horrible engine noise - CEG Archives

Originally posted by Kevin Hodges:
why exactly would i have spun a bearing...is this just normal engine wear, or does something cause it..thanks

Low on oil...the V6 take 6 quarts...a hard right tunr low on oil or just low on oil in general would have caused a spunbearing.

Lupe

hmm...my oil is fine...i been getting it changed and checked on the set dates, or mileage. So are you basically telling me my car is done? If thats it i am effin screwed. Please dont be to harsh on me, this is kinda hard to take in...

Sorry for coming off as an ass, it's hard to express emotion on a messageboard, but I was just responding quickly and what was on my mind at the time. As Roz says, it is a common problem with the 2.5 Duratec motor.

you have a good point though, i should not even turn the pos on...i jus didnt know how else i was gonna get around....im not gonna be driving anymore at all...is this something that can be fixed? or is it "gone". you said 3 lit conversion...i dono much about this but i have seen them for like 2500+...and thats jus outta the question..sok jonny, i deserved that one i think

Originally posted by Kevin Hodges:
you have a good point though, i should not even turn the pos on...i jus didnt know how else i was gonna get around....im not gonna be driving anymore at all...is this something that can be fixed? or is it "gone". you said 3 lit conversion...i dono much about this but i have seen them for like 2500+...and thats jus outta the question..sok jonny, i deserved that one i think

I did mine for about 2000.00

But that was myself.....for some one to do it your looking at 2500 for motor alone and atleast a 1000 in labor...you may have to consider a new vehical if price is out of the question for repair.

Maybe contact some local CEGers for advice or help???
They might be able to help you with a 3 liter?? And help you keep the cost down. Also, its cheaper to find a used 3 liter and get it installed than to find a new motor....The prices i gave you were or a new motor estimate.

Lupe

well i am 17...i don have any where near the money required for repair or new engine...I have been saving up for months and months and only have 1500. i guess it's true what they say about fords...you know what i mean.i guess my car is gone then

what can you get a complete 3 lieter conversion for...installed as well...jus an idea

I have not found it true what they say about Fords...if you take care of your car, it will take care of you. Some cars just need less taking care of.

omg, i take perfect care of my car...i have had it less than a year and spent load and loads of money on it jus to keep it going......i usually strongly disagree with it but i am gonna say it FOUND ON ROAD DEAD pos...this is rediculous...should have picked up a civic...

well to answer your question on the other post...it also makes the sound in nuetral....it is not a very loud sound....its a quiet rattle, that is only noticable while giveing it light throttle...wot and less will cover up the rattle...is there anything else that this could be? thanks guys

I didn't say you had to spend tons and tons of money on it to keep it going, just to take care of it. You have been reg'd here for about a year and have not used this wonderful knowledgebase to your benefit I see. It is a very known problem and if it is the bearing, it was the owner's fault for not keeping the oil up to par or digging into right turns a lot. I'm sorry if you have had a bad experience with your Ford, but I have had no extraordinary problems with mine. I am also not manufacturer branded, I don't hate chevy's or hate ford's. At 17, I would expect you don't have enough experience with cars to make a manufacturer bias like that.

also, did you buy the car brand new, if you bought it used, then the damage could have already been started...

yes i bought it used....it is also my second one...and i think i have every right in the world to be bias with makes...my first csvt's brakes went at at 50 mph at an intersection, i nailed a van...i was badly injured as was my friend.....would be dead right now if it wasnt a safe car and for my seat belt. I think i have a reason to dislike ford, age doesnt matter...its what you have been through that counts....my car was 13k....I (parents) have put over 4k into it jus to keep it going...brakes we a major part of that as they SUCK, i know from experience...jus dont set me short because of my age, i can still have an opinion about cars...all i wanna do now is sell this pos and get something worth driving...dont feel obligated to responding cause i think i am jus done with this...

