help! strange engine noise????

[turbovanpilot]

engine just started making this awful knocking noise, i removed all the belts and the noise continued, then i found a bad rocker that was starting to grind a lobe on the cam, so i swapped the cam, lifters, and rockers,but the noise continued. I have no smoke from the tail pipe, coolant and oil are full and clean, i have great oil preasure, i don't overheat it stays in the good range, and the engine runs smooth as well, just makes that awful clunking noise like something is busted inside, and banging around, on deselleration it makes a grinding like noise . any ideas? its an 89 tbi 2.5 spirit, its not a rod knock noise, i have good compression too.

[overlordsshadow]

Do you have a stethescope? If not go buy a cheapo and do some diag that way, they help bigtime. Could it be something in and around the starter, maybe the starter not disengaging and gettin beat the hell up?

[turbovanpilot]

i'm hoping so, i'll check that out

[turbovanpilot]

well i started it and removed the starter while it was running, and it still makes the noise.

[overlordsshadow]

Do you have an auto or a manual? When I have a broken flexplate (auto) it sure made some noise.

[2.2turboscotty]

Do you have an auto or a manual? When I have a broken flexplate (auto) it sure made some noise.

exactly what i was thinking as soon as i read this. would make a different noise when deceling, if it's an auto.

[turbovanpilot]

its an auto and i'm hoping your wrong, i sure don't want to pull the trans. its only a stock tbi motor with maybe 100hp, could it really be broken. what would cause that?

[overlordsshadow]

Not sure what caused minee, probably bagging the hell out of an auto with a turbo. Fatigue would cause it as they are hardly more than sheetmetal. You don't have to pull the trans.

[turbovanpilot]

this car i bought because i totaled my taurus, and needed something cheap and reliable. it had big rubber mats, big ugly compass on the dash, it came with snow tires, didn't smoke or make much noise,new exhaust, new shocks, 40k on rebuilt motor, bosch battery, clean oil,was repainted new axles, etc. etc. well maintained? and everything worked. that was a few weeks ago....... now i swaped a cam, need to do a timming belt, needs a heater core, rack has bad boots, needs an alignment, drivers axle looks broken boot pushed in and metal band showing, needs brakes front and rear, to name a few things, and i need a tilt column, i'm to big for a straight column. the only thing good is that parts are cheap and plentyfull. i needed a car so bad i paid 1100 for this pos, i'm hoping when everything is fixed it will reliable. if its a flexplate at least i have one already

[2.2turboscotty]

not sure because a lot of the cars that have come into the shop were not big HP cars just regular old DDs. i've personally had a few break or crack flex plates before, Ford, Chevy, Mopars and imports, just happens sometimes. heck i've driven with cracked flexplate untill it broke the center out. i'll bet that is were your problem is, you can get enough room between the engine and trans and get it out without removing trans or you could just pull it out.

[overlordsshadow]

Since you have the starter out try wiggling the flywheel and such. Spin the engine and look at it and the teeth.

[turbovanpilot]

i feel a loose torque converter bolt, the flexplate feels solid, do you think just tightening them, or do you think it made oblong holes?

[2.2turboscotty]

seen that before, just tighten them and call it good. restart engine and noise should be gone.

[overlordsshadow]

Good luck bud. Get that plate spinning and hitting the guard plates and U could see it making noise.