Engine Rear Engine Bay Noise. Yay.

Hey everyone,

I've got this 95' V6 'Stang who loves to give me issues (as all cars do). But this issue is more troubling than most, as I've currently gotten four different diagnostics and still no firm answer.

It's a noise I'm sure we all know and hate, a rattling or banging noise from the rear of the engine bay, that (until it gets louder) can be mistaken for valve tap, but is much worse. This noise mostly kicks up when going at a steady speed, accelerating, or coming out of a gear into idle. I'ts coming from the lower rear of the engine bay, and is driving me crazy.

The diagnostics I've received are these:
Weak/broken lifters
Rocker arms
ROD KNOCK (please no)
Linkage arms (shifter)

Please help
-Love, this dude.

jozsefsz said:

The rocker arms / lifters are pretty easy to check, but unfortunately I'd also have to lean towards rod knock. 3.8's love to blow the head gaskets and after running a while with coolant in the sump the bearings are the next to go.

In my experience, if the hammering gets worse with RPM it's usually rod knock. If it gets better with RPM it's valvetrain-related. Brighter side used 3.8's are plentiful and cheap, or you now have an excuse to drop in a 5.0.

Click to expand...

Sadly I think you're right too. When I first got her she had her share of overheating, had the water pump and thermostat replaced, but she'd already overheated 3 times, I'm assuming that started the faint sound I hear that everyone kept saying was engine tap (dont know why I listen to people) but after 2 months it's this instead.