Quote:

yes i bought it used....it is also my second one...and i think i have every right in the world to be bias with makes...my first csvt's brakes went at at 50 mph at an intersection, i nailed a van...i was badly injured as was my friend.....would be dead right now if it wasnt a safe car and for my seat belt. I think i have a reason to dislike ford, age doesnt matter...its what you have been through that counts....my car was 13k....I (parents) have put over 4k into it jus to keep it going...brakes we a major part of that as they SUCK, i know from experience...jus dont set me short because of my age, i can still have an opinion about cars...all i wanna do now is sell this pos and get something worth driving...dont feel obligated to responding cause i think i am jus done with this...

I am not in any way setting you aside by your age. My point was that with a year or two's driving experience, you obviously don't have enough experience to pass judgements on a manufacturer. Hell, I don't think at any age there should be a bias on manufacturer, a preference is reasonable, but not a bias. Not very logical to me. I'm sorry that you put 4k into the car to keep it running, sounds like a stealership victory to me though. Knowledge is the key and you are lacking it in this situation IMHO. There is nothing better than free knowledge.

IMO, the description is too vague to assume it's the bearing. Kevin, can u please describe the noise in more detail. Explain how it started etc. The devil is in the details.

well thats exactly what you are doing..you are judging my knowledge soley based on my age...I at 17 have gone through enough to know a few things about fords....this problem is jus the icing on the cake...im gonna start thinking about selling my car...it seems like the only good thing to do...thanks for your help guys...oh and by the way...i spend a good hour every night checking the forum archives and using the magic search button...when someone gets a problem like this because of a previous owner you cant jus put on them for not having enough knowledge...my last one was a lemon, this one is a lemon, maybe the next one wont...Overseas make

ya after some thought the could could best be described as a clutch going out...a scratchy rattle sound...my clutch went out and have a new one put in....i would say that the sound is alot like that....its a steady rattle that occurs at 3-4k+ rpms...howeevr i know its not the clutch....its jus the closest thing to the sound i can think of... it started a few days ago outta no where...i turned my car on, sat for a about a min to warm up, and took off...and it was there...thanks i have also noticed that the rattle has shifted on the rpm band....it used to occur at around 2.5k+ and it seems as if it is moving up the band...now its at around 4k+..thanks

ok if you are going to get rid of the car I WANT IT, and i have a car for youits a 98 civic lx that i dont want would rather have your car, so dont complain

next thing it is prob not a bearing, although it could be, if it only happens at certain rpm's no matter what the situation ie: no load, shifting cruising then it might be the exhaust, check for any loose exhaust components

if it is a bearing it is gonna be more of a knock noise then a rattling noise, i know i have heard them, they dont sound good(not second guessing you guys

)

could also be the dust shields on the Disc brakes, i have heard them make noise too, once cause the car fell on them the other because of rocks in between it an the spindle

but really if you do get rid of the car let me know i want it

Every rod knock i have ever heard has been noticeable even at idle. Its a steady *knocknocknocknocknocknock* one with each turn of that piston. If it only does it under load, Id look for another culprit. Timing being off can cause "spark knock" im not sure but i believe that is pre-ignition of the fuel. Waterpumps will make nose as well. I gather from previous posts you have a CSVT. A rod bearing is certainly possible but please, PLEASE explore all of your options first.

What is the year and how many miles do you have on the car?

Motor mounts will cause knocking if they are completely gone, in some cars i have heard of there even being a tapping felt in the clutch and gas pedals (these werent nessecarily contours mind you). Be patient. My car was my only mode of transport too, and its totalled, i know how you feel, but in times like these, GET ON A BIKE LOL.. I live 8.5 miles from work, and i ride a bike both ways everyday now. thats ~17 miles round trip...but it could be a lot worse.

I thank the Lord everyday that im alive after my wreck. you should too. I have no doubt in my mind, had i been in any other ~1995 model year car (in the same class as the tour) I wouldnt be typing this now. I will have another tour eventually. But due to finacial repsonsibilities, im forced to find another means...

As for your car, If you really dont know much about cars (it doesnt sound like you know absoulutely nothing. it does sound like you can change a tire, your own oil and brakes and even spark plugs.) i suggest you take it to a qualified mechanic, even if it has to be towed there, and diagnose it. Typical diagnosis fees run between $40 and $80. In order to figure out what the problem is, thast a small price to pay. And many mechaics will not charge the fee if you let them fix the problem. At least that way you will know.

sorry for the long post...just my .02. kevin.

