SR20DET Rattling/Clacking *Video*

[RoYaL FLuSH]

Engine is a '91 s13 SR20det redtop. I recently discovered an intermittent rattling/clacking sound coming from under the valve cover towards the front of the engine. There is a more obvious rattle on start up which immediately goes away but the sound reappears after the engine has already warmed up. It does not seem to be RPM dependant and the car still runs fine with no loss of performance.

The rattle on start up is easily heard from inside the car but the rattle when the engine is warm is more faint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAavH3wOKBM

When I first heard the sound I assumed it was timing chain related... but when I heard sound clips of supposed timing chain rattles it sounded different... what do you think?

[smelly240]

maybe the top timing chain guide?? - have u done the timing chain tensioner update? the new one is a lot better than the old type.

also that top chain guide is ok to be removed - IIRC - they have a tsb that says if they open the valve cover its to be removed??? i havent ran that guide in 2 years.

its a wierd sound ur gettin there... did you pull the valve cover at all? takes like 5 mins

[JM216S14]

I think I have the same problem with my KA24DE I start my car and its there then it goes away and comes back when its warm. At first I thought it was a pulley loose then I took the valve cover off and there were marks like the cam was grinding away the head, but Ive put 2k+ on it since and the grinds don't get bigger but the noise does'nt go away.

Does that seem anything like your problem?

[RoYaL FLuSH]

yea, my first thoughts were tensioner or guides... but like i said the sound coming from my engine sounds slightly different. so you've removed those guides on your sr without running into any complications? i thought i remember reading that it's not recomended on an sr.

as for taking off the valve cover i think that may have to wait until the weather gets a little milder in my area (mtl, canada). I'd just like some input as to what may be the cause of this sound so I can know what to look for.

joelmerrit: does the sound from your ka sound the same as in my vid?

thanks for the help thus far.

[Koopa Troopa]

They need to make it a rule.. No more asking valvetrain related questions without taking off your valve cover first.

[JM216S14]

yeah it sounds just like the noise in my KA but nothing seems to be going wrong with it and I can't get it to stop ethier.

[jakethesnake]

my engine makes a similar noise, my chain is kinda loose tho, i jsut took of my valve cover and noticed that, i have a old stock tensioner...does anyone know if its usually the tensioner that gets messed up??

[smelly240]

the stock tensioner is garbage - replace it with the updated model... its like the thing you do BEFORE you put a sr in ur car - u change that - and pull the oil pan and get a updated oil pickup or cut the hole bigger.

[RoYaL FLuSH]

^^^ actually, the car is a jdm silvia which already had the sr20 in there

i managed to pin point exactly where the sound was coming from. it was not coming from under the valve cover, but from the power steering... possibly the bearing. putting a stethoscope to the pulley confirmed this. I'll be taking it apart soon and consult you guys if i run into complications.

thanks for the help so far