Valve chatter

Okay. I have 96 1.9 and I recently replaced the head. It drove for a short while then the valves started making noise. I thought maybe I put the gasket on wrong, but it went several days with no problems. I first thought maybe it lost it's timing or something. So after timing it three times I know thats not it either. I noticed the camshaft seal was leaking so I replaced it. I can't get the damn thing to stop. It smokes slightly out the exhaust pipe and there is smoking rising from the someplace on the motor. More smoke under the hood than anything else. Temperature never reaches operating temp. Never goes past the C. I know the smoke is oil cause of it's smell and blueish color. Ideas anyone?

Also it only happens when in gear. In park I can rev the motor to whatever speed I desire, but put it in gear and drive to drive and it starts the "valve chatter"

It's definately related to your having put a new (assumption) head on your Escort. Let's look at it from a couple of different angles. You either got the wrong head for it or the head gasket is not seating properly. Look into the cooling system from the radiator cap. Is there any oil floating in the coolant close to the neck. Check your dip stick. Is there any creamy looking stuff like goop hand cleaner on the stick? If either one of these conditions exist you got the wrong head or wrong head gasket and there is a crossover of oil to the coolant or of the coolant to the oil.

Hydraulic valves chatter when the lifters don't pump up. I think you aren't getting enough oil pressure through the head to pump up the hydraulic lifters.
Revving it up in neutral gives it enough oil pressure to calm down the hydraulic lifters.

The oil leaks down on the exhaust manifold and all that heat is burning the oil that is seeping down upon it. I think you may have too much pressure in the crankcase. This could be from a faulty PCV valve or you could have the wrong head or head gasket that isn't lettiing the oil drain from the head back into the crankcase.

Before taking it all apart again check the PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve) to see if you can blow into it one way but not the other way. Check all the hoses that house the PCV valve to make sure they aren't plugged up. Bottom line is that you have pressure building up in the engine and it's causing all the seals to leak oil. First things first. Take the PCV valve out and shake it. Does it rattle? It's supposed to. If you can blow through it both ways or if you can't blow through it either way it is faulty and should be replaced. Where did you get the head? Did you get new headbolts with the headgasket kit?

Bottom line you're getting too much internal pressure from the crankcase. That's making it blow oil out. Check that PCV valve. Check the hoses that connect it to the crank case and check the inlet on the air intake. It's just gotta be that PCV valve not venting the crankcase.

I was very careful about putting the gasket on and made sure it matched the head before I did anything and I took the same amount of care installing the head (which was from another escort ,with the same motor, that was previously running until tranny went out, only 75k on it). My camshaft seal was leakin. Thats where the burnin oil was comin from. I replaced it. No smoke. So now my only issue is the valve chatter. Can the oil pump be bad? I'm leaning towards timing issues. I've done it a bunch of times, but something doesn't sound right when I rev the motor. Not like it used to. I've done the timing a few times, but I did it the lazy way. So perhaps a true check of the timing could correct it?

There's a chance that the notorious #4 inlet valve seat has come loose. This would cause noise, crazy symptoms, and eventually will cause engine destruction ... so lets hope for something else!

Well I just noticed my belt is missing part of a tooth. So chances are it's jumping timing and thats causing the valve noise. So after I do that I'll update, but hopefully it's just the belt. It looks kinda loose too so I'm confident that thats it. Thanks guys. Hopefully I don't have to post again lol, but I will to let you know

I replaced the timing belt and the problem persists. In gear it chatters pretty bad. Now I've noticed that the vehicle doesn't wanna get up to operating temp. When I run it for a while this smoke builds up in the valve cover. I don't have an airfilter box due to a cone filter so I just left it open. So when it starts to warm up a smoke comes out it. Not sure what thats from. My spark plugs are fouled, whiteish coloring. I'm thinkin it's gettin pretty hot. Anyways I need some help, please

Did you witness this donor engine run?? How do you know this head didn't chatter before? I think what you need to do is rebuild the head. Why did you replace the head in the first place? Regardless, I'm sure you have a Haynes manual or the like. So what you need to do is get some quality measuring equipment, some feeler gauges and get in there and make sure everything is in spec and torqued down properly. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to replace the seals regardless of the state of the head. That may be where your smoke is coming from or it could be the rings..

I don't know if it chatter on the other escort. I'm going to check a few things. Remove the valve cover (once it cools down, seems unusually hot for somethin that didn't reach operating temp, couldn't even touch it without a rag) see if anything under there looks damaged. Any ideas as to why in park or neutral I can rev it up and it doesn't do that, but when in gear it chatters?

If it is that hot to the touch and not registering on the gauge, consider that your coolant system may be plugged up. The hot coolant may not be reaching the sensor in order to indicate that it is hot. Could be an inoperative pump, and that could partially explain the white smoke if things are heating up too much in there. Don't continue to run the engine at such high temps or you may become a victim of worse problems... those aluminum heads don't like the heat.

I don't know if it chatter on the other escort. I'm going to check a few things. Remove the valve cover (once it cools down, seems unusually hot for somethin that didn't reach operating temp, couldn't even touch it without a rag) see if anything under there looks damaged. Any ideas as to why in park or neutral I can rev it up and it doesn't do that, but when in gear it chatters?

Reving it up increases the oil pressure to the lifters. The lifters pump up from the oil pressure to have the correct clearance between the lifters and the top of the valve stems. Oil pressure increases at higher RPM's. This is why it does the chatter in gear. The engine speed is a lot lower. Does it chatter at a higher engine speed? If so I am wrong.

You know it wouldn't be a bad idea to run a coat hanger through the oil return passages to the block.

I'd take the head back and get another one. Take it to a machine shop and get it milled until it is flat.
you probably just got a defective head from the boneyard.

How long do you think it would take for it to start gettin hot? I took my thermostat out today and while I was running the motor I felt the upper radiator hose and it was empty. I do beleive my water pump is toast. I'm thinkin that everything is gettin so hot because the damn pump went out

How long do you think it would take for it to start gettin hot? I took my thermostat out today and while I was running the motor I felt the upper radiator hose and it was empty. I do beleive my water pump is toast. I'm thinkin that everything is gettin so hot because the damn pump went out

It should get hot in 10 minutes driving it or 20 minutes at idle.
With the thermostat out you should be able to feel a good surge going through the upper hose. Maybe you are right. The water pump is toast. While you're replacing the pump put a new thermostat in. You can get a 180 degree or a 210 degree. I'd just go with whatever the parts man thinks it should be for your 96. I'm sure sorry you're having so much trouble. I hope you get her fixed.

Make sure that you have plenty of coolant in the system too. If it is too low then it may bot be circulating.