BTW FWIW, i wasnt trying to sound like an ass, or make this a political discussion, I was just trying to make a point. sorry if i came off any other way.

are you telling me that when i rev my engine the brakes are making a rattling sound? i appreciate the help but how could that even be remotely possible...and no...i am jus gonna get a new engine...HAHA

so where can i get a new engine...can i jus pick up a duratec svt engine or am i gonna have to mod a normal duratec??

oops forgot about that

, and about getting a new duratec you will have to get an SVT Duratec because there is a difference, let me try and find you one really quick, where are you located so i know where about the engine needs to be

okay your in NJ, well i found a SVT engine in NY, you want more info let me know

oops again wrong peron hold on again

gear head are you serious or are you kidding...i cant even tell

Originally posted by gearhead98:
okay your in NJ

whoa, easy here!!! I am very supestitious. I don't like the way you confuse people when it comes to engines

ok i found a SVT engine in Gallipolis, where ever the hell that is in OH, let me know if you want more info on it

Originally posted by alex_96GL:

Originally posted by gearhead98:
okay your in NJ

whoa, easy here!!! I am very supestitious. I don't like the way you confuse people when it comes to engines

well hey you want one i got one for you too

I wouldn't bother w/ anything less than 3L, but thanks

i am jus about to turn 60k on my car its a 2000. Stryker i am glad to hear you are ok after your accident, it's really hard to got through, everything about it...they are safe cars ill give em that. Ya it looks like thats the only thing to do, take the car in and hold my breath. I am really hoping its not something to serious...i jus ordered a whole effin exhaust for this thing...msds headers with y-pipe, and a basanu cat-back....i need to keep this thing going. Ill take it in first chance i get...thanks man...good luck with your tour...you will get it some day

Originally posted by Kevin Hodges:
are you telling me that when i rev my engine the brakes are making a rattling sound? i appreciate the help but how could that even be remotely possible...and no...i am jus gonna get a new engine...HAHA

bahahahaha!! there are many things that can cause it. and if you are gonna get a new motor, you are gonna kick yourself if you find out it was a $100 (or thereabouts) dollar waterpump. (just an example

thats like blowing your headgasket and then saying "well ill just get a new motor"

that aint right. i was trying to help you. your only 17, MANY of the oeple on these boards have spent a great deal more time around engines than you have...so listen, you may learn something.

Originally posted by Stryker:

Originally posted by Kevin Hodges:
are you telling me that when i rev my engine the brakes are making a rattling sound? i appreciate the help but how could that even be remotely possible...and no...i am jus gonna get a new engine...HAHA

bahahahaha!! no, i didnt say that, re read the post. i said there are many things that can casue it. and if you are gonna get a new motor, you are gonna kick yourself if you find out it was a $100 (or thereabouts) dollar waterpump.

thats like blowing your headgasket and then saying "well ill just get a new motor"

that aint right. i was trying to help you. your only 17, MANY of the oeple on these boards have spent a great deal more time around engines than you have...so listen, you may learn something.

the brake thing was me

i know, but the post still stands gearhead...and i fixed my post

Originally posted by Kevin Hodges:
i am jus about to turn 60k on my car its a 2000. Stryker i am glad to hear you are ok after your accident, it's really hard to got through, everything about it...they are safe cars ill give em that. Ya it looks like thats the only thing to do, take the car in and hold my breath. I am really hoping its not something to serious...i jus ordered a whole effin exhaust for this thing...msds headers with y-pipe, and a basanu cat-back....i need to keep this thing going. Ill take it in first chance i get...thanks man...good luck with your tour...you will get it some day

and thansk kevin, i appreciate that. looking at a 1992 infinity Q45 with ~300 HP. its an AT but hey, i cant beat that 4.5L V8

LOL nah man i was responding to the gearhead guy when he said that my brakes were making the noise...i am deff not getting a new engine i was jus blowing steam...i couldnt get a new engine if i wanted to...thats why i am praying its a few hundered dollar fix...hell im hoping its jus less than 2k...sorry if you misunderstood me

thanks...oh and gearhead....is that a new engine? and how are you finding these things, ty

www.car-parts.com

My point is, i was going by what you decribed....and by what you described it was very close to the description of a spun bearing (as i ahve had one and so have many of the people i know)

Given that, my information was correct, but i also failed to mention that it could be other things (as not completly thinking stright since i was at work).

