Need Help!! Car is making a funny metallic sound!!

Silver95Stint

New Member

Oct 28, 2003

350

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England

Jun 20, 2004

#1

• Jun 20, 2004

• #1

I don't know what it is but, whatever it is it's driving me crazy. I can hear it at idle and when I'm just driving along. I thought that it maybe the Timing belt or something like that. I don't have smoke coming from the engine, and I don't smell oil burning. When I crank it up it goes clack, clack, clack, and if I hit the gas it just speeds the sound up. The car is bone stock and it seems to run aight, but this noise is really bothering me. It almost sounds like it's coming from underneath the left side of the engine. Does anyone out there have a clue to what I'm talkin about? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Silver95Stint

New Member

Oct 28, 2003

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England

Jun 20, 2004

#2

• Jun 20, 2004

• #2

Any help??

 

Silver95Stint

New Member

Oct 28, 2003

350

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England

Jun 21, 2004

#3

• Jun 21, 2004

• #3

Still no help?

 

C

Camman

Founding Member

Jan 5, 2000

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Las Vegas, NV

Jun 21, 2004

#4

• Jun 21, 2004

• #4

A little more description would be helpful. How loud is the sound? Does the sound get louder as your increase rpm or does the frequency just simply increase? Can you use a mechanics stethescope and more precisely locate the area of where the sound is coming from? Is the sound high pitched or low?

There are many possibilities for your description and without being able to look at the car more information is needed to accurately help you.

Things to check for would be an exhaust leak at the header where it meets the h-pipe. Maybe a lazy lifter? maybe a rod knock? need more info

 

ironheart1

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Mar 13, 2004

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Connecticut

Jun 21, 2004

#5

• Jun 21, 2004

• #5

I installed new valve covers, and about 1000 miles later I have a tapping. I BELIEVE that the valve covers may not be clearing. I can't afford a rebuild so I hope not but that's a little :OT:

Camman is right. We need a little more info. Have some rev the motor up for you while you listen near the engine. Could be a header leak (It's not all that uncommon in my experience), you might need oil, lifters have been known to get lazy, etc.

 

BlackGT89

Member

Dec 16, 2002

774

8

18

Huntsville, AL

Jun 21, 2004

#6

• Jun 21, 2004

• #6

Silver95Stint said:

I don't know what it is but, whatever it is it's driving me crazy. I can hear it at idle and when I'm just driving along. I thought that it maybe the Timing belt or something like that. I don't have smoke coming from the engine, and I don't smell oil burning. When I crank it up it goes clack, clack, clack, and if I hit the gas it just speeds the sound up. The car is bone stock and it seems to run aight, but this noise is really bothering me. It almost sounds like it's coming from underneath the left side of the engine. Does anyone out there have a clue to what I'm talkin about? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

What does your oil pressure read and can you trust the gauge ? If not, install a mechanical gauge even if just for a test. Take a heater hose or something similar and use it like a stethescope to see if you can pinpoint the origin of the ticking. If it's in the area of the valve covers, pull them off and do an inspection (may have to remove the upper intake to get that side off). Drain the oil and let it settle and look for metal particles (put a magnet on a stick and see what it picks up in the oil) .

 

Silver95Stint

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Oct 28, 2003

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England

Jun 22, 2004

#7

• Jun 22, 2004

• #7

Thanks for the replys, I wish I could give a better description but I don't know how. Unless I recorded the sound and downloaded on here. But to answer some of the questions, the noise can be heard as soon as I crank it up. And get's louder as the RPM's increase. I can still hear it at idle when the car is just sitting there. The oil pressure reads Normal and then it drops below the red line so I don't think that's too trustworthy. I have a friend looking at it tomorrow, so hopefully he can tell me something. Thanks again for the replys.

 

beaver2489

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Feb 26, 2002

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st. joseph missouri

Jun 22, 2004

#8

• Jun 22, 2004

• #8

Is it one of your pullies? I had a smog pump pulley bearing go bad and it sounded like a rod knocking. start the engine and put your ear all around the engine and narrow down and area that its coming from. If its coming from the front of the motor it could be a pulley bearing...hopefully.

 

8

87'GTstang

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Feb 16, 2004

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Jun 22, 2004

#9

• Jun 22, 2004

• #9

If it is loud then it sounds like a bad or spun bearing (ford isn't too known for this but gm sure is). But the others are right, there are too many variables it could be. It could also be something as simple as a bad bearing on one of the accesories. You just have to hunt and look for where it is coming from to narrow it down.

 

Ourobos

Member

Apr 12, 2004

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Jun 23, 2004

#10

• Jun 23, 2004

• #10

Is your firing order right?

 

Silver95Stint

New Member

Oct 28, 2003

350

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England

Jun 25, 2004

#11

• Jun 25, 2004

• #11

I had a mechanic look at it and he couldn't tell me what it was. If I press the accelerator and hold it above 1200 rpms, you can hear the knocking. He said I could have a bad fuel injector, but he really wasn't sure. The car still runs and sounds good, but it's just that knocking noise that it bothering me. And my firing order is good to go, so I don't know what the problem could be. I will have to take time out this weekend and really trouble shoot the problem. Thanks to all again.

Oh yeah and Beaver what did that Bad smog pulley bearing sound like and where was it coming from?

 

C

Camman

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Jan 5, 2000

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Las Vegas, NV

Jun 25, 2004

#12

• Jun 25, 2004

• #12

Silver95Stint said:

I had a mechanic look at it and he couldn't tell me what it was. If I press the accelerator and hold it above 1200 rpms, you can hear the knocking. He said I could have a bad fuel injector, but he really wasn't sure. The car still runs and sounds good, but it's just that knocking noise that it bothering me. And my firing order is good to go, so I don't know what the problem could be. I will have to take time out this weekend and really trouble shoot the problem. Thanks to all again.

Oh yeah and Beaver what did that Bad smog pulley bearing sound like and where was it coming from?

Click to expand...

um... did he offer to troubleshoot the problem if you pay labor? Get a different mechanic if this guy just said

 

Silver95Stint

New Member

Oct 28, 2003

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England

Jun 28, 2004

#13

• Jun 28, 2004

• #13

The sound comes and goes, and it's more pronounced the first time you crank it up during the day. As the day goes on, you can't even hear it. . Still can't figure it out.

 

TT91

Active Member

May 23, 2003

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Paramus, NJ

Jun 28, 2004

#14

• Jun 28, 2004

• #14

is it a loud knocking or slight ticking? Can u feel it in the vibrations? Get a stethascope and listen to the motor while it runs. Try to narrow the noise down, worst case scenerio- your oil pressue could be to low and your bearings are being stripped...OR...you could just have an unusal tap in the valvetrain.

 

8

87'GTstang

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Feb 16, 2004

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Jun 28, 2004

#15

• Jun 28, 2004

• #15

Being as it's right when you start your car and in the higher rpm's, it actually does sound like a fuel injector on the outs. One cheap way to troubleshoot it is to one at a time disconnect the connector (the electrical impulse wire) at the range you say it happens at and if it goes quiet - there's your faulty injector.

 

Silver95Stint

New Member

Oct 28, 2003

350

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England

Jul 6, 2004

#16

• Jul 6, 2004

• #16

It's sounds more like a ticking sound. The funny thing about it, is that it still runs pretty good. I will give it a shot 87 Stang .