Sticky Valve/Valve Lash Adj? Servicing Question
11-15-2011 | 10:50 AM
#1
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,736
From: Norcalif
Car Info: with the blinkers on
Sticky Valve/Valve Lash Adj? Servicing Question
Hey guys,
Haven't been posting up much around here; sorry but I recently got a job down in OC and have been pretty busy. Still lurking though. I moved down here in the middle of july and felt that 5w30 was too thin for stop n go traffic, so I switched to dino 10w40. Bearings liked it much more at lower rpms (1-2K), but recently, there's been a very annoying/worrisome knock-like tapping sound at idle and low rpms (I'm sure it's probably there at higher rpms, but gets drowned out by other engine noises). The noise came about after the switch, and I wasn't beating on it ever before fluids were warm. The noise doesn't seem to go away either after the motor is warm.
I'm sure it's not rod knock. That sounds like a warehouse door sliding up, except louder. I'm thinking it's a sticky valve or valve lash. I also put some Marvel Mystery Oil in the crankcase and some in the gas tank. Seems to have done very little, but it's only been ~500 miles. Anyways, I talked to Paul @ Rally Sport Engineering, and asked for a compression leakdown test, but in the end he recommended a minor maintenence/inspection, as well as his usual dino 20w50.
My questions are:
- 20w50? Really?
- He quoted $240 for the compression leakdown test, as well as saying the test wouldn't pinpoint anything. Sure it wouldn't give me an explicit culprit, but it would reveal the condition of the motor as well as any possibly bad cylinders. Also, is $240 in fair range?
- Anything else I'm not covering BAIC?
I wish I could take videos of the noise. Yours thoughts are appreciated as always, peeps.
BTW I miss the hell out of NorCal.
Haven't been posting up much around here; sorry but I recently got a job down in OC and have been pretty busy. Still lurking though. I moved down here in the middle of july and felt that 5w30 was too thin for stop n go traffic, so I switched to dino 10w40. Bearings liked it much more at lower rpms (1-2K), but recently, there's been a very annoying/worrisome knock-like tapping sound at idle and low rpms (I'm sure it's probably there at higher rpms, but gets drowned out by other engine noises). The noise came about after the switch, and I wasn't beating on it ever before fluids were warm. The noise doesn't seem to go away either after the motor is warm.
I'm sure it's not rod knock. That sounds like a warehouse door sliding up, except louder. I'm thinking it's a sticky valve or valve lash. I also put some Marvel Mystery Oil in the crankcase and some in the gas tank. Seems to have done very little, but it's only been ~500 miles. Anyways, I talked to Paul @ Rally Sport Engineering, and asked for a compression leakdown test, but in the end he recommended a minor maintenence/inspection, as well as his usual dino 20w50.
My questions are:
- 20w50? Really?
- He quoted $240 for the compression leakdown test, as well as saying the test wouldn't pinpoint anything. Sure it wouldn't give me an explicit culprit, but it would reveal the condition of the motor as well as any possibly bad cylinders. Also, is $240 in fair range?
- Anything else I'm not covering BAIC?
I wish I could take videos of the noise. Yours thoughts are appreciated as always, peeps.
BTW I miss the hell out of NorCal.
11-15-2011 | 03:17 PM
#2
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 7,224
From: SF Bay Area - Peninsula
Car Info: 04 psm wrx sedan
sup rod!
honestly sounds like rod knock to me - just had to replace my motor because of a rodknock like noise, but you said you are sure it is not, so im not sure anymore either haha
i heard mine at start up, and occasionally in the 2-3k ranges
sliding garage door would be a great description on the sound i was hearing too
best of luck man
honestly sounds like rod knock to me - just had to replace my motor because of a rodknock like noise, but you said you are sure it is not, so im not sure anymore either haha
i heard mine at start up, and occasionally in the 2-3k ranges
sliding garage door would be a great description on the sound i was hearing too
best of luck man
11-15-2011 | 10:08 PM
#4
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,736
From: Norcalif
Car Info: with the blinkers on
sup rod!