Give new information, i would research this site and peoples responses very carfully and would take the time to properly diagnose your situation and then come to a conclusion.

Check your:
Water pump
motor mounts
suspension
Clutch (yes it is possible that it maybe bad,even though its new)
and then fianly your engine (cams, rods)

i understand the the engine part is difficult, but if you eliminate the others, you have one conclusion left...or atleast one.

Lupe

im not out of the woods yet kevin as far as the wreck goes, i only had liability so im out the 2G's i just paid for the car not 3 months ago, plus the mods i did, plus the price of the new car.

and the guy i hit has his insurance co. pestering me for a statement, i fianlly gave one today, with my lawyer listening over the phone. i could get sued. i already got a ticket, and then lost my car, lets add more salt, shall we?

one word:

Pwn3d

i have 50/000 property and 100,000 injury which is the minimum liability. there were 3 cars besides mine involved (i was the last in a 4 car pileup.

PM me if you wanna know the rest.

wow...that is insane...i hope you work it all out....i think i got something that can beat that though....i totalled my car on the tenth day of owning it....it doesnt get any worse than that

...now i always gotta make sure these effin brakes actually work...i am a freak about it now...good luck man

i have noticed that the sound only occurs durring acceleration...as the rpm are sustained or rising....when they fall....the sound is gone....a bearing should have a constant sound shouldnt it? This is making me think it might have something to do witht he throttle....stop me if im going off track more than i already am...but it jus seems like an idea,thanks

it does have something to do with the throttle, it gets worse when you push it right??

seriously, a rod knock accelerates and decelerates with the rev of the motor, more or less staying at the same volume the entire time. it doesnt get wuiter when the engine is deceleratiing.

so what exactly are you sayin stryker...that if it was a spun bearing...it would be a constant knock knock knock sound....its only at high rps...while accel...it can be up at 5 and no sound....acceling slightly at 5+ then the sound starts.....if the engine was actually effed up it seems like there would be a constant sound coming from the strokes or something...

Originally posted by Roz 1999 SVT-C:

Check your:
Water pump
motor mounts
suspension
Clutch (yes it is possible that it maybe bad,even though its new)
and then fianly your engine (cams, rods)

also some trivial things, like a loose spark plug

it can be anything at this point. it can be event this, but let's hope it isn't.

p.s. Lupe, I was not tryig to deride the bearing theory, it is indeed a common occurence. I think we all (HITMAN exclided) appreciate the point that we should work from trivial to complicated.

Originally posted by Kevin Hodges:
so what exactly are you sayin stryker...that if it was a spun bearing...it would be a constant knock knock knock sound....its only at high rps...while accel...it can be up at 5 and no sound....acceling slightly at 5+ then the sound starts.....if the engine was actually effed up it seems like there would be a constant sound coming from the strokes or something...

yes there woudl be a CONSTANT knock. if you cant hear it at idle, im 99% positive that it isnt rod knock. if you have a rod knock, the knock starts the minute the motor turns over. it may not even start, but it will knock as you turn it over. then if it starts, it will stay the saem volume and knock with the same frequency until you step on the gas. the knocking will increase in speed, but not usually volume, from idle to redline. and unless you want your motor to fly apart and through it through the bottom of the block, do not rev a CSVT with rod knock to 6,750 RPMS.

now in some cases, rod knock can get louder under load, but light acceleration is not (usually) enough to do it. if you punch the gas, you may notice an increase in volume.

Sorry, Im gonna steal the thread for a sec.

If you guys want to compare accidents I think I've got a topper. I was letting a buddy of mind drive my 92 Escort because I diddn't know the area we were in very well. Anyway he decides he wants to go hill hopping.

