Did I blow my motor?

[Leiden]

Have I killed my beloved Beams DVVTi Turbo?

Was driving out to the beach today and floored it to pass a caravan and instead of boosting it backfired and left a little puff of smoke in the rearview, then finally took off...I know its done this before, but this time I noticed the ticking sound after...

Took it to a local mechanic and he said its most likely something to do with the head, he said the sound was coming from the top of the engine.

I just took the valve cover off and checked all the valve clearences but they all seemed fine, I think one was about 0.4mm but that wouldnt make such a loud sound would it? I recently (yesterday) put 15w40 Castrol GTX into it, was originally running Castrol Edge 5w30

It changes with the engine rpm, constant ticking, doesnt sound like a big end does it?

Heres a couple of video's, 2nd one is probably best towards the end...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR4NgTTFAR4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiacY4PuSEo

What do you guys think?

[johndoe1025]

try find a stethiscope and touch round things to find the source of the noise. its not piston slap isit? or valves touching the pistons?

[Akane]

I reckon it's exhaust manifold leaking.

Backfire = big pressure in the manifold = something gave way.
and leaking exhaust manifold makes ticking sound.
And if it was a big end, your car would be dead by now, dead big ends don't last very long. My MR2 lasted hm... 1km before it piston slapped. The 2E corolla I had lasted hm..... 1km before it sounds like as if there's a construction going on under the bonnet, but I still drove it home tho

[Leiden]

I dont think its piston slap, the head is sitting 0.8mm higher than stock with the thicker head gasket...

Checked clearences between buckets and cams and they are all close to spec apart from the odd 0.4mm one, if the valves werent closing properly it would mean the bucket was hard up againt the cam wouldnt it? Also the pistons have valve reliefs since its vvti so wouldnt the sound go away when vvti is off... or on? Its there constantly

I'm going to hope its the idler bearing, if not drop the sump and see whats up

I drove it about 50km's after the ticking started, still drove perfect, boosted hard, idled fine... so dunno, guess I'll also check the manifold?

[Akane]

Lol you're over complicating things. /faint

Idler bearing almost never make a ticking noise, but rather a woowoowoo noise.

[Leiden]

Just super worried I'm going to need a whole new motor...

Would I be able to feel escaping gas from around the manifold with it still on the motor?

I've heard in another thread that a very bad bearing on one of the pulleys can cause the ticking sound, or sometimes the actual VVT pulleys?

I always thought that an exhaust leak sound kind of makes a sloppy air-flick sound, kind of like missfire?

[Adamal]

Hah. If you needed a whole knew motor, you'd REALLY know about it!

It almost sounds like a metal on metal squeek. Like theres something not getting oil.
After running it up, try taking the cam covers off and see if theres a dry spot there?

Also, by the sounds of it, you didn't put diesel in it, did you?

[Leiden]

Haha nah made sure it was 95 Unless the Mobil up here managed to put diesel in the petrol

Hmmm do you think its related to going up from Castrol Edge 5w30 to Castrol GTX Protec 15w40 motor oil?

I did have a look and there was oil everywhere, well in the right places, everything was all lubed up, do you think a blocked gallery would let 5w30 through but not the 15w40?

Do you think that overtightening the camshaft bearing cap bolts say 10nm would cause such a problem?

Torque wrench didnt go down that low

[kim0663]

i think akane is onto something. warped manifolds tend to make that noise too, and it seems to be the only logical reason for all this to happen with a backfire

[johndoe1025]

if im thinking correctly, you could hold a lit match/lighter/small blowtorch around the manifold, if theres a leak, it should go out?

[RomanV]

Akane is like the online, engine killing version of Charon.

I think he's taken enough 3S's to the afterlife to qualify.

All you can do now is tape some silver coins over the cam gears, if Akane posts in your thread then your motor is already ****ed

[d1 mule]

thats def not a big end man, sounds like leaky exhaust gasket, always start with the easiest things first

[Akane]

i think akane is onto something. warped manifolds tend to make that noise too, and it seems to be the only logical reason for all this to happen with a backfire

Exactly, and becoz it's turbo'd most likely it has an aftermarket manifold, or at least modified one, been fiddled with, and most likely it's not on as securely as Toyota intended, or even it couldn't handle the extra weight of the turbo.

All you can do now is tape some silver coins over the cam gears, if Akane posts in your thread then your motor is already ****ed

lulwat, I am innocent!

[Leiden]

I'm about to take the exhaust manifold off, start it, and see if the sound remains,

I was told on the Altezzaclub that it could be a broken ring, checked the spark plugs and none of them have any damage, they all look ok,

I guess when the exhaust manifold is off I can look for metal shavings, will check the oil if the tapping is still there without the exhaust manifold

Wish me luck

[rollaholic]

i love how so many 3S owners assume the worst of their engines

[Lloyd]

And if it was a big end, your car would be dead by now, dead big ends don't last very long. My MR2 lasted hm... 1km before it piston slapped.

I'm assuming you mean the piston hit the head. Just so you know, thats not piston slap



"Piston slap is nothing new to piston driven internal combustion engines and compressors. It is the secondary (sideways or perpendicular) movement of a piston against the side of a cylinder bore where the primary movement of a piston is intended to be parallel (up and down) to the cylinder bore. All piston driven internal combustion engines and compressors have a certain amount of piston slap.

Excessive piston slap occurs when the clearance between the piston and the cylinder bore is too great. The piston to cylinder bore clearance becomes too great either through wear, mismatched pistons and cylinder bores at manufacturing or, a combination of both. The audible noise associated with excessive piston slap is due to the perpendicular impact of the piston against the wall of the cylinder bore. Audible piston slap is typically loudest when the engine is first started up. The pistons then expand with heat reducing the piston to cylinder bore clearance thus, reducing the perpendicular impact of the piston against the cylinder wall and its resulting noise. "

[d1 mule]

^^^ i wouldnt start the car with no manifold man.......... lots os stuff can catch fire in ye engine bay

[Leiden]

Ok,

Just taken the manifold off and tested for the knocking sound and its still there,

There was nothing in the manifold to suggest any damage to pistons rings or piston skirt,

I'm starting to think that maybe one of the camshaft bearings is worn and the camshaft is moving around, does that sound likely?

I guess I'll have to check the oil for metal...

[Adamal]

I'm thinking that maybe overtightening the bearing cap could be it... It does sound like its coming from that area, and it sounds like something is getting starved of oil, which could happen if it was too tight to let oil get in there.
That might also relate to why its happened after going to a thicker oil. Maybe a thinner one managed to get in the bearing fine, but a thicker one didn't.

Wouldn't explain the backfire though. Unless one of the cams hadn't advanced to where it was supposed to be at that rev range (eg VVTi).

I dunno, can't hurt to check it out.

[Leiden]

I think the backfire may have been because its running a bit rich -- I.E. 10.0:1

It happened right when I floored it, foot planted, a couple of missfires, a backfire, and then takes off!

Do you think it could be a broken ring? If so wouldnt that leave bits and pieces in the exhaust manifold?

Will check the camshaft bearing caps next!