hey guys this is everything I know to date:

There was no sound before wednesday. I adjusted my
valves on wed morning, and it drove fine all day. In the
evening I noticed a tapping sound in the motor when I
revved it working the clutch while parking the car.

I disregarded it. It kept getting more
apparent, so I let the car cool completely and went
through the valves again after resetting the cam gears
back to dead 0,0. .007in, .008 exhaust a few were not
perfect, so I ran through them all again. I set the
tension on the belt perfectly and was very encouraged
that I might have done something good. I started er up
and it knocked on start, smoothed out and then I let
her warm up... still there right around 3500-4000... and
up VTEC engagement is intermittant also. The oil level
is 4.25 qt also. The knock is similar to the sound my
car makes when it starts with the oil pressure light on
and then shuts off. Now, however the sound is there all
the time. I dont have any way to check oil pressure
outside of installing a guage... I am almost convinced that
something in the rocker assembly is broken... but at idle
the car is quiet as a mouse. THe car idles smoothly, no
hesitations so spitting exhaust, very stable. It drives,
only this tapping. It is not a bent valve as the car has no
ticking... the rod bearings are fine, that would be a lower
hollower sound and I could remove a plug and get that
to go away... and VTEC wouldnt be affected by this. It
is a definate knock, but a lighter, tapping sound which
is kind of intermittant... hard to figure what it is.

Any ideas?> could my oil pump be failing?

 

You might have a failing oil pump. You might have damaged a rocker arm with a bad valve adjustment.
If your noise is new, concentrate on the repairs or adjustments you have recently made.
BTW. how do you know the vtec engagement is intermittant? It won't engage when the engine is cold or car not moving or on low oil pressure. Are you out jumping on the car with it making those noises


[Modified by earl, 8:06 AM 7/20/2002]


[Modified by earl, 8:09 AM 7/20/2002]

 

I cant run that fast usually. maybe on tuesdays.

well, if you knew the VTEC system by engine pitch
you would have decerned based on conventional
wisdom that that the VTEC lobe in a GSR comes in on
narrow throttle at 5000 and on WOT at 4500 on the tach.
soo... to troubleshoot... with the windows up, and everything
off like radio and the like so I can hear... you can hear the low
cam, then the larger high cam lobe which makes a deeper pitch at
the changeover. when this happens, there is a snap in the motor
on the left hand side occasionally making me cringe and want to
back it off. the engine eventually threw a light and i have the 5K
rev limit w/o vtec engagement now. I plan on putting the car in my
friends garage he has an acura computer we can use and the
knowledge to rebuild this whole damn motor if we have to.
we also plan to take your advice and check the oil pressure
as well. we think it is a broken LMA or yes even a rocker.
tanks for responding

its throwing a 22: vtec sys malfunction


[Modified by MikeSarr_GSR, 8:31 AM 7/22/2002]

 

it could be a lost motion assembly going out too.without it working properly,your mid lobe lifter is just floatin around and hitting the vtec cam lobe...making it sound louder at some rpms and sometimes intermitent.

 

its good man I am getting some consistent responses
along these lines. thanks for caring enough to post
a response once it is diagnosed and fixed I will
post a resolution to this issue Lord willing within
the week... I MISS VTEC!

 

Good luck man. I'd be interested to know the outcome.

 

You can use a 3/8" ID tube (98cents a foot a hardware store) as a stethescope to isolate where the noise originates from. Hold one end to your ear, earplug in the other ear. Put the other end of the tube flush with different surfaces on the head, to isolate the source of the noise. You'l have to get a friend to play with the throttle while you listen. Or you can use a clamp to hold it open.

This is a classic technique, courtesy of my my grandfather. (The Camaro and El Camino techie) who curiously enough, now owns a 2002 Celica GT-S . . . .

 

thanks for the input dude... I will store that away and use it for sure

 

What up Mike, you'll get it fixed up man, hopefully soon, 'cause otherwise then who do I do 1st,2nd,3rd,(occasionally 4th) gear VTEC pulls with? Well, later

 

grr...

< gremlins in my engine!!!!

coping...