starting it, the sound is there and it's loud.

It "sounds" like there are nuts and bolts ratting around inside the engine somewhere. It's a horrid sound, but like I said, after I get it to about 1500 rpm or more (carb'd car... givin it gas in the morning to warm it up) the sound kinda quites down a bit. Once I let the rpm drop, you can still here it, but once it's warmred up and I get it into gear, can't hear it at all until the next time I start it (can hear it for just a moment and quites down gradually over about a minute) or the next morning when the whole cycle continues...

Being new to the gearhead scene, I could just be paranoid and the sound being the carm warmining up and getting the oil back up into everything.... but I've just got a fear something is broken.

Anyone encountered this before?

 

You really need to use a stethescope or something in order to localize the sound. A lot of cold start sounds end up being an accessory: Alternator, Water Pump, Power Steering, etc...

As for the engine, check each valve cover, the timing chain cover, and the oil pan to see where the noise is coming from the strongest.

 

Honestly, it "sounds" like it's coming from deep in there. Around the oil pan. I do have a leak from the rear main, I know that much. I'm just worried this is gonna be somethin big that's gonna make me park her for a while to get some cash to pull the engine out.

 

If it's a rod knocking then stop driving it and you might be able to save the crank.

 

could be an acc bearing...heard this happen before and it turned out to be belt tensioner pulley bearing. you would hear the rod knock(probally) if your raising the rpms while its cold.

 

Judging by how it acts, it acts like it's having trouble lifting the pistons, but if I give it a little gas and rev it when I start it up and push it past 1500, it starts quieting down.

Prolly just gonna have to put it up and see what's wrong. Who knows.

 

whats it timed at

 

Timed? Not sure about that. Just know I've got carb set to the lowest notch so it isn't running rich.

 

May be to lean, hence giving it the gas is helping it. Just throwing ideas around. Check your plugs and see what they look like

 

Could it be a sticky lifter or two?

 

Now that you mention the plugs, I did just change the plug wires just a few weeks ago. Replaced the plugs a few months ago. Could the wires have anything to do with it? It started this about two weeks or so ago.

 

Maybe you've got a wire crossed.

 

I wouldn't think so... I replaced them one at a time. Making sure I didn't do that.

 

Alright, so the sound is still there and it's concerning me now. I really have no choice but to drive it seeing as how it's my daily driver at the moment (tranny messing up in the maro). It's not causing any problems with driving at all. Not one thing... but it sounds like crap starting up and revving while it's idling.

Had my step-father over a few days ago while I was changing my fuel pump and he checked out our Camaros tranny problem, he heard me start the Trans am up and he heard the sound it makes and thinks it's the y-pipe on my exhaust, since everytime I give it gas, it makes the sound and after about 5 minutes of warming up or so, it's almost silent. He seems to think that the y-pipe is rattling on the headers or something.

If nessesary, I can probably just walk out there, sit my camera by the car and start it from a cold start so you guys can hear what I'm talking about. If that would help, let me know and I'll go take a 20 second video or so.

 

Is it kinda like a clattering sound? To me sounds like the oil pump may need attention. Thing of it is when the hydrolic lifters get drained and you go to start the car the make a nice clatter or a ticking till the motor gets primmed with oil which usually happens in the first few seconds after starting. What weight oil are you running? If this is the case dont pump the carb to start it let the motor crank a bit befor you start it. If its the motor not being primed with oil then cranking the motor a while before starting should make the sound go away. Do you have an oil pressure guage? If its more of a rattle it could be the metal doughnut that seals the exhaust to the manifolds.

 

I'm running 10W30 weith oil. Castrol GTX synthetic. Yes, it's a very loud clattering sound until the engine is good and warm and then it's completly gone. I can't exactly start the engine without pumping the carb first seeing as it's winter and carb'd engines do not like to start in the cold without a lil gas to wake em up lol.

I have an oil leak from somewhere... I can't figure out if it's my rear main, valve cover, or both. I do have an oil pressure gauge and it's always between 25-40. Usually it stays at about 35 or so unless I'm low on oil.

 

Yup your right it wont start but thats the whole point. A carbed car thats cold without giving it alittle gas will most likely not start it will just crank. However by just cranking the motor till the motor builds up oil pressure then pumping the pedal to actually start it ide bet will eliminate your clattering noise. Not a fix for sure but it will atleast narrow down the cause to something mechanical in the motor as well as allow you to minimise possable damage on start up.

 

Well, I'll give it a try and let you know.

 

Well, I'm not sure if it "worked" or not since the last few morning haven't been nearly as cold as before, but I did what you reccomended. It clattered a tad bit, but not nearly as loud and as soon as it started idling it stopped clattering completly. In other words, it clattered starting up and a few seconds after, but after maybe 6 seconds of it running, it was gone.

So what do you think it is?

 

Well ide say lets start cheap and easy. If im not mistaken these cars oil filters have an anti drain back valve built in. The perpose is to keep oil in the block rather than letting it drain back into the pan. So try giveing it an oil change and a new filter see how that does for ya.

 

An oil change for my car right now is pointless, honestly... it leaks. Badly. About 1 qt every few days. I believe it's coming from the rear main, but I don't have a chance to pull the engine and fix that just yet. Think that is the problem?

 

Well im not really expecting the oil change to help so much its maily the oil filter. Again because of the anit drain back valve may be malfunctioning. Its possable that the leaking rear main seal is allowing oil to drain as well but then again alot of things are possable at this point. I just always like to start with the simple stuff first and it dosnt get much simpler than an oil filter.

 

Alright, I'll look into changing the oil filter here soon. What brand would you reccomend? I hear Fram is about the worst quality oil filter you can get.

 

Well it does seem that Fram is about the worst filter money can buy. Other than not Fram i dont really think you can go wrong. I usually use K&Ns but there pretty expencive probably not actually worth the money but oh well.

 

http://store.knfilters.com/search/pr...x?Prod=HP-2002

$10 isn't gonna hurt my wallet for an oil filter. lol.