Clicking Valvetrain

[skeeterone2]

Okay... my battery went dead on my car . after i tried to turn it over a few times only to get a few revolutions of the crank i made this assuption... so my friend got his juper cables and we jumped my car... it started up with some hesitation but it started... ... it started rough and ideled rough for about 3 sec and the was fine but with a very bad tap coming from my valvetrain that was definitly not there before... i was pissed... i stook there in disbelief... i reved the engine modestly right from the thottle body and listened.. i didnt thik a dead battery would make a valve tap like hell... so anyway i drove about 10 miles home and by the time i got home the tap had gone away. now... i have a few ideas of what could have happened... the valve got seated wierd somehow because of trying to start it when the engine would barely turn... or it was knock from excess fuel burning off from when i was trying to start it... i dont know if it was a knock because i dont know what that sounds like and it sounded much like a laud lifter or something of that nature... it sounded like a pen tapping on a piece of wood... is anyone has any input on this it would be greatly appreciated. should i be concerned about this... and what exactly was that noise... i have a 92' Lumina 3.1 with 73,000 miles on it. Thank you.

[skeeterone2]

RE: Clicking Valvetrain

Update on the battery situation. i tried charging it today... but my efforts were fruitless... the battery only held the charge for a few hours. so on monday i will be making a trip the deka plant a few miles away and seeing if they have a battery for me. i took a trip with it after i let it sit for a few hours and i barley got it started... on another note there was no laud tapping coming from my valvetrain.... but im still curious about what that could have been.

[skeeterone2]

RE: Clicking Valvetrain

well looks like i dont have to worry about it... sombody would have jumped down my neck about it by now.

[TheProfessor]

RE: Clicking Valvetrain

how frequent was the tapping in comparison to engine rpm and where did the sound appear to be comming from

[skeeterone2]

RE: Clicking Valvetrain

front valve cover... and it was going with the engine rpm... it was frequent... and consistant... but then it went away.

[TheProfessor]

RE: Clicking Valvetrain

sure it was from the valve cover
if it was valvetrain noise it would have been at half of engine frequency
might have actaully been a small leak at the exhaust manifold
they can sound like that

[imported_germ]

piston slap probably.

if it went away went it got warm i bet thats what it was.

[skeeterone2]

piston slap?... i dont know what that is... it never came back... it was only that one time... and yeah it was clicking at about half the engine speed. on another note i got the battery in and it runs great... because you all know how easy it is to get to the battery in a W body it only took me about 5 min to change it.

[TheProfessor]

if it went away it was probably a lifter tick and the lifter adjusted itself so i wouldnt worry about it
oh and i feel ya on the W body battery replacement
my first time i was like :wtf1:

[skeeterone2]

yeah man thank you

[Juglenaut]

Piston slap refers to the point at which the piston is being pulled up (to much vac) on it way down, or pushed just before coming around to go back up, piston slap is more of a timing issue, somewhat worn pins and rod bearings.

It is possible for a piston to make noise if it is not timed right to the valve train

[the4biddendonut]

sounds like a lifter to me. i have a lifter that i've been too lazy to replace that ticks for about a minute after i start the car, then it goes away.[/b]

[johnc]

about lifter noise...has anyone used an engine flush to get the lifters to quiet down? The stuff you pour into the crankcase and change the oil?

[the4biddendonut]

my mechanic swears that my lifter problem will go away when i run the GM top end engine cleaner through a couple times. he claims that the cleaner will free the lifter. he's a really good mechanic that works at a GM dealership, and swears that he has seen it work before, but i still have my doubts about that fixing the problem.

[skeeterone2]

thats interresting... thanks for the info. there is a thread that compairs GM top end cleaner and sea foam... its a dead heat between the two if you ask me... and dumping water into an engine is in there too.