one issue after another!!!, now rattling?!??!

[ghost183]

hey fellas :nonod::nonod::nonod:

well..... after another 600 miles of running, my WIF issue with all those codes and lowsy performance has past..

now i have another issue.....

coming back from MD sunday, while refueling, i noticed a rattling coming from under the truck, i layed under the truck and listened to where its coming from, soon as i got under, it stopped rattling, since then, its been coming and going, i was chasing it for hours that nite trying to find out where its coming from, sometimes it sounded like its inside the oil pan, sometimes in the bellhousing, sometimes the trans, sometimes the front crank seal by the balancer, sometimes within heads, one side at a time!!! my temp did NOT go above 185 the whole way, as a matter of fact.. it never does!! EVER..

its not a deep thunking, indicating of a rod knock, for which ive heard on an old 305 SBC, its more like a, ummm... well... rattling, like a heavy 3/4" - 1 inch bolt is in a metal tray that you leave on top of an engine while its idling

NOT always.. and intermitant, might rattle for a few seconds. might rattle for a few minutes

NOT rpm specific, sometimes at idle and goes away when i apply throttle, sometimes vice versa, and sometimes follows the rpm for a few minutes and fades away by itself,

i gave it an oil change sunday nite when i got home, i shut it down with the rattling there, fresh 15w30, fresh filter, the used oil looked and felt like the 3k mile oil i always change it at, and when i restarted it with fresh oil, the rattling was still there.. same pitch and tempo, nothing changed, drove 25 minutes to home, parked it, i just started it since sunday nite and NO rattling, let it run for 20 minutes, revving, idling.. shutting down, restarting.. no rattling...

the rattling does NOT change pitch with load, i.e.. same pitch when idling and same when moving.. even when i was pulling the trailer, the speed of the rattling would change and follow rpm's sometimes during all this..

is there a balance shaft in there? its definatly NOT coming from the top of the engine.. i dont even hear it on top,, i really have to listen for it, and even then you can tell its coming from below

am i hearing a rod bearing? shouldnt a rod bearing change pitch with load, i.e.. from rattle to thunder due to load?

does this motor have it in for my wallet!!!! this engine was running MINT till this f***ing WIF issue

 

[JMJNet]

For rattling and noises, always check your belt and pulleys first.

 

[ghost183]

For rattling and noises, always check your belt and pulleys first.

belts and pulleys?!?!?! and it would sound like its coming from below?!?!?!?

one thing i forgot to mention.. im getting slight vibration as rpm increases since this has started

can it be related?

 

[Matt Bachand]

Check all exhaust for touching, loose clamps, hangers etc

Road vibrations for me have always been the carrier bearing that holds the drive shaft to the frame, this vibration would be a MPH Specific, and usually went away at a higher speed. I've replaced it 2 times and owned truck for 4 years.

Also, check fuel injector lines are not making metal to metal contact with valve covers.

 

[Tookie]

belts and pulleys?!?!?! and it would sound like its coming from below?!?!?!?

one thing i forgot to mention.. im getting slight vibration as rpm increases since this has started

can it be related?

Yes, could be the harmonic balancer on it's way out, and it will take
the crankshaft with it, don't keep driving til you are CERTAIN this is
not the cause of your noise.
I would pull of the serpentine belt and start it to see if the noise is still there.
While it's off, wiggle the pulley on the vacuum pump, they will rattle like
that when they are going out too.

 

[ghost183]

Yes, could be the harmonic balancer on it's way out, and it will take
the crankshaft with it, don't keep driving til you are CERTAIN this is
not the cause of your noise.
I would pull of the serpentine belt and start it to see if the noise is still there.
While it's off, wiggle the pulley on the vacuum pump, they will rattle like
that when they are going out too.

hmmm... interesting.. off i go!!!

 

[JMJNet]

Sorry that you are expecting something easy and it may be.

Better check those belt and pulley system. If the crank or hb is the cause of rattle, it can be detrimental. Challenge is it may cause resonance to other part to rattle so you may think that it is something simple. Other stuff that has pulley can cause it also like alt, tensioner, vac pump, ac.

It may turn out to be some loose screw but make sure that the one that can cause catastrophic problem is checked out first.

