I have the infamous tick in my 2.4. I tried changing the chain tensioner. All the guides are still new looking. Changed the timing chain shoe also. Put it all back
together and it still was there. Then everybody said it sounded like a bad lifter. I pulled that apart and everything but two two lifters in the 1st cylinder intake cam
looked good. The two I pulled would just pump out a little oil if I pressed down on them. The others were really tight so I figured I'd change the odd ones out as
the noise seemed to come from that area any ways.
All back together and same noise. After car is started whether cold or warm when it settles to below 1000 RPM the noise starts in. While driving and giving it gas
it goes away above 1500 RPM. As soon as the throttle is lifted off it starts again. It ticks about 2 maybe 3 times a second a idle. When giving it gas it goes quicker
the faster RPM goes up. The engine has only about 16,000 miles on it. I got it from a yard and I imagine it was sitting for maybe 4 to 5 years as it was from a 2001
Alero. The sittting for so long had everybody believing it was the lifters that had lost their pressure from bleeding down.
I ran some seafoam before pulling it apart for going after the lifters, tried thickening the oil with additives, and also ran engine oil flush through it to maybe free
something sticking. None of that helped any bit. It's not a nice little tick like an injector tick but, a mean expensive sounding tick. Like it wants me too sweat blood
Any body have any thoughts on what else I can do?
had a tick on my fire, thought it was a lifter as well i changed the "fan" belt and it was solved.
maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow....... but some day
Really, a fan belt? Did you inspect it to see what was causing the sound?
Did it do the same as mine in reference to when and how the sound comes and goes?
Jay, I can sure feel your pain and frustration over this one. Not to mention the constant tear down and reassembly is a real bitch. But, I'm leaning toward it still being a lifter problem. You mention that noise is the same, hot or cold. It's also engine speed dependant and goes away on acceleration. I'm going on the assumtion you narrowed down the location of the noise as good as you could, and you're by now well versed in cam chain installation and tensioner diagnosis.
How did the cam lobes look? Any evidence of unusual wear on any of the lobes? You mentioned it was a low mileage engine and that it may have been sitting for a few years. Since there is no possibility of lash adjustment, a collapsed/stuck lifter or worn lobe could leave too much clearance at that valve. The noise would be constant and likely wouldn't change with temperature, but might with speed. I'd be tempted to change cams (perhaps to the "secret cams" since you have it apart anyway) and another set of lifters. If funds are limited, maybe try the cams/lifters from the old engine if they're useable. (I know new lifters are expensive.) Good luck. - Mark
Yeah I've had it apart so much it's like eating a bowl of cereal now. I can quickly do it almost with my eyes shut......holds back tears.
I had thought about doing the secret cams but passed as I just want the thing to stop making noise and go from there. I tossed the
old engine so I don't know if I can get ahold of a yard that would sell just the cams and lifters. Have to call on that. Getting the rest of
the lifters would be $200 so I'm going to see if I can find anything out more from resposes in here.
Everything looked good and those two lifters I changed really was pushing it as they didn't seem that bad. Everything else seems
really new with very little wear. The only extra wear was on the last lifter to the left on the intake cam on the outside. Almost like it
was loose in there and was wearing a little too much by the indication of a little more exta scratches compared to the rest, even the
other oneI replaced. The surfaces on the lifters that the cams sit on were fine also. I also installed an oil pressure gauge and it has
good pressure (75 lbs) on start up and settles to around 30 lbs after warming up.
Just to be certain the lifters were really tight as in they couldn't be pushed in at all by finger presure. That is how they function right? I was told
by several people after they are pulled out they hold all the oil in and are tight with no movement. Then they may bleed off if they sit.
Those two had very little movement if any. They just bled a little oil/air? when I pushed on them and the others didn't at all.
I was also wondering though if it was possible to have some how have damage to a valve which could be where the noise is actually
coming from in the first place. The springs all seemed in good working order too. I didn't take it apart to check the valves as I didn't know
if they would even come out. I really don't know what I'm doing I just learn as I go. Another idea was the oil pressure was fine but could that
clogged somehow not be getting up top and causing this tick?
I went to another parts store today and another guy who was a former Honda technician said the lifters seemed the culprit also. I guess
I'll wait for some reponses for a couple days and then if it comes down to it take it to the dealer. I just shuddered. They did take care of me
last time though when I had a problem with my igntion system. Turned out to be a loose screw on the ignition housing and I paid them
$65 to figure that one out.
