3SGTE 'clatter' - near main pulley

[KE25-KP30]

Hey guys,
The MR2's developed a bit of a clatter down by the front pulley. I've pulled it down to the cambelt and checked, all looks ok, and today I pulled the sump off and checked all the big ends which look fine.
I'm a little lost where to go from here, it's all back together and I'd love some ideas - or even a box of beers to someone who knows something about 3S's and can come to Mt Wellington and have a listen!

Any ideas appreciated.

Cheers,
Kent

[iOnic]

How did you check the big ends? They can look fine but have excessive clearance. Also how is your water pump/oil pump? Is it a metallic clatter or could it be a loose plastic cover?

[gt4dude]

I posted a video on youtube a while ago when I blew the oil seals in my turbine and smoked like a bitch. Was trying to figure out the smoke, anyways theres some motor sounds,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61f2oO_rrfc

do you hear anything from mine that sounds like what you're talking about?

[gt4dude]

I've been chasing noises in my car for years , it's driving me nuts.

[gt4dude]

Some chattter went away when i replaced my alternator cuz it f**ked out. only charged to like 9v. barely enuff to keep the motor running,but not enuff to crank the starter

you'd think the battery warning light would tell me something was up with the charging system, but the light flickers on with the cat convertor light, so I thought it was just because I had a downpipe instead of a cat convertor. Lol

My guess is the ECU always needs to see 12v from the EGT circuit or something

that video is after the alternator change, so unfortunately you wont hear that particular one, but is there anything else you hear?

[KE25-KP30]

I just checked the big ends by looks, no big marks/scouring etc, didn't check for play though. I replaced the water pump about 8000k's ago with the cambelt and tensioners, although didn't touch the oil pump. What do these sound like when they're gone?
It's sort of both metallic and plastic, although soft metallic, not deep - if this makes sense!
The alternator belts off so it won't be that but thanks for the ideas!

Took a bit of a video, you may get motion sickness taking it but the noise is about what it sounds like!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h37Efbtj97k

Thanks guys.

[eskimo]

Are the pully's rubbing/touching anything?

[solitaire]

Pretty much every mr2 i have ever been in has sounded like its about to disintegrate at any moment... deifnitely not a normal noise?

[gt4dude]

i think i see the problem, theres a private plane in the background and we can't hear your motor over the noise.

nah just kidding, i've never had any noise like that quite so loud, once i had a similar noise but not as loud, went away when I unplugged the intake pipe, turned out to be a friggin twig caught in the air cleaner box. i doubt thats what you have though

[KE25-KP30]

Haha! No, no twig I don't think.

Mm, they do seem to rattle pretty good, but this is something else. I wondered about the pulleys rubbing but I don't think they are. Something which may help identify is at about 23seconds when it stalls it's very pronounced like "tick-tick-tick" as the engine slows. I also wonder if one of the idlers has come loose since I did the cambelt.

When I listen with a hose the noise is loudest when I tuck it up behind the bottom pulley at about 7 oclock on a clock face - if that makes sense.

Baffled as yet!

Thanks for the suggestions again!

[Malcolm]

not an exhaust leak is it? They can sometimes make remarkably rattly kinds of sounds, although I would be a bit surprised if it was the case here.

Have you tried the screwdriver stethoscope trick?

[Akane]

Back when I had the TD06, I blew a big end, it didn't sound like that.

[Vertigo]

sounds to me like a bit of plastic stuck and getting battered by the pulley. or an exhaust leak.

[85AW20v]

Agree with Malcolm - exhaust leak. Get a bit of garden hose about a metre long put one end in your ear and track down the noise with the other end. It'll just about blow your eardrum out when you find it.

[gt4dude]

Good point, the noise doesnt start while cranked by the starter, only when it catches ignition

[gt4dude]

then again I had an obvious exhaust leak in my video and mine wasnt that loud,

i did have one exhaust leak ages ago actually, that sounded like a metallic ringing sound on deceleration around 3500 down to 1800 rpms

[Celica RA45]

its not the windage tray loose at all and the crank is hitting it
as these were std on the gen 3 3sge motors

[KE25-KP30]

Exhaust leak is a fair point, although following checking the bearings I ran it with the exhaust off from the downpipe and it was still there.

I've done the hose trick which leads me to behind the bottom pulley. The only thing I can think of in behind there are idler bearings and the oil pump. Has anyone heard of an oil pump going?

I've also tried the screw driver and there is no 'solid' noise wherever I place it, which leads me to the thought of plastic. Haha, doesn't really narrow it down tho huh?

Perhaps I'll pull it back down to the cambelt again and try running it without the covers (carefully) and see if the hose can get me any closer to the origin.

I removed the windage tray when I checked the bearings and it was tight when I put it back on (and if the windage tray is in the sump, that piece of metal wasn't rattling either when I cleaned the sump out!

Also, how does one check the oilpump for condition?

Thanks again guys

[MilfHunter]

Sluggish building pressure and low pressure at idle.

With the cambelt off, there should be no movement of the oilpump shaft

Once it's open any scoremarks will affect pressure, did you have much metalic gunk in the sump?
That tends to get sucked up and chewed on by the oil pump before the filter can do it's job

This one was toast

[Celica RA45]

you sure you set the cam timming back up right ,sounds funny as when you start it ,it stalls very easily .also last 1 check your leads