Weird tick please help

eviljay · #1 11-09-2007, 03:03 PM

Well here is the story. I basically inherited a 94 svx, fwd with 145k on the clock. It had a few issues, I had all 4 shocks replaced, rear wheel bearings, sway bar links in the front, all new tires. Since i lost all my tools in a house fire it had to be done at the dealership, so yeah, very expensive. Well i got i home and was running great. Filled the tank and about 3/4 through i notice a nasty ticking when i started it up. I let it warm up to see if it would come out of it. No luck. Now when i popped the hood it sounds like its coming from behind the engine, sounds like a valve tick but too far back.
Now what could it be? As i see it if its anything in the trans im screwed! The trans was replaced about 3 years ago when my sis owned the car and the fluid does not smell burned. Could it be something in the torque converter? flywheel? I simply do not have disposable cash and i dont have tools. Does this sound like something i can live with for a couple months or is my car about to explode? Thanks in advance!!

immortal_suby · #2 11-09-2007, 05:32 PM

sounds like a cracked flywheel/flexplate

read through this thread and let us know what you think after listening for it as stated in there.
http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/show...cked+flexplate

eviljay · #3 11-09-2007, 09:36 PM

That is not good. I saw thats only about 30 for the part but how bad would the labor be on that? I have a mechanic friend coming over tomorrow and will have to look into it closer. I can imagine how bad it would be if that were to break. What kind of timeline am i looking at before something real bad happens? May just have to get rid of the car

eviljay · #4 11-11-2007, 09:54 AM

Ok we checked it out. Yeah its the flywheel. I can get a loan to cover the repair but i am pretty sure I am just going to try to sell the spaceship. Its a cool car and I love to drive it but I just cant justify over 4 grand in repair work on a car I haven't put 200 miles on since I got it. I will post a proper thread in the for sale section in the next couple days for anyone around Iowa looking for another toy or a parts car.

immortal_suby · #5 11-12-2007, 06:54 PM

fix it! it's worth it!
flexplate is cheap and the labor isn't that bad if you do it yourself or with a friend

eviljay · #6 11-14-2007, 11:03 AM

Ya know what.... your right! I was getting frustrated because I have barely had the chance to fly my ship since I got it. I looked up what they sell for and I wouldn't get my money back on the parts alone. There are nicer ones for sale cheaper. To me the car is worth more than its value. That and I don't want to try to drive a mustang in the snow.

I have a friend thats going to do it for 250 and while he has it he is going to fix my rust spot and pull the wing then fill the holes for another 200 with paint. Not bad! I was expecting the job to cost over a grand without the body work.

Is there a better place than the dealership to get flexplates? The locals want $60 but they think I owe them $40 for a belt.

immortal_suby · #7 11-14-2007, 07:13 PM

One more thing - since he is going to have to drop the tranny to do the flexplate it would be a great time to do the rear main seal and torque converter seal as preventative maintenance.

eviljay · #8 11-24-2007, 11:59 AM

Ok i had the trans pulled to check the flexplate. Looks perfect. Its flat and no signs of problems there, no visible cracking. I swear the noise sounds too far back to be in the motor but my tech tells me it sounds like a stuck lifter. I see a dual overhead motor so I know there are no lifters. So at this point I am guessing a piston lash adjuster is sticking. I have searched all over here and

but cant find any real information on them. What I am wondering is this something between the rockers and valves or cams to rockers? Would it be expensive to replace or is there a reliable way to just clean them up? The internals of this engine are a mystery to me. Please tell me I dont have to pull a head off to fix this!! Again thank you to everyone trying to help.

SVXRide · #9 11-24-2007, 12:13 PM

You have to look really close to see the crack -- it will be almost a perfect circle around the circular plate that presses against the flexplate when you bolt it to the end of the crank. Try removing the circular plate to see if the crack doesn't show itself. As you've noted, it's an inexpensive piece, so go ahead and replace it. Another thing, are both of the alignment pins in place in the lower half of the engine block? It is essential that these be in place, or the flexplate will crack again (speaking from experience

) -- the bolts that attach the trans to the engine block do not provide enough alignment by themselves.
-Bill

Chris · #10 11-24-2007, 02:10 PM

I too have had troubles diagnosing these similar sounds. The trick that I use to sometimes locate the source is a long screw driver or long socket extension. Place it on suspect areas while the engine is running then lower your ear to the rod and press your ear against it. This will transmit a more localized or focused sound. It could be either cracked flexplate or noisy HLAs (hydraulic lash adjusters). Move the rod around to find the source of the loudest sound in question.

Good luck with your project.

eviljay · #11 11-25-2007, 12:54 PM

I am pretty confident in the guy. He has done a lot of good work for me on all kinds of different cars. He checked the flywheel closely and is sure it is fine. Did the screwdriver scope (would have done that myself but i dont own one anymore). What I am looking for now is information on the lash adjusters. Are these on every individual valve or is a one piece per head thing? What do I have to do to free these up? Im thinking seafoam or mmo in the oil, is this safe for the engine?

SVXRide · #12 11-25-2007, 02:41 PM

MMO in the oil is fine, just don't go crazy with how much you add. There is one hydraulic adjuster (lifter) per valve. If you've got a real automotive stethescope (versus a long screwdriver

) you should be able to move along the rocker covers on each side of the engine and pin down the origin of the sound. The other thing to check is the injectors, as they can also be noisy.
-Bill

eviljay · #13 11-26-2007, 10:15 AM

Check this out..... Anyone ever had an issue with loose cam bolts? I am glad I didn't drive the car at all once it started making the noise. Turns out the upper (intake?) cam on the passenger side wasn't properly torqued! one bolt took almost 2 full turns to be right! Quieted right up! everything looks good with the valves and cams, no visible damage. The body work on the car is being taken care of now so I should have my baby back by Tuesday! Thanks again guys for your suggestions. It will be so nice to drive again! Been about 2-3 weeks down so far.

SVXRide · #14 11-26-2007, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eviljay

Check this out..... Anyone ever had an issue with loose cam bolts? I am glad I didn't drive the car at all once it started making the noise. Turns out the upper (intake?) cam on the passenger side wasn't properly torqued! one bolt took almost 2 full turns to be right! Quieted right up! everything looks good with the valves and cams, no visible damage. The body work on the car is being taken care of now so I should have my baby back by Tuesday! Thanks again guys for your suggestions. It will be so nice to drive again! Been about 2-3 weeks down so far.

Okay, now that's a new one

Had someone replaced the cam recently? While they have a very low torque number, I've never heard of one loosening up from the factory...
-Bill

eviljay · #15 11-27-2007, 07:58 PM

I know the history of this car going back about 6 years. It was my sisters car and she blew up the trans and had it replaced, later her family outgrew the car so my mom traded for her cherokee and has had it until I picked it up. Outside the trans and what I have replaced the car has been maintenance free. Guess someone has to be first for every problem. I get the car back in a day or 2 (waiting for the paint to cure) and cant wait to go cruising again!! Still, how the cam bolts became loose in the first place is a complete mystery to me.