honestly sounds like rod knock to me - just had to replace my motor because of a rodknock like noise, but you said you are sure it is not, so im not sure anymore either haha
i heard mine at start up, and occasionally in the 2-3k ranges
sliding garage door would be a great description on the sound i was hearing too
best of luck man
honestly sounds like rod knock to me - just had to replace my motor because of a rodknock like noise, but you said you are sure it is not, so im not sure anymore either haha
i heard mine at start up, and occasionally in the 2-3k ranges
sliding garage door would be a great description on the sound i was hearing too
best of luck man
Did the motor crap out on you? You swap motors yourself?
hope you're doing well man.
11-15-2011 | 10:13 PM
#5
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,736
From: Norcalif
Car Info: with the blinkers on
11-16-2011 | 01:01 AM
#6
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,165
From: Mazda NAO
Car Info: 1969 BMW R75/5 & Work Whip
Having known Paul for almost 2 decades I would suggest you let him do what he needs to figure it out and thank baby Jesus he knows his stuff.
SOA used to have a 22B in country... the only person they let work on it? Paul. He knows his ish. Don't second guess the professional.
SOA used to have a 22B in country... the only person they let work on it? Paul. He knows his ish. Don't second guess the professional.
11-19-2011 | 09:44 AM
#9
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Registered User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,736
From: Norcalif
Car Info: with the blinkers on
So Paul says I have nothing to worry about, it may be slightly loud, but nothing noticeably wrong. I can remember firing up the motor and having it clearly sound different that the previous night. Maybe it's a tiny header leak? I don't even know anymore.
11-19-2011 | 04:33 PM
#10
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iTrader: (12)
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 7,224
From: SF Bay Area - Peninsula
Car Info: 04 psm wrx sedan
Diagnosis was torn turbo inlet letting in nasty air after maf and messing up a/f ratios iirc
And santa cruz never changes haha doin the exact same stuff
Best of luck with your situation
11-19-2011 | 07:07 PM
#11
I have very similar problem
2005 WRX, manual, 103k on the clock
The car has the normal "piston slap" sound on cold starts. The noise goes away almost entirely when warmed up except for at really low throttle applications below 3k RPM or so, under load. It happens between 700-1200 RPM and once I apply more than 10-15% throttle the noise is no longer audible, can be heard only with windows up. It's actually pretty difficult for me to get the throttle in the sweet spot where you can really hear it. If the engine isn't under load, it ticks maybe once or twice if I blip the throttle very lightly
Even Paul from DBTuned wasn't able to determine if that's rod knock or not.
The problem started 10 months ago, I put 10,000 miles since driving daily, driving hard. Nothing has changed, I still have the same noise, didn't get louder.
Next time you do an oil change cut open the filter and see what it looks like inside.
Did you get your timing belt replaced? Sometimes old tensioner can be a cause of knocking
2005 WRX, manual, 103k on the clock
The car has the normal "piston slap" sound on cold starts. The noise goes away almost entirely when warmed up except for at really low throttle applications below 3k RPM or so, under load. It happens between 700-1200 RPM and once I apply more than 10-15% throttle the noise is no longer audible, can be heard only with windows up. It's actually pretty difficult for me to get the throttle in the sweet spot where you can really hear it. If the engine isn't under load, it ticks maybe once or twice if I blip the throttle very lightly
Even Paul from DBTuned wasn't able to determine if that's rod knock or not.
The problem started 10 months ago, I put 10,000 miles since driving daily, driving hard. Nothing has changed, I still have the same noise, didn't get louder.
Next time you do an oil change cut open the filter and see what it looks like inside.
Did you get your timing belt replaced? Sometimes old tensioner can be a cause of knocking
Last edited by 1JavaBlk_in_Sac; 11-19-2011 at 07:24 PM.
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