Engine Newb Needs help!

[Reprobation14]

Hi! I bought my MX-3 about 7 months ago.. i love the car.. no major problems... except this one..

There is a clicking noise coming from the engine bay, I don't know what it is... it increases in frequency if you give it alittle gas, after you get into 2nd gear or so.. you really can't hear it... I know it's not the CV-joint, cause it happens even when the car is idling... just starting to get really annoying.. cause its making my engine sound like a lawn mower engine

Any idea's? its a stock '94 RS

[monty73741]

THATS the valve ticking, mine stopped when i changed the oil & as it needed an oil change the sound got louder

[Reprobation14]

I change my oil religiously every 3,000 miles...
I believe when I recieved the car, it was running conventional.. I have switched it to Mobile One synthetic since then.. I did alittle searching, i've heard that possible flushing out the engine two or three times with some cheap filters and kero/gunk cleaner would help remove the other burning oil which could be causing the valves to not fire correctly? is this correct? If so... i need to find some gunk cleaner.. and get this done its not that much of a problem.. its just.. so damn annoying!

thanks for all the help guys!
keep responding if you think of anything!
thx!
-Chris

[Reprobation14]

*bump*

[Limegreen mx-3]

Originally posted by [reprobation]:
*bump*

mines does that too i just put vlavemedic into my engine oil and it goes away in 20-30 min. got the sohc. but only does that when i push the engine really hard.

[monty73741]

its most likely valve ticking.......

mine stopped when i changed my disty...(not the cap & rotor)the whole thing

also get a tune up

& please dont bump a fing post b/c u are too stupid to do a search or dont get the dam answer u want

[OsoSlo z28]

Originally posted by monty73741:
please dont bump a fing post b/c u are too stupid to do a search or dont get the dam answer u want

you sure showed him

[monty73741]

shut up ash lol jk

[torpedan]

Originally posted by monty73741:
& please dont bump a fing post b/c u are too stupid to do a search or dont get the dam answer u want

good to see this boards repuation at fine work


Engine flushes tend to do some good pending but you really only need to flush it once. That stuff can tend to be bad for your motor.

What weight of oil are you running. This can affect it quite a bit

[perhapsadingo8yerbaby]

Buddy of mine (mechanic by trade) calls engine solvents like Gunk or Kero "instant rod knock" additives. Problem is that running that stuff even once can

* rapidly release enough sludge/contaminants to rapidly clog your oil filter element... (dirtier the motor, higher the risk)

* which causes your oil filter bypass to then allow for flow of oil/solvent/sludge mixture (now being unfiltered) onto your bearings...

* which causes bearings to rapidly self destruct and then the piston rods to start slapping due to torn up bearings and free play...

He strictly recommends letting the normal detergents in new oil do the cleaning by performing accelerated oil & filter changes (like @500 mile intervals) until your oil & motor are running clean...

Although I know others on the UBB might disagree with this, my buddy says no prob, that's the kind of thinking that keeps him well employed... your call.

[MX3-Freak]

Originally posted by perhapsadingo8yerbaby:
Buddy of mine (mechanic by trade) calls engine solvents like Gunk or Kero "instant rod knock" additives. Problem is that running that stuff even once can

* rapidly release enough sludge/contaminants to rapidly clog your oil filter element... (dirtier the motor, higher the risk)

* which causes your oil filter bypass to then allow for flow of oil/solvent/sludge mixture (now being unfiltered) onto your bearings...

* which causes bearings to rapidly self destruct and then the piston rods to start slapping due to torn up bearings and free play...

He strictly recommends letting the normal detergents in new oil do the cleaning by performing accelerated oil & filter changes (like @500 mile intervals) until your oil & motor are running clean...

Although I know others on the UBB might disagree with this, my buddy says no prob, that's the kind of thinking that keeps him well employed... your call.

When you do an engine flush, you don't run the car more then 5 minutes, and you never rev the car while the high mixture of solvent is in your engine. Not only this, but it should be done warm, so your engine idles as low as possible. And you buy three sets of cheap oil fiters (three cycles), then you put in good oil, with an expensive filter. That is an engine flush done correctly...not sticking a little solvent in your engine and running your car for another 7,500.miles.

[perhapsadingo8yerbaby]

[/qb][/QUOTE]When you do an engine flush, you don't run the car more then 5 minutes, and you never rev the car while the high mixture of solvent is in your engine. Not only this, but it should be done warm, so your engine idles as low as possible. And you buy three sets of cheap oil fiters (three cycles), then you put in good oil, with an expensive filter. That is an engine flush done correctly...not sticking a little solvent in your engine and running your car for another 7,500.miles. [/QB][/QUOTE]

Hmmm... guess I neglected to describe the actual steps you noted for a standard solvent based oil flush. Thanks-- & yes, a potentially damage-causing flush, even with those precautions. How much sludge do you think your bearings are happy to be tarred with?... Like I said,

"Although I know others on the UBB might disagree with this, my buddy says no prob, that's the kind of thinking that keeps him well employed... your call

[white94mx3]

Valve Tap: Use a High milage engine oil (prefibly Castrol) along with Marvels mystery oil, or Seafoam.

Spark knock: Tune up, Use Platnum Plugs only! (Prefibly NGK or Bosch) Be Sure to change the Fuel Filter!

Spark Knock #2: Bad Gas, Low Octane fuel,
Solution: Fill tank with 93 Octane fuel, add 1 bottle of Outlaw Octane booster, Should clean it right up, If not, You'll have to clean the gas tank.

Spark Knock #3: Fuel Pump or pressure Regulator (plain and simple, replace it)

Ok, The reason I added Spark knock to this list, is because many times people confuse spark knock with valve tap, Those are some ideas. Unless I can hear it I can't really tell you which problem what you are having, but if you take it to a mechanic, and he tells you plain and simple it's valve tap, try the high milage motor oil with the additive, if that doesn't help clear it up, Then it's time to have the head rebuilt Have a Nice day!

Curtesy of my employer, Mikron Auto Service