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KMS
New User
Jul 4, 2008, 11:16 PM
Post #1 of 8
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engine clicking noise
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New user here, hope someone can help me.
92 S10, 4.3L V6, 83000 miles. Burns absolutely no oil. Had a water pump and distributor replaced last September, which was the first and only major work I've ever had done on it. I cranked it up this morning, about a mile into my drive, at low residential street speed, I noticed an audible "ticking." Not real loud, but loud enough to be noticeable. The best way I can describe the sound is like the ticking of a watch. At first I thought it was the sound your tire makes when there's a pebble stuck in the tread, but I soon isolated it to the engine area. You can hear it at idle, and ticking is faster with acceleration, but is less audible, and you can barely hear it at highway speed. It also seems to go away when the engine is "coasting," ie, foot is off the accelerator. My destination was only a couple of miles away, where it sat for several hours. When I started it again, the clicking was there on startup, but by the time I got home it was much less audible.
Oil level is fine, all gauges are in the normal zone. When i got home I opened the hood, but the noise was so faint I couldn't be sure it was there at all, much less isolate where it was coming from. A couple of ideas were something in the valves or maybe a bad pulley bearing somewhere. Believe it or not they have a bunch of engine sounds on youtube, and it didn't sound like piston slap, rod nock, or anything else on there. Like I said, kind of like a watch ticking.
With the holiday, it's at least three days until I can get it looked at, so I'm wondering if I should just let it sit or if it would be okay to drive it. At this stage I'm a bit paranoid--I'm not ready to buy a new vehicle with oil prices the way they are. This has been a great little truck, and I want to baby it along as far as I can. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jul 6, 2008, 7:04 AM
Post #2 of 8
(2042 views)
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Re: engine clicking noise
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You notice this at idle as in not moving also - right? Couple ideas - possible belt or pulley problem. Check as best you can for tention and spin/rock them with belt off. My own GM vehicle (I drive with windows open) will "tick" with compressor normally engaging even without requesting A/C but perhaps defrost/defog and I really thought something was wrong till I watched it - that is not regular but you would only hear it at lower speeds especially with a window open.
If it was something goofy like that you would see it while watching engine at idle,
T
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KMS
New User
Jul 6, 2008, 12:38 PM
Post #3 of 8
(2039 views)
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Re: engine clicking noise
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it does it at idle on first cranking until it warms up, then goes away until you put it in gear. It's noticeable while accelerating in first gear, then goes away. I don't know if it it actually stops, or the road noise drowns it out. It does seem to be coming from the engine and not a pulley, but I tried the long handled screwdriver test and couldn't pin it down.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jul 6, 2008, 1:09 PM
Post #4 of 8
(2038 views)
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Re: engine clicking noise
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The hard part is communicating this noise and even if I was there it could be elusive. Some tentioner pulleys can do this. Any bearing for that matter.
Some other things that make clicks, ticking sounds are heat shields on exhaust parts. Some belts new or not make some pretty funky sounds from raspy, to a crackle or whirring suggesting a bad bearing and it isn't? Try some WD-40 on the belt before you start up and if that noise goes away for a while or the day I'll blame the belt.
Some other maybees: Loose spark plug, exhaust connection, crack in exhaust part that tightens up when hot, anything on or around engine that vibrations could aggrevate.
With now a while ago with the water pump job perhaps a bolt or bracket isn't tight and took a while to show up. Engine off, rock the fan for freeplay test.
It's good of you to pay attention to this. We really don't know what it is yet - probably something simple but until the gremlin shows itself we really don't know. Keep at it,
T
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KMS
New User
Jul 6, 2008, 3:38 PM
Post #5 of 8
(2035 views)
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Re: engine clicking noise
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Thanks for your help on this. I'll keep watching. Like I said, I'm at the point in the lifecycle of this vehicle that is if it's something major, I'll have a decision to make on how much I want to spend to get it fixed. Plus the only shop in town is notoriously slow, and if I take it in they'll have it for easily a week or ten days even if it's something minor. So I'm not real anxious to get it looked at unless absolutely necessary. I guess what I'm asking is, should I go ahead and take it in, or can I just keep an eye on it for now?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jul 6, 2008, 4:54 PM
Post #6 of 8
(2031 views)
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Re: engine clicking noise
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You have to decide on waiting or not or if this could be a safety issue or something that should be tended to now that might be worse for waiting - I just can't know from here. Try the WD-40 trick yourself, look for something loose and rock the fan as I suggested. Take a rubber hammer and tap on exhaust with engine off and cold and sometimes if it's a exhaust part the noise will show itself with a tap on pipes.
If you aren't comfortable with this will the shop at least take a look and assess this for you while you wait and make an appointment for when it's more convenient?
This could be something really simple or not but it would be nice to know,
T
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KMS
New User
Jul 7, 2008, 3:25 AM
Post #7 of 8
(2027 views)
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Re: engine clicking noise
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on further investigation, I think it's the exhaust manifold. The sound is coming from down low,toward the firewall, and it actually sounds loudest standing by the driver's side door. If you stand in front of the truck you can barely hear it, even with the hood up. Like you, I drive around with my window down, otherwise I may not have noticed it.
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flgmtech1
User
Jul 7, 2008, 3:48 AM
Post #8 of 8
(2026 views)
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Re: engine clicking noise
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I have seen issues with the 4.3 exhaust manifolds cracking, but the other thing to consider is the seals where the exhaust manifolds meet the crossover pipe, sometimes called donought seals. These tend to crack or flake apart from the heat of the exhaust over a period of time. You can use a flashlight and inspect them to see if you see gaps around the seam or pieces missing. IF you have to replace them BE very very careful to use plenty of PB BLaster or WD40 to pre soak the manifold studs as they tend to want to seize over time and this could mean breaking off the stud when you attmept to remove the nut to change the seals.
I also recommend using a rag and with the engine cold, while using a second person to help, that by going arond the manifold and then working down the exhaust with the rag in your hand you can feel the "puff" on the exhaust at the leak as well as see it move the rag where the leak is, similar to using soapy water on a leaking tire. If, however the leak is very small this may not be as evident. But if you are hearing it inside the truck, you ought to be able to hear it at the exhaust itself. The key is doing this cold and also, using a rack can make it allot easier to get at. The S10 and Sonoma have very small spaces caompared to the full size trucks to access anything especially the exhaust.
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