I diddn't even know what he was doing untill he started speeding up near this steep a$$ hill. We hit about 90mph and flew over the hill, a friend behind us said we caught about 15 feet of air and when we hit the ground the passenger rear tire blew. We swerved to the left, hit a berm, rolled once, then flipped end over end about 8 times in the middle of an effin cornfield. The driver wasn't wearing a belt and was launched from the car when we rolled, I escaped with a cuncussion and a bruised lung and had to be cut out of the car, my friend in the back got a broken nose and a cuncussion, and his girlfriend had cuts all over her fingers from broken glass. If it had been a Civic I wouldn't be here right now. FORD RULES!

When I got out of the hospital I went to see the car, it looked like God picked his nose and flicked a booger at the ground! But thank God I'm still here.

HAHA 99% possitive huh....well that makes me feel a lil better...but now its open to anything else...it could seriously be anything...what would be your best guess...if not a rod knock...lol you have experience with a csvt witha rod knock at 6,750 rpm?

whoa...

BOT:

im wondering if your not hearing lifter knock???

whats bot? and what is lifter knock...worse than rod knock?

Damn, aside from having to weed through the drama this helps me out quite a bit. Earlier today I was trying to fix my idle problem, cleaned the MAF sensor, let the car sit and idle for a bit and took the car out to see if things were fixed. Well, I like driving my CSVT, it is a 2000 w/ 60,800 on it. I'll admit, I do drive it kinda hard (one of my best friends has a 2001 S4 chipped and rallies the [censored] outta that [censored] with none of the issues I am reading about and currently experincing and I don't drive my car 1/2 as hard as he drives his), but I stay ontop of maintaince. Well I took it across the I90 floating bridge here in Seattle, got off at Rainer, made the turn to go back eastbound on I90 and hit the Rainer onramp. By the time I was across the bridge and getting off the W. Mercer off ramp I noticed a knocking sound. Parked it in the driveway and poped the hood. The sound wasn't present when the car was idling, but when I would step on the gas to rev the engine the sound came back. I wouldn't let it go above 3K RPM's. It seemed to be comming from the right side of the engine and would make almost a rubbing like sound when decreasing in RPM's, almost sounded like a belt was rubbing or something, but the knocking was pretty rough sounding. Within 2 hrs I had AAA at my place and towing the car out to a shop.
Any insight into my situation would be greatly appreciated

I've had to replace an engine on my old car due to a thrown rod, 87 Dodge Raider, and when the rod was making it's knocking sound it was always present, even when idling, which kinda gives me hope that it may not be the bering, but then I could be wrong.

well it seems its a diff sound than what i am experiencing...mine only occurs at accel....your you said is occuring as the revs fall as well...that might actually be a rod knock...do you hear it while idling? or only at high rpms...
EDIT~~~oh nvm you said it wasnt at idle

Mohaj: THAT does sound like rod knock. and the fact that you were on an on/off ramp makes me think so even more (was it a cloverleaf???)

BOT means Back on topic.

and no kevin, lifter knock is not worse than rod knock, but it can, if it persists, be just as bad.

lifters knock for the same reason as rods, lack of lubrication. only lifters are on the opposite side of the motor (top).

typically on motors with lifter knock, it only happens on cold starts, when the oil is nto in the heads. the lifters are inthe heads and if thy donthave oil on them theya re noisy, there is no cure for this (thatim aware of) except to start the motor and let the oil splash in the deads and get the leifters lubricated.

kevin, there is one sure fire way to rule out rod knock, but DO NOT DO IT. let the mechainc diagnose it.

anyway, what you do (for future reference only) is get a friend to sit inthe car while the motor is idling. tell him to push the clutch in and hold it and engage first gear. witht he car in first and the ebrake engaged, have him try to accelerate. a rod knock will get EXTRREMELY LOUD under these conditions. if it does, shut off the engine immediately.

while saying all this to your friend, keep your hand on the valve cover for as long as you can and see if you can feel where the noise is coming from.

kevin i dont think yours is a rod knock, seems to be more fo a clutch engaging and disengageing issue, maybe throw bearing???

at any rate... see what your mechanic says. i woudl be willing to bet its something simpler than what im even thinking, 9x out of 10, the simplest things make the weirdest noises.

another symptom of rod kncok is at idle, the car will misfire, because usually, whichever piston is doing the knocking, isnt firing.

food for thought anyway, im going to bed...

