engine knock-kinda loud

[aaronh2005]

Hi,

I am a poor college student and am in need to help desperately! Yesterday my engine started a knock from the top of the engine. (98 Eagle Talon/ Eclipse Esi, GS) Immediately i turned the engine off to save a potentially hazardous situation. I went ahead and changed the oil and put in higher octane, but neither worked. I had a friend listen to the car and he said that it was probably a rocker arm. The sound is not coming from the timing belt side, but it looks like it is piston #4(far right piston). I pulled off the spark plug and freaked because there was oil in there! However, it could be a seal, but im not sure. I pulled the cover off and lifted the cams. I checked out each rocker arm, but they all checked out ok. Looked pretty good. The engine does have 99K on it, but ive treated it very well since having. Does anyone have any ideas on what it could be?

THank you

Aaron Henry

[JoeWagon]

Is is a constant sound, approx 1/2 crankshaft rotation speed? (cams spin at 1/2 crank speed) Have you heard lifter tick before?

EDIT>> Oops, I mean constant frequency, not constant sound. Tick Tick Tick

[aaronh2005]

I do believe it is a constant frequency. When i rev the engine the sound obviously picks up. I have heard of lifter tick, but i am not too familiar with it. Can you explain it to me in more detail. All i know is that it can be the spring not moving causing the rocker arm to hit or "tap" on something. I work on cars, but this is the first time ive ever really opened up an engine. thank you very much

[JoeWagon]

Well to be honest, there are several parts that can gap out and tap eachother at the same rate. However, you might be at ease to know that there are plenty of cars with lifter tick. My car does it right now. Check these out:

http://members.shaw.ca/costall/1000Q...#myengineticks
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/show...hreadid=118213

[BLU CIVIC]

could be a blown headgasket that has progressed....

my nissan did that b4 the engine blew.....do a compression test....can rent that from autozone i think

[EclipseRST]

so you pulled the cam shaft off to look at the lifter/roller rocker? if so put it back on... without pressure on the lifter... cam lobe facing upward try to move the lifter/roller rocker if it moves, like if there is play in it, you most likely have a bent valve!

[EclipseRST]

OFF TOPIC: i thought honda owners hated us? if so why are you here? not being a dick or trying to start anything, i was just curious?

[BLU CIVIC]

i post in every forum...i'm all about helping...and where u messed up is putting every honda owner in one catagory....

but right about now i wish i still had my honda instead of walking

[EclipseRST]

thats cool man i just was curious... no offence intended! glad your here to help, and sorry about the whole "every honda owner thing" its just what i have come to realize...

[LittleGSEclipse]

When you checked the lifter did you press down on it? If you pressed down on them and they moved or felt spongey then the lifters are bad. If I were you I would go and spend 10 bucks get a mechanics thesiscope and listen to where the noise is coming from. I had the same problem with my car but It was near the #1 piston. I thought I was the lifter, then I thought it was the valves. Then I really came to find out that I had a rod knock. Then I had to change the whole engine. Where are you from Aaron?

I'll tell you exactly what my car sounded like here goes....

My car "ticked" slightly when it was on.
If I gave it gas it would get louder until about 2500 rpm then If I gave it more gas and kept it there the noise would seem to go away. But I think It was just being drowned out by engine noise.

[aaronh2005]

my lifters i dont think are bad. i did try to press each of them down and i could not do it. and i pressed pretty hard. im going to pull the oil pan off today and pray i dont have a rod knock! Now this "tick" seems louder than a tick would seem to sound. when i rev the engine it is not drowned out by the exhaust or the engine, it just gets louder with it.

[aaronh2005]

also:
before i pulled everything apart i noticed oil in my #4 spark plug? what would cause that? and if oil is getting in my spark plug because of a improper seal, is it possible that the tick has just gotten that loud because of not being properly lubricated?

[LittleGSEclipse]

Drop your oil pan and check it out. Also, You can try to change your valve cover gasket, get the whole kit with the seals for the spark plugs. Change your plugs as well. If not all of them change just one.

Lets hope you dont have a rod knock. If you do it will be cheaper to just purchase another engine. If you want to try to rebuild let me know I have a whole 420a with all kinds of stock parts. Complete engine with a rod knock but it does have a new Head on it.

[aaronh2005]

could it be a bad piston ring?

[LittleGSEclipse]

I dont know if its possible for a piston ring to "tick"

But its hard to tell without knowing exactly where the noise is coming from.