Death rattle

[Chimp]

Having developed a slight metallic rattle at lowish revs, I am going to examine the head this weekend, any ideas what to look out for? the noise just seems to mettallic to be bottom end, it isnt a growl - It sounds more like pinking a bit (which is unlikely but a similar sound). Anything prone to die on the top end? Cams/ cam bearings / lifters? are they hydraulic on these things? if i cross my fingers tightly enough maybe its one of those collapsing. On the other end of the scale, any places that can get an engine? Id rather replace the whole engine than take one out, strip it down and fix it.

Cheers,
Chimp (bit gutted tbh)


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Dan
Red S13

[cjones]

I had a rattle which I managed to get rid of twice by simply doing a an oil change (about 6 months apart). unfortunately, the 3rd time it happened i took it to a nissan workshop dude for him to listen to, cause it wouldn't go. It sounded to me like a top end rattle (cam or tappets) and it seemed to make sense that putting fresh oil in brought the oil pressure back up and stoped the rattling.

The nissan dude said that he'd heard this quite a few times before and it does sound like top end when it's actually the big end shells. very strange cause you'd think it'd be a deeper knock rather than a rattle. He even said that he's mis diagnosed it himself before. Got my crank reground and new oversize shells (during a complete engine rebuid) and it solved the problem.

bad news i'm afraid...

carl

[Chimp]

yup, I havent ruled out bottom end totally hence my willingness to engine swap rather than faff about tracking it down. Performance hasnt been affected and you can only hear it at 2,500rpm. I'll prolly just turn the stereo up until something breaks. I'll check the top end for any suspect clearances anyway, otherwise I'll try and track down an engine to swap with.

wheres me cowboy hat.....

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Dan
Red S13

[Nathan_200sx]

Chimp you dont want to totaly mash it up since the prices you see for replacement engines are usualy subject to you giving them your old lump and it being servicable. last time mine went they took about six months to totaly go. I got a replacement engine and big ends have just started to go on that know. it did have a five year warrenty but only if I had all my servicing done there, 40 odd miles away. this time Im just going to get them sorted at silvia engineering for around £300

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Nathan
Red S13 Mongoose, K&N T3 280ish BHP http://mysmilies.com/smilies/cwm30.gif
Empty bank account

[Jeffers_S13]

It does sound very like big end bearings. I had some trouble with mine recently. It sounds top endy, very rattley. It only happened if you held the revs stable at between 2-3000 rpm. Worse case scenario is shells go totally on the one that is making the noise and pull the bottom of the conrod off then you got big problems...I heard a rumour about someone managing to push the broken conrod through the side of the block.

DO NOT thrash it, take it very carefully i.e. below 2500rpm AT MAX. Take it to SE or if you can afford the new engine then do that. Norris offer them for £1200. SE will do shells for £300 but that is only if they aren't too bad. Best bet is to get crank reground and then have new over sized shells, cost in the region of £550-£700. I tried just having the shells done £300, but my crank was too buggered and it 'ate' through the new ones after 25 miles ! doh !

Your best bet is to speak to Pete or Dave at SE, they know their stuff. This, as has been said a hundred times before on this forum, is a common problem with the CA18DET.

James

[Clong]

Had a something similar on my s13. Rattle would start at around 2000-2500 revs and continue all the way to the redline. If i backed of the throttle and held the revs constant the rattle would go, back on the throttle rattle would come back. The rattle sounded like top end (camshaft e.t.c.), however i blew the gasket between the turbo and the exhaust manifold recently, and found that where the gasket had been disitergrating over the years and the nuts holding the turbo to the manifold were loose. After replacing the gasket and tightening every thing up again the rattle has gone for now. It maybe worth checking this out as well.

[Clong]

Had a something similar on my s13. Rattle would start at around 2000-2500 revs and continue all the way to the redline. If i backed of the throttle and held the revs constant the rattle would go, back on the throttle rattle would come back. The rattle sounded like top end (camshaft e.t.c.), however i blew the gasket between the turbo and the exhaust manifold recently, and found that where the gasket had been disitergrating over the years and the nuts holding the turbo to the manifold were loose. After replacing the gasket and tightening every thing up again the rattle has gone for now. It maybe worth checking this out as well.

[Chimp]

Originally posted by Jeffers_S13:
DO NOT thrash it, take it very carefully i.e. below 2500rpm AT MAX.

meeeheheheh... I so wish I had that kind of discipline! Im still bouncing it off the limiter. Im going to shy away from a new lump, and prolly strip mine down for a regrind and shells. Doubt very much Im gonna pay 700 quid for the honours though, thats money that can go towards a T3, bottom end rebuild shouldnt cost more than a couple of hundred quid if I do it myself. Just means a few late nights in the garage, at least its summer. Kind of.

It could be a northern "group rebuild" hehe..

Dan.



[This message has been edited by Chimp (edited 10-06-2001).]