EDIT: know experiences with rod knock @ redline on a CSVT, but on a 1986 chevy astro van.

my friend said:

oh so thats what the noise was...

Originally posted by Stryker:
Mohaj: THAT does sound like rod knock. and the fact that you were on an on/off ramp makes me think so even more (was it a cloverleaf???)

It was a sharper turn but not a clover-leaf. I was just looking at car-parts.com for 3L so that looks like that may be the route I will go, seems to be plenty of them avalible in the WA state area, specially Escape 3L... I'm gonna go look for a guide to see what needs to be done to make the 2000 CSVT ready for the 3L, if anyone can point me in the right direction I will be back to check this thread periodically.

Originally posted by Mohaj:

Originally posted by Stryker:
Mohaj: THAT does sound like rod knock. and the fact that you were on an on/off ramp makes me think so even more (was it a cloverleaf???)

It was a sharper turn but not a clover-leaf. I was just looking at car-parts.com for 3L so that looks like that may be the route I will go, seems to be plenty of them avalible in the WA state area, specially Escape 3L... I'm gonna go look for a guide to see what needs to be done to make the 2000 CSVT ready for the 3L, if anyone can point me in the right direction I will be back to check this thread periodically.

yep, sounds liek a rod to me...i have never heard one in a tour, but they shoudl all sound about the same. was it a right or left hander???

and you have a PM.

Originally posted by Stryker:

Originally posted by Mohaj:

Originally posted by Stryker:
Mohaj: THAT does sound like rod knock. and the fact that you were on an on/off ramp makes me think so even more (was it a cloverleaf???)

It was a sharper turn but not a clover-leaf. I was just looking at car-parts.com for 3L so that looks like that may be the route I will go, seems to be plenty of them avalible in the WA state area, specially Escape 3L... I'm gonna go look for a guide to see what needs to be done to make the 2000 CSVT ready for the 3L, if anyone can point me in the right direction I will be back to check this thread periodically.

yep, sounds liek a rod to me...i have never heard one in a tour, but they shoudl all sound about the same. was it a right or left hander???

and you have a PM.

Thanks!

It was a left hand turn... which if I am not mistaken, this supposedly happens on right hand turns? Not like that really means anything anyways, cause if its gonna happen, it's gonna happen

I also wanted to add, there was nothing like a miss-fire happening after this sound started.

Originally posted by alex_96GL:

Originally posted by Roz 1999 SVT-C:

Check your:
Water pump
motor mounts
suspension
Clutch (yes it is possible that it maybe bad,even though its new)
and then fianly your engine (cams, rods)

also some trivial things, like a loose spark plug it can be anything at this point. it can be event this, but let's hope it isn't.

p.s. Lupe, I was not tryig to deride the bearing theory, it is indeed a common occurence. I think we all (HITMAN exclided) appreciate the point that we should work from trivial to complicated.

Agreed...no insult was taken on my end....it was something i did not mention altogether, so i am glad someone did....

Also, something weriod i found out, the last guy i know who spun a bearing (SVTKID04) i saw his car up close...at idle and low RPM, his car wound not make a noise....but when driving or it came back...not too loud bu very noticeable....the way we confirmed the bearing was when his motor basicly froze on him and died.

So not hearing it (or faitly hearing it) at low RPMS i would ahve to say is possible.

I would recreate the situation to show you guys, but thats an expensive fix

Lupe

Here's a tip that I used years ago when I was still working on cars for a living to try to isolate noises: Find a long screwdriver, the thin the better. I use a tune up screw driver which is designed to get to the mixtures screws on carburetors. Put the metal tip on part of the engine (BE VERY CAREFUL AROUND MOVING PARTS LIKE BELTS!!!) and put your ear up to the handle part. Move the screw driver around to different parts of the engine until you hear the noise the loudest and most times you will be in the area the cause of the noise is in. In this case if it is a bearing you will probably hear the noise the loudest from the bottom of the engine, maybe try "listening" to the block where it meets the oil pan. A lifter would be loudest on the head. I'm not familiar with the V6 water pump location but if it is easy to get at you can use this to check it out too. I've isolated bad alternator bearings the same way.
If you want play with this just as a test fuel injectors are a good place to start.
This is like the poor man's alternative to a stethoscope.
Hope this helps!

