alanbobalan

i have a 94 2wd 5 spd pickup.

ok so i'm hearing this rattling noise coming from my engine when the engine is under a load, such as going up a long hill.

i'm thinking my valves might need adjustment, but i also know it had a complete valve job done when the head was replaced about 10k ago.

what kind of job would it be to adjust the valves so they aren't so noisy? i've also heard that sometimes on these engines the rockers arms can tap the bottom of the valve cover. any thoughts, comments, or suggestions before i get ready to take the valve cover off?

rdlsz24

It's not too big of a job:

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...er.pdf#page=21

Rob

My814x4

Have you checked the timing, it sounds like spark knock rather than valves, valves will make noise idling .

mochester

sounds a lot like a stretched timing chain that has eaten through the guide if you ask me
or maybe a ping as someone else mentioned

see if the sound gets quieter or stops, by using 91 octane gas and a bunch of octane booster. if it does, its ping. if it is not affected, id say timing chain. pop off the valve cover and look down the chain on the driver's side of the engine. when we took mine off, the plastic guide was totally gone, and the chain had eaten grooves into the head. (luckily not far enough to cause major damage - we were still able to do the chain without removing the head)

mine sounded a lot like you are describing, and it seemed to be loudest around 2800 rpm or so, and get louder the harder i pushed on the gas

the_supernerd

That sounds like pinging. Many things can cause it. The first thing to do is check the timing.

95ToyotaPU007

its pinging

alanbobalan

ok. i will check the timing monday after class.

i know it had a new timing chain installed when the head was done about 5k before i purchased the truck and it's been making this noise ever since i got it.

alanbobalan

well, i just checked the timing and it is within specifications. i'm really starting to think it is valve noise.

mochester

my timing is dead on 5 degrees, and i still ping a tiny bit on chevron 91

so dont rule it out

valve noise doesnt sound like rattling. like someone already said, it will be loudest at idle, and will sound similar to a diesel engine...'clatter' might describe it best

what you are describing is almost definitely ping or timing chain slap. and even if its not, i definitely don't think its just your valves.
and dont think that just because your timing is on, it isn't ping. your chain could be stretched (which would explain either chain slap OR possibly ping[i just read that you only have 5k miles on the new chain, so it probably isn't stretched/slapping...but i have about the same on my new chain and i do have ping. just something to consider]), or it could be an issue of the truck running lean for one reason or another...it could even be excessive carbon deposits

BTW i'm trying to figure out my pinging issue right now too, so sorry i can't help you more than that. i'm going to try backing my timing off a little bit to see if it helps. some people say there is a timing sweet spot on 22res, that is always different, and often below what the manual says

highway

i would get my next gas at a different place next time or add some octane booster to the tank. sounds like pinging to me.

highway

Elton

my 22re i had made some sort of rattling noise under load well it went down hill very fast and went out with a big cloud of white smoke and a seized motor

Barnstormer

You might also try doing something like Seafoam or other de-carbonizing treatment.
Carbon buildup in the combustion chamber certainly contributes to pre-ignition (ping), even with higher octane fuel.

B.

the_supernerd

An EGR that does not work will cause pinging. Also make sure the knock sensor is working. A lean mixture will cause it to ping. Putting in higher octane gas might get it to stop pinging, but that is not fixing the problem. Is it running hot when going up the hills?

timebandit

Mine spun a bearing.

tim a.

Mine did same thing.After valve job timing chain and tuneup I finally put knock sensor on it.Rattle went away.

elmo908

My truck also makes a rattling noise when going up hills, but it happens when I am in a higher gear a lower rpms, and it doesn't happen constantly, maybe like a couple seconds or something. Once I downshift and get into the right power band it is quiet. I thought maybe it was the heat shield on the cat or something.

Snake

If it's not a fuel issue check the timing, definately! I put a new timing kit on and 3 months later the chain had streched (cheap chain), wore out the guides and tensioner. It's easy to tell though....check the timing and it should be 6 degrees before, and hit that mark every time.....if it jumps around, say 6degrees then 4 degrees then 8 degrees, the timing chain is streched and it will not run right, well worth the money for a quality timing kit!

wjhart3

see if the guides are worn on the timing chain and chain is wearing into cover producing the noise, remove valve cover and peak down into by chain

alanbobalan

so far i checked the timing and it was at 6* BTDC. the timing did not jump around.

the engine also does not get hot and is not overheating. although, i have reason to believe there were overheating problems in the past which led to a blown head gasket and a head and complete valve job before i purchased the vehicle 5,000 miles after all this work was done.

things i need to investigate:

carbon buildup
faulty EGR
streched timing chain or worn guides
knock sensor

i need to stop being lazy and go pull the valve cover already. my valves are noisy at idle so i need to take care of that anyway.