Thanks for the help.
at first it was only on cold start ups then proceeded to continue when it was worm. i looked at the belt and it looked in rough shape so i changed it. started simple. had about 120,xxx on the clock. hope this helps.
maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow....... but some day
stock gt wrote:had a tick on my fire, thought it was a lifter as well i changed the "fan" belt and it was solved.
There is no fan belt on JBody's.
FU Tuning
I assumed he was talking about the serpentine belt.
When he put quotations around the "fan" I figured.
I'll give it a shot as it's been a couple years since I
installed the underdrive crank pulley and changed it.
I'm still stalling for a litlle bit to see if anybody else has
something. Gonna try the belt next I guess.
Wasn't the belt. Maybe blinker fluid?
Can a valve be pulled out by removing the camshaft housing and taking the spring
off or does the head have to be removed? If it was a bent valve wouldn't it make noise
all the time and get noisier if is given throttle? This noise goes away when giving it gas
then starts in if I let off. Also would one valve just bend for no reason or just start hitting
the piston? It sounds like one thing is ticking not several. This noise just started right
when it got cold out at the end of December .
The head has to be removed to remove the valves. If you suspect a bent valve, do a compression check. You'll have little to none in that cylinder. (If that's the case, the engine won't be a smooth runner as the lose of a cylinder will be pretty obvious.) A valve that's contacting a piston will make noise at all engine speeds, at least for a while until something catastrophic happens.
Hmm..... post was lost I just posted, anyways
Compression test is next. The car runs perfect so I don't think it's that
I watched videos of it and it's way louder and crunchier than this tick. I
will still try the test tomorrow. Keep those replies coming fellas and thanks
for listening in and giving advice on this one.
Keep in mind 2.4's are known to have an injector "tick"
I've had the car for 10 years and they never sounded this loud.
I wish it was only the injectors ticking. Not this time.
does it sound like a diesel truck? let us know the PSI results
I'm having the same problem with my '02 SOHC 2.2. Very curious to see your outcome.
From left to right. Left side is where noise is prominent.
Dry:
1st cylinder - 210 PSI 2nd cylinder - 220 PSI 3rd cylinder - 210 PSI 4th cylinder - 195 PSI
Wet:
1st cylinder - 220 PSI 3rd cylinder - 230 PSI 3rd cylinder - 225 PSI 4th cylinder - 215 PSI
I may not have "wet" it enough as I only added about a tablespoon of oil to test it but, I doesn't seem
to matter as it raised it consistently enough with what I added that it doesn't look like a valve not
seating is the problem.
I really want to believe it's something in the timing. The noise really sounds like as if the chain maybe
gets tension when the oil pressure goes up,tightens, and then quiets down. The chain and guides are
only about 8k miles old and the tensioner and chain shoe(thing that swivels at bottom by tensioner) are
brand new.
Now what?
Sorry higgins it was a long day for me, thats all i could come up with at the time.lol
maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow....... but some day
is the shoe fully extended? It has to be pressed to unlock if you will. Also, I had a nasty tick once years ago only to be loose spark plugs, but since you've had them off to do the compression test, that almost rules that out. I wonder if its something ignition related?
The tensioner was extended out if you mean by shoe. The shoe is the plastic thing by the tensioner that
snaps into place and acts like a chain guide that moves. At leas the parts store told me that's what it's called.
The ignition was a thought but I would think that would throw a code or make the car run/idle bad.
I just replaced that all recently too. I looked it over and there wasn't any indication of a spark jumping by burn marks.
The housing, the cover, the coils, ignition module, boots and this one is pretty loud. Not like a spark jumping but
more mechanical sounding. I'm going to have to get a video with some good sound on here and maybe that will help.
After that I give up I guess and off to the dealer to give them a shot.
This is inside the timing cover where the timing shoe(plastic thing that swivel) was rubbing. I forgot about to write about this in this post. That
was there when I pulled it apart the first time and i thought that's what was causing the noise. So I changed the shoe and tensioner. It had
rubbed through the paint and into the metal. Is it possible the chain is still loose anfter changing those two pieces and this is actually still whats's
causing the noise? Again the chain and guides are only 8K miles old and everything else is new. I know it's not the guides but can the chain maybe
have stretched that fast in so few miles?
it sounds like is coming from the timing chain cover
Glad you figured it out!!
