jtsporsche

VERY loud "clicking" when the engine is cold. its coming from the distributor/front cam housing area.

i remember reading a post a while ago that said something about a timing chain (and of course i cant find it now)
someone suggested the distributor

but since it goes away after the engine warms up, im thinking it may be something actually IN the engine. and as weeks go by, it seems to be getting worse.

Calmchaos

Lifters are ticking? Oil might be too thick to get up there quickly in the cold?
My guess.

xsboost90

what model 944 is it? It could be the check valve for the head is not holding and the lifters are ticking until they pump back up w/ oil- or it could be-if its an S model- that the chain tensioner is not pumping up or the guide is worn.

jtsporsche

its an '87. 924S,. normal old 2.5 8v.
and im running the suggested 20w-50, just started to use it actually.

and xboost- i have no idea what a check valve is, and honestly im not sure what a lifter is.

Calmchaos

How cold is it there in Virginia? You may want to go to 15-40 or 10-40 until the weather warms up.

jtsporsche

well at nights until morning when i leave for school, it gets way down there. below 30 the other night. woke up and i found a good opportunity for some snow pics.
but even today it was mabey 60 (im not a good judge of temp.) it was still making the sound.

now that i think of it i do remembe people saying they use thinner oil in winter. wish i would have thought of that before.

jtsporsche

BUMP
any other thoughts?

Tom M'Guinn

Can you post a video with sound?

jtsporsche

no. not right now anyway, the only video camera i have is on a cheap digital camera, and it has no sound. mabey later today, tomorrow at the latest.

but it is VERY VERY loud and i can even hear it inside of the car. all i can say is that its a clicking. like the second had on a big clock going bezerk

Calmchaos

You don't have a knock do you!? You would know if it was loud and strong enough to be a rod knock right?
"VERY VERY loud" is scary!

jtsporsche

no sorry, i wouldnt. but i would describe it as VERY VERY loud if i can hear it from inside.
but get this, i just got back from a little drive, and when i started it up, guess what, there was no sound. go figure!

rod knock is bad, why? and can it be fixed? (semi cheaply)

Calmchaos

Rod knock is SUPER bad! But that wouldn't just go away. So you can cross that off the list.
I'm pretty sure it's your oil/lifters/check valve. I would check clarks garage for info on all that.

And a rod knock would mean a bearing got toasted, and the connecting rod is loose on the crank, banging around and killing the hopes and dreams of men. You would know if you heard it. It sounds like Iron Man trying to punch his way out of the engine.

jtsporsche

ok thank you, that thought has been sitting in the back of my mind, haunting my dreams for a while.
ill go through clarks.

jtsporsche

after checking clarks garage, i found that the check valve page, is "currently under construction"
and i couldnt find anything about lifters, what would it be under?