i was thinking about that roz, and i have come to the conclusion that its because every rod knock i have ever heard has been on a car old (like 80's old). no sound insulation anywhere on most of those older cars, and that damned astro was no exception...

i still dont understand why you cant drive a contour with a rod knock though,i have driven cars with rod knock, and other than a slight performance decrease and a loud noise, it wasnt that bad.

oh and roz, if a mpotor has synthetic in it, wont that quiet the noise??

and damned if my dads old ramcharger didnt run forever with rod knock. i kept expecting it to go any day...last i saw it it was getting a new motor at 273,000 miles, after 100,000 miles of rod knock.

there has to be something about these newer motors (maybe the material they are made out of???) that keeps then from being at least driveable with rod knock.

With V6 if your Rods are knocking....you better answer soon....... With Rod knock, bolts are torque to yield. I would think that with excessive clearance and the fact that we have weak rods to begin with will cause you to spin bearings. If you fix it now you won't have to purchase new crank kit, etc. You could probably get away with new bearings, grind crank and purchase new rod bolts..... If I did my rebuild again, knowing what I know now...I would have purchased new aftermarket rods and pistons...not racing just something better than what the factory offers...

Originally posted by Stryker:
i was thinking about that roz, and i have come to the conclusion that its because every rod knock i have ever heard has been on a car old (like 80's old). no sound insulation anywhere on most of those older cars, and that damned astro was no exception...

i still dont understand why you cant drive a contour with a rod knock though,i have driven cars with rod knock, and other than a slight performance decrease and a loud noise, it wasnt that bad.

oh and roz, if a mpotor has synthetic in it, wont that quiet the noise??

and damned if my dads old ramcharger didnt run forever with rod knock. i kept expecting it to go any day...last i saw it it was getting a new motor at 273,000 miles, after 100,000 miles of rod knock.

there has to be something about these newer motors (maybe the material they are made out of???) that keeps then from being at least driveable with rod knock.

Synthetic will not quite the noise....believe me, we tried that.....somehting people need to understand with these motors is that there not like the older motors which could take punishment.....Like demonSVT has said countless times, you need to do preventative maintanence!!!

Rule of thumb, if its knocking, its not normal!!!!

Boviously something is a miss if weriod sounds are comming out of the motor.

Also, when SVTKID04 had his knock, he drove it for a full week before the car died....obviously its not salvageable now because the motor froze....But i elxplained everything in my previous post....

Also, i don;t come from a generation which has had A LOT of experience with older motors.....I have Much more experience with todays motors, and i can tell you and type of sound that is not normal is a potential problem.

Take BMW/Mini for example (i work at a dealership) any time theres Rod knock on either of these cars, the motor gets pulled checked and a new one gets ordered under warrenty if the problem cannot be fixed simply.

Point is they fix it right away!

You cannot compare yesterdays motors with todays.....IMO its like comparing apples and oranges, you ahve diffrent materials (in some cases), diffrent casting process, OHC and DOHC comparied to push rods (which i know chevey still has) diffrent tolerences for each motor, and EACH maufacture has diffrent tolerences compared to others.

Rod knock is not normal, and should be checked right away.

Lupe

Hodge Podge,
Did you ever find out what happened to your engine? Mine's been making a rattling noise that seems the same as your description. I've been driving mine for about 1,000 miles since it began.

For anyone wondering why I would drive my '99 SVT with a severe engine noise for that long, my contour is my beater car. It has been hit twice by idiot drivers and has never been the same since. It creaks, rattles, has a warped dash, and overall is a clunker (with only 57,000 miles).

Thanks,
Dave

Dredging up old posts, because I'm getting some wierd noises, too.

But, reading through this drama, there's a couple of things I have to say.

First of all, I'm no expert, but I've been reading up on this problem a lot of late, and here are a couple of other tidbits.

