Valve Noise!

[fwappy]

Argghh!!

Yes, I know.. I've been neglecting to show my face here lately. My job has had me running all over the world in the past few months.

Anyway, today I had some time to do a few things on the 'is' that have been driving me mad. I re-bled the brakes and clutch cause they were seeming a bit soft, replaced the flaky alternator and tightened up all the belts, attempted to fix the sidemarkers (full of water!), changed the oil, and attacked the noisy-ass valve-train with a feeler gauge.

Is there a secret to this?! Every time I adjust the valve clearances, it ends up with a different noisiness. This time is sounds less like a sewing machine and more like a diesel. I know the trick is to get them all the same (went for .25mm), but I must be missing something, cause no matter how tedious I try to be, it still ends up pretty damn noisy. When I pull the throttle it makes a pretty mean clatter, too.

So, is there a secret? Or is it something else causing the commotion in there? Please help.

[nando]

check the eccentrics for flat spots - they can wear flat and no matter how you adjust them, they'll go back to where they were. also, make sure you are adjusting with a dead cold motor. otherwise I really don't know what else to say - maybe run a thicker oil?

a sewing machine is probably about what it should sound like though - not a diesel :p

[fwappy]

check the eccentrics for flat spots - they can wear flat and no matter how you adjust them, they'll go back to where they were. also, make sure you are adjusting with a dead cold motor. otherwise I really don't know what else to say - maybe run a thicker oil?

a sewing machine is probably about what it should sound like though - not a diesel :p

Motor was cold. Also, it's a rebuilt head with only about 3,000 miles on it. I'm totally stumped. The only thing I can think of is that it's something down in the block. That's really the only part of the car I never f'ed with, since I don't know much about it. Plus, I don't have the means to pull it out of the car. 180k on the block, btw.

[GaryE30]

My car sounds like a crazed sewing machine too! I need to do a valve adjustment badly, but I need to go and get those clearance tabs to do it with. Can these be purchased at any car parts place?

[backtrail69]

Yea, they are called feeler gauges. All you need other than that is a VC gasket, 10 mm wrench and small coat hanger/allen wrench.

[Sean]

My car sounds like a crazed sewing machine too! I need to do a valve adjustment badly, but I need to go and get those clearance tabs to do it with. Can these be purchased at any car parts place?

Like backtrail said, yes.

Pick up the 45deg angled ones, you'll thank me later. You can get a set of feeler guages at ANY parts store, checker, schucks, napa...they all have em.


Did you reuse your camshaft? I know my dad's cam is worn, and I adjusted the valves in his M30, and it sounded and ran like complete shit! I did them again the next day, and they were ALL off from where I had them. Did it again, and it seemed back to normal, so we just left it. What I normally do is run thru all the valves, then go thru and check them again.

[fwappy]

Thanks Sean.

Yes, I have a nice set of 45 degree feeler gauges. Also, the cam was not reused. I usually run through and do all the intake valves 1, 6, 5, 2, 3, 4, then exhaust. I guess I'll end up taking it to someone that knows a lot more about precise engine tuning, cause it's really driving me crazy.

[fretburnr]

Pick up the 45deg angled ones, you'll thank me later. You can get a set of feeler guages at ANY parts store, checker, schucks, napa...they all have em.

I have the flat ones... but I bend them 45deg anyways :p

[Sean]

I have the flat ones... but I bend them 45deg anyways :p

Yep, I used those for the longest time. That was until I tried to bend them just a tad more and...SNAP.

Had to go buy another set. LOL :p

[Jordan]

45deg ones aren't necessary, but are nice. The real secret is go-nogo gauges. You want some drag on a .010, and a nogo on a .012. If you adjust them to that spec and still aren't happy with the noise you are going to need to do an engine swap.

[TwoJ's]

Could it be your injectors being noisy?

[fwappy]

Could it be your injectors being noisy?

I guess it could be. Is there any way to really tell? I cleaned them really well when I had the top end off, but did not test with a DMM.

[Justin B]

You could get one of those automotive stethoscopes. The injectors DO make a sort of clattering noise but if you can hear them with the stethoscope and not much clattering under the valve cover right above where each rocker is, then it's most likely the injectors you're hearing. They're typically not nearly as loud as a valve train out of adjustment though. It's a nice tool to have.

[george graves]

Injectors can make a TON of noise..

[Sean]

Yea, I have one of those automotive stethoscopes and my injectors were making all the clicking noise.

Is there a way to quiet them down?