Ticking Noise

I have a ticking noise, 2 minutes after startup that is always there at all RPMs. Sounded like it was coming from the rear of the engine. I removed the valve covers and I am still unable to locate the source. I am pretty sure I am screwed, but my question is this. I read somewhere that once our 3.8s get older that the valves "can become sticky" and that throwing some Seafoam in there for 200 miles can resolve the issue by in theory cleaning up an goo that may be in the oil passages in the block. Has anyone else had this problem in the past and had it resolved by using Seafoam? Or am grasping at straws here. 1997 Riv with aprox 180,000 miles.

With the valvecover removed, and the engine running, look for any rocker that isn't moving. You can also connect a vacuum gauge. With the engine warmed up, you should see 20" of vacuum in Park. The needle should be steady.

A tick can also be an exhaust leak from the head to exhaust manifold.

Yeah, checked out the rockers. All are moving. Tomorrow I will put the VCs back on and try to find any exhaust leaks on the rear manifold.

Do you have the ability to take a video of the noise? Aside from the noise, how did it run?

..what about injectors?

Albertj

albertj wrote:

..what about injectors?

Albertj

X2 they can get noisy when they get old.

Do you have a stethoscope? If not now is a great time to make that long desired additional tool purchase.

I have noticed with my Riv the lifters get a little noisy at times. Like the old ford 302 s did. I do the same thing as I did for those. Pour a quart of marvel mystery in with oil change and the ticking is gone almost instantly.

I have a stethoscope, but I can't seam to pinpoint it still. I did not try the injectors, so I will give those a listen. As well as try to get a cell phone video up with the noise, never done that on this site before, but I should be able to figure it out.

What part of Mn are you in Matt?
I live about 15 miles from Rochester.

Exhaust leaks from your manifolds can sometimes sound like a ticking noise. Take a sheet of paper and hold it over top of each manifold while running your engine (make sure your fans aren't running at the time). If it starts to blow a bit, you have your answer. I realize it sounds like your describing lifter noise, but if you've looked there, then it doesn't hurt to try the paper test, and its free. Just use some junk mail.

Hometown Hero wrote:

Exhaust leaks from your manifolds can sometimes sound like a ticking noise. Take a sheet of paper and hold it over top of each manifold while running your engine (make sure your fans aren't running at the time). If it starts to blow a bit, you have your answer. I realize it sounds like your describing lifter noise, but if you've looked there, then it doesn't hurt to try the paper test, and its free. Just use some junk mail.

also consider using an inspection mirror to look for traces of leak (soot) on the underside of the EMs. Such a mirror might set you back $5.00 or $10.00 at a NAPA or AutoZone for instance. Be sure to try to get one with a *telescoping* shaft.

Be careful out there.

Albertj

Thanks for the info guys. Checked out the manifolds and injectors as best I could, but still sounded internal. Drove to the gas station to put $10 in it (since I wasted the rest of my fuel doing diagnostics) and she never made it home, well by a tow hook anyways. Engine siezed on my way home. So probably be scrapping it.

Stealofcentury wrote:

Thanks for the info guys. Checked out the manifolds and injectors as best I could, but still sounded internal. Drove to the gas station to put $10 in it (since I wasted the rest of my fuel doing diagnostics) and she never made it home, well by a tow hook anyways. Engine seized on my way home. So probably be scrapping it.

For Matt: Sorry about your loss. By the way -- was the car low on oil? You did not have a Fram filter by any chance? And finally if the body and transmission are in good shape then by far your cheapest move is probably to get a junkyard replacement engine, there are lots of 3800 engines around. And if you happen to get one out of a Pontiac say with a different coil pack those can be swapped. The short blocks are pretty much the same, just that for good reason the SC version is a lower compression engine.

For the rest of us: what if anything did we miss? I suspect there is a *lot* more to this story. By the way it should take 6 hours or more form the 3800 to idle away 2.5 gallons of fuel. Some scanners will tell you the actual gph burn rate.

It was not low on oil, nor was the oil pressure light on. No engine lights ever came on until she died on the freeway. The only thing I noticed before she siezed was that the two stoplights after filling up the idle was dipping and almost stalling out the engine. And then right before it died I could smell the engine cooking, not quite an oil burn, but a burning. My best guess is I lost oil pressure in a cylinder, causing overheating and siezing. Not explosion or thud to indicate a thrown piston or holein block either.

As for the fuel situation, my sending unit works but the level gauge does not. I would fill every 300 miles, and after dinking around with it I was around 325 miles plus couple hours of idle. Just didn't want to run out of gas (that happened to me when I first got it and previous owner (my sister) failed to mention that the level wasn't accurate).

I don't know what part of MN you are in Matt, but there was a guy in Fairbault Mn. Parting out Rivs.
He had a few complete 95 riv motors this spring. He was reasonable on prices.

Sorry Matt I see you have a 97
He had some newer ones too.

I hope things work out and you get a replacement engine for short $$. Good luck.

Albertj

Yeah, not sure what to do with it. Just started a new job with full time school this summer ending next week. Two weeks off and then full time school in the fall again. Dave, I live in Arden Hills, right on 694 and 35w. I actually put it on Craigslist to see if I can get anything for it as I will be pressed for time to do a swap (although it sounds fun) and the engines I have seen online are imo overpriced for the amount of miles on them. I am not going to take the time to put an engine with 130,000+ miles in it.

Stealofcentury wrote:

Yeah, not sure what to do with it. Just started a new job with full time school this summer ending next week. Two weeks off and then full time school in the fall again. Dave, I live in Arden Hills, right on 694 and 35w. I actually put it on Craigslist to see if I can get anything for it as I will be pressed for time to do a swap (although it sounds fun) and the engines I have seen online are imo overpriced for the amount of miles on them. I am not going to take the time to put an engine with 130,000+ miles in it.

OK I understand this better now.

Odds are you *will not* find an engine on line at a price that's a good value to you. There are costs involved with selling on line that have nothing to do with the engine such as shipping.

My point is that you live in Arden HIlls, which is not nowhere. It's near major cities and among major regional salvage operations. You don't need to buy an engine on line. Odds are that one of the local/regional salvage yards would put a used engine in for you for short reasonable $$. Trick is finding out who. It may be as simple as asking a couple independent garage mechanics/owners to point you to salvage yards in your region that do engine installs. So for instance these guys:

http://www.actionsalvage.com/repairs.asp

My guess is that at an independent salvage yard the installation ought to run $300 - $450 and the engine itself another $200 - $400. Question becomes which salvage yard might luck out --if-- has the most 3800 engines around that can be swapped in. Because it is a common engine soem shopping around in your local area sought to do it.

Albertj