i have noticed a somewhat loud tapping/vibration noise in the leftmost cylinder (#1?or 4) of my 93 vtec. i know it is originating here because if i place my hands on the valve cover i defintly only feel it in this one, not in the others. also i took off the plastic spark plug cover and felt it in the individual spark plug cover of this cylinder, and also noticed that while the other 3 plug covers fit over their holes snuggly this leftmost one wouldnt. it stands about 2cm above where the others are. i tried forcing it down and actually think the vibration sounded louder upon doing this...but it still wouldnt fit liek the others...wondering whats goin on...the cylinder couldnt actually be contacting the plug could it? is it really bad valve tapping? worse?? any clues would help thanks

 

did you check if that spark plug was in tight? also pull the plug out and inspect it. could be a valve tapping, but if you dont know what the noise is, try asking someone that know engine noises a little better that can hear it in person. Its sometime hard trying to diag. a *noise* when it can be soo many different things.
Goodluck

 

yea inspect the plug.. also take the wire off the plug while the car is running.. see if the noise is still there... dont touch the end of the wire ull get zapped..

 

10 to 1 odds say your spark plug is loose...

 

ok, ill check and see if i can tighten the plug...spark plug gap has nothing to do with the actual plug being tightened all the way into place does it?

 

no, not at all...

 

fooled around w/it for about 10 min, found some kind of plastic ring that i didnt see on the other plugs, i have nooo idea how it got on there since i havent touched the actual plugs since this problem, but anyways got it off and the cap fit much better but not perfect, and the vibration seems gone or much lessened.

man those plug holes are tight, do we need a specific spark plug socket 16mm?

 

it may have been the end lip on the spark plug wire, if you just pull straight up and its in their tight it could seperate from the spark plug wire.

 

if the vibration is still there tehn check the compression, and the timing there may be a lil water or radiator fluid in their. its happen to me before because of a bad head gasket. it was a lil vibration and it studdered on take offs.

 

bought new ngk plugs today because i dont know how old the ones in there are and plan on putting them and new cap/rotor in tomorow. im pretty certain too that the plug either was loose or that the plastic ring on their was from the idiot who put the old ones in, and its just the piece that holds the plug in the spark plug socket. cuz the vibration is much lessened after taking it off and tightening it a little.