I have a very strange problem with my 99 gsr. It happens when in neutral or while in gear. I'll give you instances the problem occurs.

Driving down the road... in 1st, 2nd, 3rd it doesnt matter...randomly...not consistently, I hear a grind type noise and I feel it in the engine rev and things continue on fine.

Sitting in the car in neutral reving the engine I hear the grind type sound (its almost like a very fast chirp) and I feel it in the engine rev.

If it was just a noise I would think its a belt, but I am feeling it in the engine rev as well, which scares me.

The car drives great other than this and has had a lot of recent work including a new clutch, new tranny fluid, new plugs, new oil pan gasket, new oil, new motor mounts.

Thanks for the help.

 

Flywheel? I'm guessing.

 

I would consider checking the belts/pulleys first since you said it was making a chirping noise when you rev. Checking the belt is easy and an inexpensive way to confirm that the belt is or not the problem. Sometimes, noises such as squeaks, squeals, chirping, those type of noise, are sometimes cause by a bad belt or pulley. Sometimes it may sound like those type of noise are coming from your motor when you rev (in some cases, the higher you rev you motor, the louder the sound becomes) but really could just be a bad belt or pulley.

 

Well, would a bad belt or pulley cause the engine speed to "hiccup" for a split second? I.E. The rpms are increasing increasing increasing split second of grindage noise and they stop increasing for a split second, and the noise subsides and the rpms continue to increase as normal. It happens all so fast but I feel it and I hear it.

Flywheel has not been changed.

 

I have a strange noise/vibration too. maybe i can get some advice too, or compare notes. Its a b18b OBD1

1 . It squeals when taking off from stop. The more load I put on it, the more likely it is to chirp for a second. i checked power steering belt but haven't checked alternator yet.

2. Major vibration between 3000 and 4000 rpms. Above 4000 the vibration stops like magic and she runs silky smooth. This one is stumping me. It feels like the engine is the the vibration so I swapped both top motor mounts back to stock rubber. no change in vibrations or RPMs at which it occurs.


Recently did a valve adjustment, I doubt that is it, but if tightening the valves too closely could cause this type of weird vibration? its silky smooth from 4000rpm to redline.

 

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It really feels like something internal....i thought it kinda sounded like a grind but my friend seems to think it sounds more like a belt slip. I just don't think the alternator a/c or p/s belts slipping would case the actual engine speed to hiccup for a split second.

Something is rubbing/scraping/grinding and it sounds like its coming from the front of the car and not far right enough to be the transmission. I was thinking it could be the belts becuase those are on the left side of the engine bay (if ur driving the car) and the sound does sound like its coming from the left. But again, I am not mechanical savvy enough to know if a slipping belt can actually cause the engine speed to hiccup for a split second and make that grind/slip/rub type noise.

Another thing to note is that my power steering pump started making noise and is gonna go out sometime soon (still works for now, just a little noisy), but I don't think that a power steering pump could cause the a change in the engine rev (engine speed) either.

I also recently did a valve adjustment...forgot to include that in recent things done.

The fact that it can still happen in neutral and not just in gear....does that rule out the flywheel or anything?

 

Now I have something else to try... rev in neutral and see if vibration occurs... hmm i havent specifically tested it, so I will tonight. Heck i will do it with my head under the hood, and if it does it, maybe I can track it down better.

this doesn't rule out the flywheel though. it is still attached to the rotating crank.
however My flywheel is brand new one when I did my clutch, stock weight, so i doubt that is my issue, unless it is seriously unbalanced.

You are making me nervous about my valve adjustment now...since you just did one as well.. lol...

 

Maybe your misunderstanding. This problem has existed before the valve adjustment and after. Meaning a valve adjustment did not fix the problem.

So no worries about your valve adjustment. My problem also isnt a vibration, its an actual grind/rub/scrape that is affecting the engine rev and causing it to hiccup. It sounds like internal parts grinding together to me, but my buddy says it sounds like a belt slipping. I drive the car more and am pretty damn confident that what I am experiencing is BAD.

I just don't know where to even start to locate the problem....I have been fixing everything in this car.

 

Oh BTW did you check your motor mounts? im wondering if the solid poly rear mount is my issue all along. Will swap that this weekend.

 

The rear mount was busted completely. So yes the rear mount has been changed and its an oem mount with energy suspension inserts in it. So its essentially a "solid" mount now.

Solid mounts make your car vibrate more....that's for sure.

 

Ahhh thats good to know, yours did it before and after valve adjustment. I don't know about mine. The engine is pretty new to me.

I wonder about the grinding sound your getting, the grinding sound could be the internals or pulley bearing on your alternator/power steering pump.
If your engine still runs fine, the grinding is probably one of those accessories.

If I were you...
1- remove power steering belt. see if the noise continues.
2- inspect motor mounts
3- Swap out alternator, and see if noise continues, or maybe bench test it at autoparts store.

Anything else grinding is going to be expensive/hard to troubleshoot.

 

Yeah and the only reason I say grind is because its causing a change in the engine speed. Its not just a belt slip sound that doesnt affect the rpms steadily increasing, whats happening to me DOES affect the rpms increasing for a split second (hiccup).

My friend also told me it could me my power steering pump (considering its going bad and starting to make that WAH WAH WAH sound).

Does anyone know if a slipping belt on ur power steering, a/c or alternator or the bearing of the p/s or alternator can cause ur ENGINE SPEED to change. Not just make a noise, but actually cause you to FEEL the noise.

Thanks civic, and thanks to anyone who joins us.

 

Yea, I think i made a mistake buying the solid poly mounts I did. I am going back to my stock/ES insert on the rear. I never had a problem with that setup on my old engine.

 

If you can feel the engine speed change when noise happens, I am betting alternator first and power steering second. Take off that power steering belt, and find out!

 

Alright thanks man, i will def investigate and remove that power steering belt.
Ill report back when I do...should be tomorrow night at the latest.

 

So I pulled off the belt to the power steering today, and the problem still remains.

I am starting to think water pump now, because the timing belt was done at 77,000 but water pump wasn't (this is according to the previous owner).

So here I sit at 106,000 miles and if I am going to redo the water pump then I am gonna go ahead and do the timing belt and tensioner as well.

It has to be the a/c, the alternator, or the water pump at this point, HAS TO BE. I will report back any findings.