According to "the master," there seems to be a problem with our sinter-forged rods stretching, esp on the 2.5s. He has found this by measuring engine parts of engines that have had bearing failure. I think, basically, what happens is the rod stretches, and (talk about tight tolerances) the piston starts striking the valve, or maybe carbon buildup on the valve. The impact leads to hammering of the rod bearing (causing the oil film to fail, etc.) which leads to bearing failure. Point being: it doesn't matter how much oil you use, or what kind of owner you are, etc. This is a case of a manufacturing process that seemed like a good idea at the time, but just isn't working too well out here in the real world.

Now, another thing that's pretty normal when the car is under load is pinging, which is caused by pre-detonation. Some of the things that Hodge Podge describes reminds me of a pinging discussion from another board. Still, pinging shouldn't occur normally at high rpm, but will occur often under severe load--high effort, low rpm (around 2500); IOW, while "chugging" the engine. Pinging could be made worse by carbon deposits, or other tuning issues.

See here, and here for more info on where I'm coming from with this.

Originally posted by JonnySVT:
it was the owner's fault for not keeping the oil up to par or digging into right turns a lot.

I guess I don't understand that one. Not the part about keeping the oil up (more on that later) but mainly the digging into right turns.

What self-respecting car company builds a car that can't turn right and handle a little lateral g-force? Where I live there are cloverleaf ramps on the freeway. Most of these involve sustaining a right hand turn for an extended period of time, while making sure you are at a high enough speed to safely merge onto the freeway. That maneuver was enough to turn the oil light on for a second.

As for oil, I guess I'm just supposed to check it every week or something. The last time I changed it, there was about half the oil in, but the oil light never came on unless I turned right. Why can't the car tell if the oil is low at idle? It would seem that the oil light is just useless.

To sum up, I'm in the same situation as Hodge Podge. I've had my car for two years and it's been nothing but bad water pumps (twice) Power steering hoses, wheel bearings, O2 sensors, transmission, and now a possible spun bearing. This car has me considering leasing. I'd pay 300 a month, just like I do now for repairs. My dad told me I should buy used all the time and let someone else take the depreciation. He later told me he's never had the same ammount of trouble with a car as I've had with this one.

I'm not going to go off on Ford, but maybe there's a reason the Contour specifically is no longer built. Overall, it's much more appealing than the Focus, but mechanically it's not reliable at all.

Originally posted by Hodge Podge:
hmm...my oil is fine...i been getting it changed and checked on the set dates, or mileage. So are you basically telling me my car is done? If thats it i am effin screwed. Please dont be to harsh on me, this is kinda hard to take in...

there is nothing wrong with ur car, just keep driving it

happy?, but no seriously get it checked!

I had this noise also. Started out faint at low rpms, only under zero acceleration. It was just there when you were steadily cruzing down the highway(60mph) It was not there at idle or full throttle. I drove the car hard for about 7000 miles. then, the rattle started moving up the rpm range. Changed to 3000, then 4000, then 5000. Next the rattle changed to on throttle accell. then a week later a second echo rattle appeared. this one had a lower pitch and it only happened on deceleration. So I had a high pitch rattle on accel and a low pitch rattle on decel. A week later the rattle got intolerable loud(you could even feel the rattle in the gas pedal) It now rattles at idle and all rpms. Using the screw driver method, I placed the sound inside the cam chain cover. I believe that I have broken cam chain tensioners and the rattle is the chain slapping around. One evidence for this is that the initial stages of the rattle were only when maintained a steady speed, this would be when the cam chain is the most relaxed and able to slap around. Can anyone give me a list of all parts and part numbers I would have to buy to replace the cam tensioners and guides - gaskets etc.?
Hope this helps you and me.
Eric

Eric>What type of engine do you have, also how many miles, transmission, etc...

Let me make this problem harder. I also have a rattle, it originally only started at about 3500 RPMs, now I can pick it up at around 2500. The higher the RPMs, the louder the noise. Why is this now harder? I have a Zetec & evidently the other guys had Duratecs...

Sorry dude, I have the 2.5 duratec. mtx with 77000 miles. With the four cyl. I would use the long screwdriver or hollow 1" pvc poipe test and listen to where the sound comes from. I've had a slapping noise from a frayed belt before. Unfortunately it was a timing belt and it snapped and toasted the head. Also check for loose spark plugs.
Good luck