91 Escort Acceleration Click

Whenever I accelerate in my 91 Excort a clicking noise is heard from the engine. The more gas i apply the faster the clicking. Also, the car's steaming like a mad beast from the Radiator. So i'm thinking maybe a radiator leak? But would that cause the clicking? Any help appreciated.

I would bet that the clicking you hear is a small bit of metal that has been deposited on the top of a piston and is gouging the head.

It could be a bad fuel injector, but I don't know an easy way to test them without special tools.

Just because the age of the engine I would suspect you need to check on the head and valves.

Could be a bad water pump.

Could be an axle click also.

You could listen to the fuel injectors with a long screwdriver on them or a hose to see if one is louder than the others or listen elsewhere to locate the noise. Is your radiator and overflow reservoir full? I doubt what you are hearing is related to the heating of the engine at the higher rpm, but low on coolant could make it have thermal expansion banging/clicking sounds, but I kind of doubt it. I can't make another connection between the two for now. Are your radiator cap, hoses, overflow hose leaking? Disconnect your belts to see if the sound goes away, but only for a few minutes so not to overheat.

Well i replace the thermostat going on a hunch. And on the other side of the car, the raditor right underneath the crack is now leaking like what. I think I got all the air out of the system. But say I didn't, could that be an explaination?

I had assumed the clicking occurred when parked and idling... and faster when gas applied... is that correct?


The radiator leak may be due to blockage, the blockage may have cause the engine to run hot, the temperature may have cause valve seats to drop.

Does your temp gauge read normally?

Use a stethoscope, long screwdriver, or a length of hose to listen and locate the source of the clicking. Once you narrow it to a certain area it will become obvious.

Though not related to your antifreeze problem, the CMP, camshaft position sensor has been know to get noisy with age, wear and lack of lubrication. I only mention it because I just recently read about it being a problem in another thread in one of the forums for Taurus, Windstar or Escort. Listen for your noise around the front timing cover where the distributor used to be, which now has the (typically) black with wires round cap looking sensor in its place.

I feel kinda silly, but the clicking stopped after I put some more oil in. It simply had dropped to a lower level. And the radiator, has an abvious leak. So i plan on attacking it with some JB Weld. The coolant is leaking at such a place that it's spraying onto the engine, thus the steam. I'll keep updating after the attempt at sealing it.

Flush the radiator the best you can. The leak developed for a reason. PLugging the leak may just cause another leak to develop later.

MM22, I don't entirely follow your logic on the cascading of leak after leak unless the radiator is shot (getting thin or brittle), or the radiator cap is defective and relieving the pressure at too high of a level. Only replacing the cap would protect the sytem that is otherwise in good condition from developing leaks. If it is not caused by overpressurization, then the radiator most likey has been structurally compromised, hit, etc. True, a near or totally plugged radiator can experience higher pressure than normal on the "high" pressure side of the radiator blockage, while the "low" pressure side of the blockage would be at the radiator cap where just a "trickle" can get past the blockage and the cap won't be able to protect the system if such an extensive blockage exists. So, your right, in theory, in that situation it could leak again, though I have no idea what kind of pressure can develop between the pump and the thermal expansion of the coolant on the "high" side of the radiator blaockage. I imagine it could get surprisingly high.

I simply meant that whatever caused it to crack open the first time could happen again once you patch it up.

Yep, sounds good.

I feel kinda silly, but the clicking stopped after I put some more oil in. It simply had dropped to a lower level. And the radiator, has an abvious leak. So i plan on attacking it with some JB Weld. The coolant is leaking at such a place that it's spraying onto the engine, thus the steam. I'll keep updating after the attempt at sealing it.

Don't feel silly. Nobody else thought of that either!:banghead: