All the ticking!!
Nov 19, 2007 | 10:09 AM
#21
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 130
Likes: 9
From: East Oregon
I got a chuckle out of the guy who didn't like the screwdriver "trick".
That ain't no trick!
It's a tried & true method for locating source of noise on engines; been around for decades. I've seen ship's mechanics doing it on 12 cyl diesel generators. For those who don't know, that's a deisel engine like what goes in a locomotive. Three of em, side by side, bolted to the deck. It's so friggin loud in the motor room, hearing protection is mandatory, and communication is nearly impossible even when screaming at the top of your lungs. Yet you can locate a bad valve or degrading bearing with a screwdriver pressed against your skull just next to the earmuff.
Try googling "mechanic's stethoscope".
I use a 1 1/8" open end wrench sometimes, put the round end to your ear; works great.
Moral - don't go bashing something if you don't know anything about it.
Sorry 'bout the hijack.
That ain't no trick!
It's a tried & true method for locating source of noise on engines; been around for decades. I've seen ship's mechanics doing it on 12 cyl diesel generators. For those who don't know, that's a deisel engine like what goes in a locomotive. Three of em, side by side, bolted to the deck. It's so friggin loud in the motor room, hearing protection is mandatory, and communication is nearly impossible even when screaming at the top of your lungs. Yet you can locate a bad valve or degrading bearing with a screwdriver pressed against your skull just next to the earmuff.
Try googling "mechanic's stethoscope".
I use a 1 1/8" open end wrench sometimes, put the round end to your ear; works great.
Moral - don't go bashing something if you don't know anything about it.
Sorry 'bout the hijack.
Nov 19, 2007 | 11:49 AM
#22
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,730
Likes: 0
From: Barrie, Ontario CANADA
I was not bashing it just the statement that doing this will find "exactly what is going on". Also I think that "method" may work great on a diesel engine that is running at 200 RPM with a valve train the size of a truck but on these little engines with so much going on that there are better "methods" to find "exactly what is going on". Most people are on here because they do not know what the problem is therefor listening through a screwdriver for a noise that they don't understand will not do them much good. Ever see those stupid commercials of people explaining sounds to the service department. You too could be one of those people.
Last edited by Flash319; Nov 19, 2007 at 11:52 AM.
Nov 19, 2007 | 06:35 PM
#23
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 8,656
Likes: 16
From: NW Ark on wooded ten acres...Ozarks at large!
the metal heats and expands, and the valve lash gets smaller as the engine heats up. DO IT HOT, it does make a huge difference. actually the best i've found (done it almost a half dozen times) is .011, and .007 warm. The purpose of the lash is to make sure the valves fully close, and dont stick slightly open when the engine is warmed up.
the screwdriver trick does work. it lets you know what part of the engine the noise is coming from. sure, on a little engine the noise will go a lot of places, but its a hell of a lot louder at the source than at other spots.
You might as well just go to the dealership, and buy the adjuster studs, and replace em because they're probably worn out which will cause it to not hold the valve lash setting you set anyway.
A little tip for setting the lash: Put the feeler gauge in, and slide it in and out while you tighten up the adjuster. when it stops being able to move back the adjuster off just slightly, and that'll be the perfect setting. A lot of mechanics will tell you to feel the drag, but we all have different strength, and feeling, and this way its exactly the right spacing.
the screwdriver trick does work. it lets you know what part of the engine the noise is coming from. sure, on a little engine the noise will go a lot of places, but its a hell of a lot louder at the source than at other spots.
You might as well just go to the dealership, and buy the adjuster studs, and replace em because they're probably worn out which will cause it to not hold the valve lash setting you set anyway.
A little tip for setting the lash: Put the feeler gauge in, and slide it in and out while you tighten up the adjuster. when it stops being able to move back the adjuster off just slightly, and that'll be the perfect setting. A lot of mechanics will tell you to feel the drag, but we all have different strength, and feeling, and this way its exactly the right spacing.
Not knockin' ya (hehe...pun), but it does take a while for those studs to actually wear to that point. With only 116k on his OD they're probably fine. Unless, the thing has just been really abused and neglected. I've taken good care of my engine since I've had it and with the miles on it they were only really beginning to show wear.(And, BTW, your method I like very much. I did mine that way.)
Sure fire way to find out, though, is to pull one and look
Anyhow..
A misfire can cause the racket you hear. It has a "harmonic" affect throughout the motor....evident by a jumping timing mark. Look at your plugs for any that may look different than the others. Maybe one or more of your injectors (despite cleaner) are not working well....as in not getting a good electrical connection or signal. Maybe your TPS is out of adjustment or failing. There's just a number of possibilities here. Look through the troubleshooting guide and start running some tests...
http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b.../3troubles.pdf
About your oil....
Oil does degrade before the recommended change intervals.....more so with a lot of stop and go driving, hauling, towing, and extreme conditions. I've a friend that changes his every 2k for that reason. If it looks black and any of the factors mentioned qualify, it could stand to be changed regardless if has anything to do with the noise. Now's a good time to run a crankcase cleaner through, if you felt so inclined.....before you dump the oil.
May 8, 2018 | 04:49 AM
#24
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Joined: May 2018
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Put a screwdriver in your ear
If you can't listen to your engine, how will you know what's going on? Laughing at old school mechanics with excellent experience is going to leave you wondering. Your mom said "Don't stick anything in your ear." .She's right. Put the end against your ear and listen. You can try a rubber fuel line or even a stethoscope. Vibration makes noise. Listening will help you find the source of vibration. The best mechanics know a car is like a patient and treated with dignity, and the troubles are discovered by listening, feeling, and touching. Is it noisy, hot, cold, leaky, or loose? Check specs and readjust as needed.
Last edited by Jeffrey Dillon; May 8, 2018 at 04:50 AM.
May 8, 2018 | 07:22 AM
#25
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
From: San Jose, CA
that's exactly what I did... on my 3VZE with new Flamethrower injectors and 156K on the odometer. I took a large flat-blade screwdriver on placed the end on each fuel injector while the engine was running, and the handle next to my ear lobe... and listened, one-by-one to each fuel injector's tick. Also did the same thing to the fuel dampener. Each one had its own sound, and I was able to determine that most of the ticking came from the fuel injectors. I could also hear the timing belt adjust, although it sounding more like the rattle of a small chain than a "tick". Since my fuel injectors were new and clean, I decided to flush the engine with Amsoil engine flush and replace the oil with a thicker oil (I went from 0W-30 to 5W-40) and was able to quiet the ticking a bit, but not much.
Bottom line - these engines tick. Both the 3VZE and 22RE. It's usually the fuel injectors but can also be other things such as the fuel dampener and timing belt tensioner, or lifters, or valves that need to be adjusted. It will sound louder to you if you remove your hood insulation or there is worn insulation in your firewall. Sound travels into your cabin a variety of ways, including the steering column. I don't think you can ever get rid of all the ticking as it was designed that way, but you can eliminate the most serious issues such as valve lash and clogged fuel injectors by listening carefully with a stethoscope or hose or screwdriver and mentally categorizing each sound. Just like the noisy air intake, these trucks make noise. The general technology that went into these engines is 1980's technology and nowdays we have cars & trucks that are much quieter. That's just my .02 cents.
Bottom line - these engines tick. Both the 3VZE and 22RE. It's usually the fuel injectors but can also be other things such as the fuel dampener and timing belt tensioner, or lifters, or valves that need to be adjusted. It will sound louder to you if you remove your hood insulation or there is worn insulation in your firewall. Sound travels into your cabin a variety of ways, including the steering column. I don't think you can ever get rid of all the ticking as it was designed that way, but you can eliminate the most serious issues such as valve lash and clogged fuel injectors by listening carefully with a stethoscope or hose or screwdriver and mentally categorizing each sound. Just like the noisy air intake, these trucks make noise. The general technology that went into these engines is 1980's technology and nowdays we have cars & trucks that are much quieter. That's just my .02 cents.
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