ATX knocking solved....

[SHOtimer]

Well, my new 1.6k motor made it's first trip (300 miles) home from school this weekend. I turn the block and roll down my window to hear my motor clacking....I of course was not pleased. I pulled it into the garage, the knocking was not pleasant, but didn't sound metal on metal. So, I pulled the upper timing cover off and sure enough the timing belt was flapping away. So, saturday morning I tore apart the front of my new motor (which I figured I wouldn't need to touch for at least 30k) and found my 10 year old timing belt tensioner not doing it's job and covered in the black oil that was originally inside of it (everything was spotless when it was put together). Installed my new Ford tensioner that I thankfully have stock piled and buttoned it back up and was good to go.

Did the job start to finish in 2 hrs, which I didn't think was too bad, most of it was from memory at this point.

Now, I am gonna get another tensioner to put in my drawer so I will feel safe, for another 10 years.

Doug

 

[DHMag]

ill agree, 2 hrs is impressive for the space and labor involved. good job Doug !

 

[SHOtimer]

Well, the motor has only been in there for a month or so. So, I had a fresh sense of everything, and it was all clean. Which makes for easy work.

Doug

 

[SeanMc]

Good deal! Makes me feel a bit more confident when I do mine this Wednesday.

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

man these cars break in herds...this is like what the 10th cam tensioner failure this summer?

 

[40BelowSummer]

hmmm....maybe thats my ATX's knocking noise. Before I pull the pan to change the rod bearings I should look into that.

 

[SHOtimer]

man these cars break in herds...this is like what the 10th cam tensioner failure this summer?

It was a timing belt tensioner, not a cam chain tensioner.

Doug

 

[SHOtimer]

hmmm....maybe thats my ATX's knocking noise. Before I pull the pan to change the rod bearings I should look into that.

It sounded different than a rod knock - but it is easy to check, just pull the upper timing belt cover, and start it up. My belt was flapping 1-1.5 inches between the cam gears. You will know very fast if it is the problem.

Doug

 

[TYSHO]

It was a timing belt tensioner, not a cam chain tensioner.

Doug

I think he meant that at first because all of the failures like mine, yours, tom's, seanmc, and others that I can't seem to recall.

 

[40BelowSummer]

It sounded different than a rod knock - but it is easy to check, just pull the upper timing belt cover, and start it up. My belt was flapping 1-1.5 inches between the cam gears. You will know very fast if it is the problem.

Doug

Yeah it isnt so much a rod knock, it reminds me of a faint diesel type noise. Ill have to remove the cover one of these days.

 

[SeanMc]

I just put a stethoscope to the belt cover and it was so loud that I couldn't keep it on there for any amount of time. Pulled the cover off, and sure enough, there was a lot of play in the belt. Another sign is when you get to a certain rpm, it goes away. I get to 2k rpm, and it's like nothing is wrong. I'm parking it until Weds when I go to GoofSHO's place because he has power tools (and tools in general) .

 

[SHOtimer]

I guess mine might have been worse than Sean's because I had it up to 5k and the belt was still flapping....

Doug

 

[revhardSHO]

Wow you managed to find a brand new motor, how did you manage that??? How much did you pay?

 

[SHOtimer]

Wow you managed to find a brand new motor, how did you manage that??? How much did you pay?

I rebuilt a 3.2 that I had. Boiled the block, new freeze plugs, new rings, new bearings, fresh hone, polished crank, and reused the stock pistons....runs like it is brand new though... :corn:

Doug