edrulz2003

ok guys i raced a new GTI today and when i finished the race i started hearing this tapping noise...i thought it was a rocker tapping or something of that sort..i hit redline at around 8100 rpm when i raced but can you guys tell me what this is..



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u14IhyOh8Ak

after i thought maybe it needs oil i drove it around for a little and the sound just got louder and louder..plz help guys

Skylar1692

yea, sounds like your tapping or something got sucked into a cylinder. Pull the plugs and check to see if there is any piston damage. Best bet would be to pull the valve cover and rest the valve clearance. It doesn't take much to bend a valve. Let me know what you find.

Video link...

http://www.youtube.com/v/u14IhyOh8Ak

emjay

iTrader: (2)

question 1) did u beat the new GTI and how bad? lol

2) it sounds like u need to tune it or valve adjustment ... the engine is like putputput.. and stalls .. have u tuned her?

edrulz2003

1. lol no the GTI had a head start put i was pulling on it though...

2. no i never tuned the car since i done the swap and thats been a year now..

beadebaserr

iTrader: (7)

uh ohhh.......take your valve cover off and assess theeee damage. also, are you running on a PRB ECU or a k-pro ecu calibration? if you're just running one of the base maps on k-pro, you definitely shouldn't be taking it to 8100 rpm.

edrulz2003

thats what i was gonna do but its gettin dark outside so i wont be able to see what wrong really...

im running k pro and just used one of the calibrations that the software comes with

beadebaserr

iTrader: (7)

i'd highly recommend not driving it until you figure out what's wrong. redline is 8200rpm so i don't think it would be an over-revving issue..but then again on just a base map things could mess up.

also, try to isolate the sound the best you can. is it something that you're for sure sounds like it's in the head, or is it something that sounds like it could possibly be in the bottom end? i've got my own opinions on what it is but we'll see what others say first. hoping for the least damage for you man.

edrulz2003

no i didnt hit the rev limiter, the rev limiter on a k20 is like 8500 rpm...usually when i race my car i shift at 8000 rpm but this time i delayed shifting a lil....and i dont plan on running it to i can get it to a shop

edrulz2003

well thanks bro...i can feel the tap on the head so im almost postive its the head...maybe a rocker, valve tap or bent valve...im hoping the best but we will see

edrulz2003

come on guys anymore info

Rufus

iTrader: (17)

Just pull the valve cover. Then take a pic

flotsamm

iTrader: (1)

If you pull the valve cover check the valve lash for proper gap. Also you can pull the plugs out and inspect to see if theyre close to the same in color. The should be all greyish tan. Another thing to do is a compression check using a compression tester to see if the compression falls within range. Good luck.

edrulz2003

you guys dont think its a spun bearing do u....well i will be away for 2 weeks so thats when i will take the valve cover off and look...i hope its not a spun bearing..

xproductionz

iTrader: (14)

a spun bearing would be more of a harsh knocking sound like someones trying to get out...

a bad valve usually means more of a tapping.. usually

speedfoos

iTrader: (17)

I'll have to listen to the vid when I get home tonight, but regardless you need to pull the valve cover like everyone said and move the cylinder through TDC on each cylinder to make sure your valve train is a) on the rock when it's supposed to be and b) has the correct amount of lash (space between the rocker and valve stem when it's on the rock).

drunkenmagnum

iTrader: (5)

Piston slap.
same thing happend to me but i wasnt racing. the car would still run fine but it is only going to get much worse. i actual drove mine around for like three weeks before i bit the bullet and pulled the engine. in fact the engine is being built right now because of it.
i hoped it was the head because thats where it sounded like it was coming from. it wasnt

speedfoos

iTrader: (17)

Ouch, yeah. That's piston slap. on a valve. Pull the valve cover off. You may have dropped a valve. Ain't good man.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

how does that happen? cant the engine take the high rpms?

speedfoos

iTrader: (17)

Fault in the metal of the spring, the valve stem, improper valve lash, a mis-shift - all of these could cause a valve to drop.

flotsamm

iTrader: (1)

Go to Harbor Freight and buy a compression tester, theyre like 20 bucks. That will tell you what cylinder to look at for problems. Then pull the valve cover.

edrulz2003

ok guys i took the valve cover off and really didn't see anything out of the ordinary....heres some pics

edrulz2003

more pics...i really think the problem is in the bottom end

thefivespeeder

iTrader: (6)

maybe timing skipped a tooth

edrulz2003

ok guys so i hope its not something major cause if it is i might as well ge a k24 bottom end and just start my k24/20 build cause it will probally be cheaper.what do u guys think

xproductionz

iTrader: (14)

put your motor at TDC... the lift each rocker to see the gap between the rocker and the cam... if theres a big gap then you got a problem.. or if you want to go to auto zone and get a feeler gauge

xproductionz

iTrader: (14)

u need to take a closer look of each one..

like this..........



inspect each of theose screws with those flat head slots on top.. make sure there all the same length.. and none of them are loose.. if not just take closer pics of each lobe both intake and exhaust side

edrulz2003

i checked those screws like u said "x" and there all tight and all..i also started it again to see if i can hear and feel for the tapping and i still think its the head somewhere...well anyways its goin to a performance shop tomorrow and if its a lot of damage im just gonna do a k24/20 swap

02fpcivic

Yeah thats a bad sound. If you dropped a valve you'd have lunched the motor entirely. Most likely its probably from motor being run low on oil. It doesnt take much to smoke a k20 top end. More than a 1/2 quart low at 8000rpms+ can make em sound like that. The top end is the first to go, starts with valve guides and goes from there. Once a guide wears it lets the valve move all over the place and more damage is done. Not to mention that if there is slop, that means more clearance, lower oil pressure and progressively more problems. I bet if you do a compression test you'll find a #3 or #4 cyl is reading low. It would only be a lower end rap if you had extreme detonation or like 1.5+ quarts low, but most likely you'd lock up the motor before you pounded the bearings out at that point. A broken ring land or two dont usually make much harsh noise, generally the engine just runs lumpy as all hell if its running. You are looking at spending some cashola to get rid of that noise. K20 = $$$$$$ Let us know how you make out. I think its in the head, probably a bent valve but its hard to tell from a video.

edrulz2003

ok guys i took the car to my mechanic and he's sayin from the sound of it, its a broken rod...tomorrow morning he's takin the oil pan off to see if his assumption is correct...

my question to you guys is...if its the bottom end do you think i should get a k24 bottom end of try to fix the bottom end i got now...

02fpcivic

Take it to another mechanic! If it were a broken rod youd be having serious issues. If a rod in that thing snapped you'd be picking up peices of that block off the road. That guy is trying to scam you!!!