 

[ghost183]

i actually didnt expect anything simple.. i really didnt know what to expect, and my assumptions were a rod baering..


so...

heres an update, i went out today (was freezing yesterday) started and ran the truck till the rattling came back steadily, actually went and came for the first 30 or so minutes, when it did come back steady enough, i almost instantly pulled the tensioner loose all the way, made sure ALL the accessories had stopped spinning and only the crank pulley was, and the rattling is still there, same pitch and tempo as before....

so?? rod bearing??

 

[Pillow]

I fought this bitch before. Flex plate!

 

[Tookie]

Flex plate!

Could be, but may be harmonic balancer

 

[ghost183]

I fought this bitch before. Flex plate!

wow, never thought of that, but it would sound like its coming from the oil pan?


and as far as the balancer, i removed the load from it today by releasing the tensioner and thereby allowing the belt to come off the pulley, so the only thing spinning, was the crank, would it still make a rattling noise even without load?

 

[matuva]

Engine mount? Broken one or loosen bolt on it?

 

[Tookie]

and as far as the balancer, i removed the load from it today by releasing the tensioner and thereby allowing the belt to come off the pulley, so the only thing spinning, was the crank, would it still make a rattling noise even without load?

Balancer has no load on it, it's behind the pulley - someone else on here
will have to tell you how to check it, I've never had a problem with mine -
or you could search

 

[RadioMan]

With the belt off see if you can rotate the crank pulley. It shouldn't - It's a rubber mounted wheel to another wheel. When my crank pulley went bad it made a pretty loud clunk when the engine was turned off.

 

[Matt Bachand]

With the belt off see if you can rotate the crank pulley. It shouldn't - It's a rubber mounted wheel to another wheel. When my crank pulley went bad it made a pretty loud clunk when the engine was turned off.

Could you turn yours by hand before you replaced it?

 

[RadioMan]

Could you turn yours by hand before you replaced it?

Oh Yeah - Like 30* IIRC

 

[ShawnR]

With the belt off see if you can rotate the crank pulley. It shouldn't - It's a rubber mounted wheel to another wheel. When my crank pulley went bad it made a pretty loud clunk when the engine was turned off.

I just got my new crank pulley yesterday. $55 from Amazon with free shipping.
Dorman OE Solutions Harmonic Balancer 594-037

Just FYI in case that it the problem.

 

[Gunner0812]

Once I get my refund I'll be checking the same items.

 

[ghost183]

hey fellas...

another update for ya, been starting the truck and listening forrattling thesepast few day, and sure enough... when it warms up, it comes back, with the same symptoms as before, comes and goes, sometimes right away, sometimes doesnt rattle at all, sometimes follows rpm, and sometimes goes away when i throttle up

ill be tearing into the truck tomorrow.. pretty much dedicating the day to it, took the day off, and have some question regarding various scenarios that have been thrown my way these past few days.. my funds are somewhat limited, so im trying to save whatever parts i dont have to use to return them for $$ back, but want to get the truck back on the road asap


1) harmonic balancer? i did the belt test as noted above and still had the rattling, and i bought a new one just in case, but as you guys all know, the radiator and everything surrounding it has to come off to swap in the new one..

2) was told injector/injectors might be stuck open, making that rattlng noise down below, is that possibe? if so? how do i check and eliminate them as the problem without getting an injector to swap in? if i crack each injector line loose letting the fuel pressure blow out instead of in, would that show me its an injector by stoppin the rattle? but if its a rod bearing would it still rattle with out the cyl firing?

3) cracked flex plate? did my own check by taking the inspection cover off and using a borescope to check the surface, feeling my way in there, mirror, rubbing a screwdrver up in there and feeling for a click indicating a crack .. awesome little tool the borescope by the way.... it came back clean

any other suggestions before i take the oil pan off and start swapping bearings? another tedious job on its own needless to say, lifting the engine, etc, etc..

 

[NVW]

2) was told injector/injectors might be stuck open, making that rattlng noise down below, is that possibe? if so? how do i check and eliminate them as the problem without getting an injector to swap in? if i crack each injector line loose letting the fuel pressure blow out instead of in, would that show me its an injector by stoppin the rattle? but if its a rod bearing would it still rattle with out the cyl firing?

Crack the lines one at a time, if it clears up you found the bad injector. Any rod knock i've had was constant so I don't think that is your problem. Being that it's occasional I suspect something external. Leo