Timing chain knock

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NiSSanFreAk
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Timing chain knock

Post by NiSSanFreAk »

Can anyone explain what a timing chain knock sounds like. Or maybe have a audio clip of the noise. I really think i have a timing chain knock, but im no master mechanic. So ill try to get an audio clip on a host and play it for you, but till then anyone got any ideas?
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cfin3
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Post by cfin3 »

hey i have the same noise on my 96'. Ive searched about it and im pretty sure its just your timing chain guides that are worn. Alot of people say to just remove the guides which is b/s in my mind. You need the guides or else they wouldnt be there
Bone
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Post by Bone »

SOHC's dont have the upper guide that tends to break and rattle. It could very well be the timing chain but be warned that alot of times it is wrist pin peck or rods on a SOHC. ;) I have had 3 SOHCs with that issue 2 were wrist pins and one was rods.
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NiSSanFreAk
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Post by NiSSanFreAk »

*****!!!! If its a rod, im *****, wrist pin really cant be that good either. But i noticed when it warms up a bit, it get a little better. Ill get the noise on a .wav file. So we will know a bit more about it.
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Jim-o
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Post by Jim-o »

My sohc would do it at startup for maybe a second. sohc have plastic guides that wear and fall apart, btw. The rattle can also be associated with low oil pressure, which makes sense at startup. It basically sounds like someone is tapping really fast on a loud, old school typewriter. rod knock is louder and slower (at idle). I would also say that rod knock sounds hollower.
it's a damn shame when people throw away a perfectly good white boy like that

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NiSSanFreAk
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Post by NiSSanFreAk »

Yea i had a rod knock a few weeks ago, but that was due to low oil. It went away after i put new oil in it and drove it for a few minutes. So it could be low oil pressure u say? Its a really wierd sound accualy. I dont know what to think anymore. One of you said it doesnt have guides another said it does. WUHH? Well im just going to record the niose and you guys can determine it from thier ok? It gives you a better sense of what it may be.
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Bone
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Post by Bone »

I didnt say it doesnt have guides I just said it does not have the common guide that the DE's have problems with. :wink:
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Post by klattr1 »

cfin3 wrote:Alot of people say to just remove the guides which is b/s in my mind. You need the guides or else they wouldnt be there
thats not true. thats what recalls are for. parts that tend to break need to come off or be fixed.

my s13 daily driver was making alot of noise from timing chain area. i popped open the valve cover and the upper timing chain guide was just laying on top of the chain cuz it was broken off. glad that thing wasnt too small to work its way futher down.
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Post by Jim-o »

If your motor is a sohc, then it very well could be the plastic guides falling apart or low oil pressure (get a gauge). Try running thicker oil to see if the noise goes away.
If it is dohc, then it most likely is the upper guide that should be removed. It is simply 2 bolts, iirc.
it's a damn shame when people throw away a perfectly good white boy like that

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NiSSanFreAk
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Post by NiSSanFreAk »

Ok thank you Jim- 0 and klatt and etc... Well i did a test today in autos. We reved my motor slowly to 5,000. And the noise wasnt there. But when i put down excessive pressure on the gas to 5,000, it made the crackle noise. So my autos teacher thinks its due to exhuast leak. I said well, i dont think it would make that kind of noise, but he insisted it was. So im still in denial, in case u didnt notice im a freak when it comes to odd noises or small vibrations, so im going to go out and buy some nice pennzoil 10w40 high mileage oil. We shall see if that works. Right now im running 5w30 Mobile oil. So theres most likely going to be a difference. Thanks for the help guys, i could also check the guides, it wouldnt be a huge burden on my shoulders, lol. I was about 2 days away from buying a timing chain kit. OH he also said my timing could be off, i mentioned that the chain is old and could be bagged out, he said that may be it. But for now, im not worried anymore. Ill have to see what the oil does, and go from there.
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Joe S14
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Post by Joe S14 »

Don't all KA motors make some sort of a wierd noise? The one that almost sounds like it is coming from the cams? I thought this was just normal noise because everyone of the KA 240sx's i know and all the altimas too make a similar noise.
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NiSSanFreAk
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Post by NiSSanFreAk »

Lol i guess i can still get the noise on a .wav file so you can hear it, but im really not that worried about it. Ill try to get one, gimmi about 30 min or so. Then im going to work.
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Post by Jim-o »

don't switch your oil brand/weight too often. btw, 10w-30 is better than 10w-40. The extra products added to allow it to span to 40 weight makes 10w-30 superior and less likely to gum up, etc..
it's a damn shame when people throw away a perfectly good white boy like that

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LigouriRd.
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Post by LigouriRd. »

Does this sound like rod knock or just normal KA noise?
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictu ... 3078&idx=1 (hope yall have an account with imagestation)
I can hear kind of a click-knock in tune with the rotation of the engine from when I listen under the car. I cant hear anything when the engine is rev-ed but then again I caint hear much with straight thru exhaust.
The oil is 5w30 full synthetic, oil pressure is sitting at ~12psi at idle. I hope that I am just being paranoid.
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Post by nissanfanatic »

Its too short to pick anything up. I have a strange lil noise too. Its like a very faint tick, but kinda sounds like typical chassis noise from the S13. Its at 2500rpm and sounds like somone flicking a hard surface lightly. But my car makes all kinds of wierd noises too.lol Squeaks, rattles, ect just from being an S13.lol IDK. Only thing I can do is drive it till it breaks. Still pulls hard in boost.
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LigouriRd.
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Post by LigouriRd. »

Its a sharp cyclic thump, sounds like it is coming from the back or the engine or the clutch area. I know its probably hard to tell from that clip. I don't hear it alll as the engine is reved.
"There is no such thing as too much boost. You could have too little rod, piston, sleeve, head gasket or timing. But never too much boost."

'91 Nissan 240SX
'96 Nissan 240SX KA-T
'05 Grand Cherokee (4x2)
'85 Honda Nighthawk 450SC
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Realchaos1
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Post by Realchaos1 »

whoa, it sounds like a diesel! My SOHC sounded like a diesel before it went out...
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ChicagoS14T
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Post by ChicagoS14T »

hard to tell, but most 240s ive seen sound like a damn diesel truck hehe
DarkForceJackal
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Post by DarkForceJackal »

Timing chain knock typically sounds like a clicking from the front of your valve cover (DOHC's anyway). It starts when you start the car, especially cold, and sometimes during idling. But sounds like a clicking or rattling.

There is a Nissan Technical Service Bulletin (DOHC's ONLY) to remove the upper timing chain guide. If you don't, it may (and HAS BEEN KNOWN TO) get chewed to bits and end up in your oil pan and cause other chaos!

I had a light clicking (sounded like lifters/valves clicking) only sometimes on startup and idle. My car is at 157,000kms or about 100,000 miles, apparently around when this sound can start. I removed the guide, screwed the bolts back in without the guide there and it totally fixed the problem. :D

More info and pics in this thread:
http://www.son240sx.ca/forum/viewtopic. ... highlight=
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LigouriRd.
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Post by LigouriRd. »

Some of the noise is from the timing chain, that is typical of all KADE's. I put new timing chains on the motor while I was rebuilding it...It never had the upper timing chain guard. There is also some noise from the bigger injectors.
I guess I need to get someone with more experience to take a look at it, I need to get it dyno tuned anyhow. Time to make an appointment with Sound performance/Ivan.
"There is no such thing as too much boost. You could have too little rod, piston, sleeve, head gasket or timing. But never too much boost."

'91 Nissan 240SX
'96 Nissan 240SX KA-T
'05 Grand Cherokee (4x2)
'85 Honda Nighthawk 450SC
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