turbotime

Im getting a weird ticking/clicking noise at idle, its ONLY at idle.. if i give the car gas the ticking doesnt increase or speed up- it goes away. Dont think its the valve lash but ill double check it, sound is coming from the camgear side of the engine, almost sounds like its coming from the p/s pump.. is that possible?

Car runs fine, doesnt burn oil or anything, just a weird ticking/clicking and ONLY at idle, any ideas?

turbotime

video of the sound:

http://www.artfunction.com/ticking.mpg

note how it goes away even under low-load....

turbotime

ok i unplugged the spark plug wires one at a time (Apparently this can help tell if its rod knock) and none of them had any effect on the noise... its annoying as hell! I just dont want to drive my car if this is gonna hurt it!

powerofdreams8

bump; i have noticed a similar noise. Thought it was valve adjustment but did one and it is maybe even worse now. No sign of strange wear on any rockers or cams. My noise is like yours in that it goes away with load (or is drown out) but I only notice it after the car is fully up to temp.

Muckman

iTrader: (2)

Try unplugging the injectors one at a time too. Sometimes they click loudly.

turbotime

ill give that a try, noticed it didint happen on cold start and when I pulled in just now (after some pulls) it also wasnt happening... odd but it was defnitely happening earlier in the night @ idle only

Could it possibly be a bad lma? or a bad p/s pump bearing? Pump is over 200k old and could need service or something, definitely coming from the right side of the engine tho, either the ps pump or alternator, its hard to isolate...

tony1

You have adjustable cam gears? I've seen bolts back out and the gears will slap back and forth at idle, but max out in one direction under engine acceleration.

turbotime

ill re-tq them tomorrow and see if that helps (i have GE gears), you mean the adjuster bolts and the main cap bolts? (hold cam to rail)

tony1

The adjustment bolts on the cam gear.

TacomanSI

how is your Valve Cover cut? did you just do the ghetto circles or actually cut the cover off over your cam gears? if you did the ghetto circles some cam gears have the bolts that are too long and wear groves into the back of the Valve Cover.

Buddy club and JG cam gears come to mind.

turbotime

adjusted the bolts on the cam gears (tightened them all a few turns) havent heard the sound again today, but also havent driven much, think that may have fixed it or something was stuck in the lower cover or something, anyway, seems all good now

i was worried it might be a bearing on the way out

turbotime

correction the noise is still there, im 90% sure its the p/s pump and/or belt. Here are the latest symptoms:

Ticking has turned to more of a squealing, sounds like a bird chirping in my engine, now happens up to 3krpms, but frequency of the sound stays pretty much the same as revs increase.

There was rubber shaving on my rad support from the ps belt cause the pulley doesnt line up perfectly with the crank, its slightly further out so the belt is kinda at an angle.

At idle, going from lock to lock, movement is jaunty, itll be smooth, then itll clunk and be hard, then be smooth again, like the pump isnt pushing enough fluid or something. If I turn off the car and go lock to lock, its hard to turn, but there is no clunking...

Driving around it seems fine, only at idle are there issues.... im guessing the pump is shot

tony1

If you think it's power steering related why don't you just take the belt off and start the car to see if it goes away?

miller

that would be to easy

turbotime

gonna do that tomorrow morning, its my DD and i dont want to ruin the p/s axle thing;

goddamn steering was even worse tonight;

Will it hurt the p/s axle [transaxle?] to drive without the pump running? I need to drive it 1.5hrs to work tomorrow and back....