KA24de problem, video clip

[SkunX]

I just bought my '93 240 and the timing chain is causing a rattle, but last night on my way to take my girlfriend home, I noticed the power steering belt was squealing really bad. It had been raining hard for the past 2 days so I wrote it off as the belts just being wet...But after about 5 mins of driving it I noticed the steering was acting very funny. Right after I took a turn the car bogged down and the steering started to jerk around. I went to turn around and go back to my house and I heard a really bad knocking, so I babied it home and here it sits... Any ideas of what it might be, I would really apperciate it, I'm new to Nissans and there isn't an auto parts store in town that has any 240 manuals (like chiltons or whatever company makes them).

Video here, it's just for the soundclip (http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1604374571)

[los_inc]

try replacing some belts and look for the FSM online try google it's out there some where.

[Eric240sx1990]

have you tried the normal maintenance things. Check the spark plugs, plug wire/conections, distributor, coil. Did u replace the oil in it? go ahead and check all these things. It could be just running on 3 cylinders. OR your rod could be knocking. use a screwdriver and hold it up to ur ear, put the metal end to the engine and listen for where the knocking is taking place... thats the second thing to check after the spark and oil.

you might be able to get away with a hundred miles or so with the engine like that, untill something is very likely to brake. How many miles are on the engine?

[Sileighty_85]

I dont know that much about the KA's but it almost sounds like you threw a Valve Shim. Rip the valve cover off and check inbetween the rocker arm and valve spring. if its like an SR the Shim should sit on top of the Valve spring retainer. This is a pic of the SR's valves so i dont know what ur will look like but I circled the shims http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i235/Neil_85/Shims.jpg

[SkunX]

have you tried the normal maintenance things. Check the spark plugs, plug wire/conections, distributor, coil. Did u replace the oil in it? go ahead and check all these things. It could be just running on 3 cylinders. OR your rod could be knocking. use a screwdriver and hold it up to ur ear, put the metal end to the engine and listen for where the knocking is taking place... thats the second thing to check after the spark and oil.

you might be able to get away with a hundred miles or so with the engine like that, untill something is very likely to brake. How many miles are on the engine?

I changed the oil the day after I bought the car, and changed the oil filter, I pulled the plugs the other day and their pretty dirty, I have a Acura integra sitting in my front yard, so I'm gonna take the plugs outta that (almost new). The wires and connectors are in good shape, what should I be looking for with the distributor and coil? I've never checked them before. The engine dosn't even have 98k miles on it.

I dont know that much about the KA's but it almost sounds like you threw a Valve Shim. Rip the valve cover off and check inbetween the rocker arm and valve spring. if its like an SR the Shim should sit on top of the Valve spring retainer. This is a pic of the SR's valves so i dont know what ur will look like but I circled the shims

I can go out and take a picture in a few minutes and take a look around...

Also I was searching around and found another post on another fourm where the poster seems to have had the same problem as me, and they said it was most likely a rod knocking. I pulled the plug wires one at a time and the knock never went away, does that mean anything serious?

Sorry to be asking such basic questions guys, Thank you all so much for helping me out espc. on christmas eve, My 240 was my gift to myself this year after my Integra got totalled, and this is stressing me out big time.

[SkunX]

I pulled the spark plugs and there was a little bit of oil on the base of all 4, but it wasn't really that much, just enough to notice.

Also here are 2 pictures, It's dark out and the area where I work on my car isn't really that good at night, i have a reading lamp hanging from the top...(I'm poor...lol)

http://img185.imageshack.us/img185/2559/240top003ue8.jpg
http://img291.imageshack.us/img291/8190/240top006kd2.jpg
Where on here would the shim be, (or are there not shims on KA's?)

[Sileighty_85]

This is the exact same set up as a 4AGE In my AE86 right under the cam lobe is the shim the round shiny thing bigger than a quarter. so the shim probably not the problem. Take a flash light and look down in the cylinders and see if you see anything out of the ordinary (like a valve)
But I think you spun a rod bearing.

[SkunX]

This is the exact same set up as a 4AGE In my AE86 right under the cam lobe is the shim the round shiny thing bigger than a quarter. so the shim probably not the problem. Take a flash light and look down in the cylinders and see if you see anything out of the ordinary (like a valve)
But I think you spun a rod bearing.

I've never done anything this involving when it's come to my cars (I've never had to, I'm only 17 and this is my 2nd car, the other was an Integra). I'm confused about loking down into the cylinders. Would I have to take the Cams out in order to do this?

[Sileighty_85]

nah dude just look down through the spark plug hole

[SkunX]

I didn't see anything out of the ordinary...any other ideas?

I love this fourm! You guys are the shit!

[Sileighty_85]

your powersteering thing throws me off but from the video it sound like a spun rod bearing. a buddy of mines Evo III made the same noise you could only hear it when he rev'd the engine. the previous owner dogged the shit out of it @ like 1.3bar (or somthin retarded with a stock turbo. when he bought it he turned it down to stock and was driving it normal to work and all of a sudden started knockin.
Did the car come come with some kind of warranty?

[Super Soap]

as sileight85 said, it sounds like rod knock, pull off your oil filter, cut it with a hack saw, and tear apart the paper filter element looking for copper/gold/silver metal flakes, and if you have those then you spun a bearing probably from sludge (the thick black stuff thats on your head right now)

[thundering02]

Sounds like my old Teg when it spun a couple of rod bearings.. :(

[Dr.Baby]

rod knock. motors trash. throw it out.

[bamaboy]

yeah dude it sounds like you have some pretty bad problems.....but you've caught it before you damage your block or head....+1 for rebuild

[SkunX]

I posted a thread about this on a Tampa based fourm (I bought the car down in Tampa), and one of the members there had a little information for me...

...and while I was their they had your car apart and a guy was still trying to fix the timing chain. Anyway the point of this story was I hope they let you know about this before you bought it cause if not you might want to talk to them?

And they said the car was in complete working order, and also said they replaced the timing chain, no mention of the fact that there was obviously a major problem...

The car didn't come with any kind of warranty...

Merry Christmas to me :wtc:

[Ninjabread]

^^ Just get another one put in for really cheap. Then rebuild the old one, and turbo. simple as that ;)

[SkunX]

^^ Just get another one put in for really cheap. Then rebuild the old one, and turbo. simple as that ;)

Thats a really good idea...
Depending on what happens with my insurance (my pervious car a 91 integra was totaled, and the way my luck has been lately I might not get as much as I need to break even with buying the 240.) I'm seriously considering an SR20det swap, but if that isn't in the picture, another KA for me, and I'll save up my money and rebuild/turbo it.

[Ninjabread]

Yea just plop in another KA until you can afford to do what you want. And remember, always do it right the first time. Don't half ass shit. If you can't afford it, wait it out.

[aznpoopy]

before you write off the car, do some checks.

my car made a similar noise once. scared the shit out of me. turned out the fan shroud cracked in half and the fan was hitting it while it was running.

first thing to do is pinpoint the noise. naturally, visual inspection first to see if anything is loose and hitting.

second thing to do is get a mechanic's stethoscope for $20 from your local autoparts store and start putting the prong on the head, block and accessories. wherever that knocking sound is coming from will be where you hear it loudest through the stethoscope.

[infinitexsound]

swap a new motor............. sell the old one as a core....