Still horrible clicking, help :-/ (Video Included) - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

enRo · 11-04-2005, 02:13 PM

So, I'd say 95% of the mechanical problems with my WS6 are done. After all the things I did fixed, there is still that clicking upon heavy load when driving. At first I thought it would be the flexplate, but as mike (9secfirebird) pointed out first hand, that it wasnt the case. So we thought it was a lose floorboard or something hitting with the cat. That wasnt the problem. So after all the hard thinking, I thought it could be linked with the speedometer not working. So I got my raggy clothes on and went to work on the car. So turns out the VSS buffer wire was looping back to itself and not to the VSS. I figure this could be the problem! Cuz the VSS controls the speedo, overdrive, and torq convertor lockup! So I get under there and theres no trace of a VSS wire (Vehicle Speed Sensor for those that dont know). So I ended up rigging a set of wires and fixed it. The speedometer works, as does the overdrive, killing the light off the SES. But there is STILL that clicking. It does it SOMETIMES but alot more than never. Its coming from the driver side firewall area. Im taking the car out later for a video to shoot, to show what the problem is. Like I said, it only does it under heavy load, throughout the (D), D, 2, and 1 gears. It doesnt happen when in park revving the motor, BUT it does it when rolling at any speed in neutral (revving the motor of course). I am just clueless... someone HAD to have this problem sometime or another. Thanks

(PS)... The sound is hard to explain. Just picture when you were a kid, and if you ever done that bike trick where u stick a card on the front fork to get every spoke to hit it.... thats the sound, but a little louder.

-Noah

The Fixer · 11-04-2005, 06:00 PM

TPI injectors make a nasty racket under load. Maybe that's the clicking you're hearing?

enRo · 11-04-2005, 06:44 PM

Come to think of it... yea, maybe... cuz it sounds way too loud... it gives the same noise as a choke on an old carbeurator.... ill check'r out tomorrow, thanks man!

coldkilla · 11-04-2005, 10:18 PM

my injectors are so loud they sound like an exhaust leak, ive got ls1 25lb injectors in there. it could also be a collapsed lifter. i had one and it would make a horrible ticking sound under load but relatively quiet at idle.

enRo · 11-04-2005, 10:40 PM

At first, I thought it was a lifter... but it would make that noise when revving in park. So I kinda ruled that out. I think Steve could be onto something. Im gonna do some tests tomorrow, and take a vid since I was busy today. Ill post it up ASAP

The Fixer · 11-05-2005, 08:33 AM

Sounds good. Try the old "long screwdriver to your ear" trick too, and listen to the injectors. The screwdriver acts like a microphone. If that's the noise you hear, it'll be amplified by the screwdriver. Good luck!

coldkilla · 11-05-2005, 08:52 AM

a collapsed lifter will tap regardless of whatever gear you are in. it may be quiet at idle then once its loaded it will tap. you could be driving down the highway or revving it in park it shouldnt matter, the lifter is still being used. if you want to know an easy way to rule it out, take off the valve cover one side at a time and start the engine up, place a long screwdriver on the spring side of the rocker and push down hard. this will take the load off of the lifter and if the sound dissappears or gets quieter, then you have found the collapsed lifter, try them all. thats how i found mine.

enRo · 11-05-2005, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coldkilla

a collapsed lifter will tap regardless of whatever gear you are in. it may be quiet at idle then once its loaded it will tap. you could be driving down the highway or revving it in park it shouldnt matter, the lifter is still being used.

Thats what Im trying to say... I ruled it out cuz revving in park up to 5K RPMs, theres no noise. Parked in neutral makes no noise... only when the car is in motion on WOT.

enRo · 11-05-2005, 12:56 PM

Ok I took some video footage of it... on the video you can just barely hear it but you should get the picture... it only happens on WOT. I did some injector tests and seems to be in working order. I still dont think its a collapsed lifter, but Ill check to make sure tonight in the garage.

Click here to watch Ws6Driven

Ian · 11-05-2005, 09:15 PM

My thoughts on this situation:

I dont think its a collapsed lifter, if it was it should be making the noise when you rev it in park and neutral. I watched the movie and I couldnt really hear the ticking. to tell you the truth, I'm stumped

. if it only happens at wide open throttle, try to think of things that are affected by that. the a/c turns off when you go wot, correct? the egr valve closes. the tranny kicks down. the torque converter unlocks. Has the timing chain ever been replaced? if the car has a lot of miles on it, the chain could stretch enough so that under heavy load it hits the side of the cover. I'm just throwing out some ideas. you said it also happens while rolling in neutral while revving, but not wile the vehicle is stopped.

I dont know what to tell ya bud, you're just gonna have to go over all the posible culprits until you find it.

enRo · 11-05-2005, 09:25 PM

Ok Ian, Im thinking of your suggestions.... lesse, the AC accessories were removed. That could be a problem possibly. It might even be the EGR cuz it is REALLY loud on idle, it overpowers the sound of the injectors which I noticed just today. But if it was the EGR, wouldnt that throw an SES light? The Vehicle Speed Sensor controls not only the speedo and overdrive, it also controls the TC, so I fixed my VSS problem and it still made the noise. That could be a culprit. The motor roughly has 40k original miles. I went through mostly all the common and uncommon possibilites it could be and still no luck. Im gonna change the EGR tomorrow after I get back from Island, and hopefully narrow down on this problem. Thanks for the advise.

BTW Im gonna have to do another video cuz I cant even here the noise

enRo · 11-08-2005, 05:40 PM

Ok, it got WORSE over the course of the day today. Even on a light throttle I would hear it. So I pop the hood and wiggled the slightly bent pulley.... and it feels like its about to fall off!

So hopefully this is the problem... its on the driver side (where the noise is coming from). I definately feel 85% sure this is the problem.

Ian · 11-08-2005, 05:49 PM

hell yeah thats the problem! you're lucky you didnt toss it when you were doing those WOT blasts while narrowly avoiding the amish folk!

enRo · 11-08-2005, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

hell yeah thats the problem! you're lucky you didnt toss it when you were doing those WOT blasts while narrowly avoiding the amish folk!

They just walk in front of an oncoming car... I shouldve swerved and put an end to my clicking...

enRo · 11-13-2005, 03:02 PM

Over the past couple days, Ive been hearing the noise, and its gotten worse. Now Im starting to think it may be a collapsed lifter cuz I can hear it revving in park. I mostly hear it when my car hits overdrive, and I cant put more than a 1/4 throttle on the gas or else I hear it :-/ . I thought it coulda been the power steering pulley cuz it was bent and falling off.... wrong. I replaced the whole pump today and its still making the nasty racket. As long as I got something good outta replacing the pump, cuz it definately feels like my steering is 3x better

enRo · 11-13-2005, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDaddyKane

Over the past couple days, Ive been hearing the noise, and its gotten worse. Now Im starting to think it may be a collapsed lifter cuz I can hear it revving in park. I mostly hear it when my car hits overdrive, and I cant put more than a 1/4 throttle on the gas or else I hear it :-/ . I thought it coulda been the power steering pulley cuz it was bent and falling off.... wrong. I replaced the whole pump today and its still making the nasty racket. As long as I got something good outta replacing the pump, cuz it definately feels like my steering is 3x better

Actually, Chris (chrisfrom_nj) has a good point. Could be something with the alternator. My amps are fine, but when I rev it, it definately sounds like something coming from it, not like a click or squeak, but more like in between both. Ill check'r out tonight or tomorrow.