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Rapid clicking/ticking coming from rear bank

P

PurpleMystique

Hard-core CEG'er
Joined
Nov 16, 2004
Messages
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Location
Greater Des Moines Area
In the last two weeks my car developed a ticking sound that I'm pretty sure is coming from the rear bank. I've been burning oil lately and I'm afraid at some point that might have caused a problem. The sound is audible at idle, upon acceleration, and at highway cruising speeds, and it increases with RPMs.

One other thing is that my battery light flickers over 5000rpm at full throttle in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. I'm assuming this means something's wrong with the belt or tensioner, but I've read that a problem like this could cause a clicking sound as well. Any insight?
 
Sounds to me like an alternator issue. It might sound like its coming from the rear bank as it is down that way. Bad bearings in the alternator or brushes could casue a ticking and easily explain the batt light flashing.

Its a real PITA to get out but that would be a nicer fix than if that sound turned out to be something more serious like a rod bearing.
 
Okay, I changed the oil back to a high-milage non-synthetic and added a quart of stuff that's supposed to quiet valve noise and remove buildup. The click is definitely quieter, but it's definitely still there, and I'm DEFINITELY burning more oil. On a cold startup smoke will pour out of the exhaust. It's fine once it's warm, but this worries me.
 
Probably one or more bad valve guides. It allows oil into a cylinder overnight which causes the smoke on startup. You might be leaving a smoke trail when you accelerate as well, depending on how hard you get on it. I don't know if this could be the source of the clicking ticking you're hearing but that problem might be found when the heads are apart for the valve guide repair.
Karl
 
wouldnt that mean that oil is gettin past the seals of the pistons and is bein burnted and thrown out yur exhaust and also is why yur findin the oil on yur plugs, so might be the seals on yur pistons that need replacing :(
 
If piston rings were bad, the engine would smoke all the time - not just when first starting the engine cold. There are some tests that can be run to further determine whether it's rings or valve seals but the general rule is what I've explained in my two posts. And obviously if oil is getting into the cylinders it can find its way to the spark plugs. As far as how much money these operations might cost, I have no idea.
Karl
 
One reasonable test for valve guides is done in a safe parking lot with normal engine temp. You stay in a lower gear, say second, and run up to a reasonable high RPM, and then get completely off the throttle letting the engine slow the car.

This creates a higher vacumm in the manifold (intake) that will exagerate the sucking of oil past the guides.

When the car has slowed down, re-apply the throttle gently and look out back through the mirror for blue smoke.

This only tells on the intake side, but has the general effect of characterizing the whole engine's valve guide state.


For the clicking and battery light, I'd check the serpintine idler first.

Gar
 
i bet thats whats wrong with mine, i dont think its too bad to change the rod bearings on the v6 engines, i bet its only one of them as well the one nearest to the bank 1 as well, ill see what i can do with this but im gonna replace the engine with an uprated one as well so ill be fixin the one im gonna take out for sure ....
 
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