96 Cavalier with engine rattling help please

The car has 114,000+ miles on it and I have owned it since high school and im currenly in my second year of college the engine recently started rattling when i hit 3,000 RPMs. I cant afford to go a mechanic yet and help would be much appreciated.
Thank you

possibly a spun bearing... happened to my 97 2.2. probably cheaper to buy a new motor

Turn your A/C on and try driving it and let me know if it still makes the same noise.

it could be anything, motor mounts, bad tires vacume lines, lets not scare the guy..........but they may be right and your car might just blow up at any minute....sorry

my 96 cavy has been doing that since i bought it at 90k, im at 125 now and the sound hasnt changed
my friends sunfire was making the same noise

Turn your A/C on and try driving it and let me know if it still makes the same noise.

...

my 98 2.4 does the same thing;only at 3200rpm or higher

my car did make a nosie all the time then it blew like a day later lol...

mines been doing it for about 20,000 miles(atleast thats when i noticed it)

can you describe the noise?

my 96 cav with a 2.2 is doing it now... and i have a spun bearing. i tried to drive it down my road (about a quarter mile) and the shit started smoking... i got it home, but needless to say, the thing is going to blow up

...
lol well said but i dont think he got it

Turn your A/C on and try driving it and let me know if it still makes the same noise.
i dont know about these other guys,but my noise is not my a/c.i actually sounds like its coming from somewhere around the exhaust cam.

i dont know about these other guys,but my noise is not my a/c.i actually sounds like its coming from somewhere around the exhaust cam.

Yours could be a lifter with an incorrect gap. Kind of like the rockers on an OHV, but i'm unsure on adjusting or if it's better to replace but you will be ding that soon anyhow!

im not sure, i havent really looked at it,doesnt really sound like "lifter noise"....oh,and not to be a smart-ass,but there called "cam followers" in ohc engines.lol

im not sure, i havent really looked at it,doesnt really sound like "lifter noise"....oh,and not to be a smart-ass,but there called "cam followers" in ohc engines.lol

You have a cam follower which in turn moves the VALVE lifter. Push rod motors have followers too there are just a round piece of metal that whatever is being driven sits on!

yeah its all the same:lol: