So its a 97 Lego with a EJ22, when the car is cold it has a small rattle noise when you slightly press the accelerator but it goes away at a higher RPM, it seems to mainly do this when its colder outside, once it warms up to full temp it kinda of goes away, if you take your tongue and roll it I guess thats the sound I'm hearing, The t-belts and accessories are due to be changed and thankfully GD is helping me with this. I'm hopeing its not a rod or bearing, and just something to due with the timing tensioners or pulleys. I thought that a rod or bearing would make noise at any rpm even idle.

forgot to say its a 5spd, the sounds basically goes away once it warms up, my guess is the idlers and tensioner the belt is over due by 5k or so, so thats my first guess.

Just a side ?, I'm buying the kit from import experts, it comes with everything including the water pump(will get seals from the dealer) the pump is a GMB, and the blet is from PCI, I just cant afford a kit from the dealer, are these ok to use, I'm mean the price is right:lol:

PCI kits are good. I've used many of them.

 

You could just have a little piston slap, nothing to worry about.

I have a 97 and 98 that both make a small noise like you describe when it is cold. Been doing it for over a year.

 

I once removed the EGR valve and actuated it open and closed - fast. Makes the same sorta noise.

 

I hope you find it for both of us.

heat shields are notoriously noisy too.

 

in my experience 97's are usually the new style tensioner which tends to fail more often. you can remove the timing cover and see it bouncing/moving around when you start the car sometimes. i've seen them fail similar to what you're talking about when they first start - noises that go away.

Piston Slap.

in my experience 97's are usually the new style tensioner which tends to fail more often. you can remove the timing cover and see it bouncing/moving around when you start the car sometimes. i've seen them fail similar to what you're talking about when they first start - noises that go away.

 

I've had the opposite experience - the '97s I've worked on have all been the piston style tensioner. Even the '97 EJ25D in my garage right now is the older style.... engine swaps happen though and there's no for-sure way to tell unless you know the car's history. It *should* be the old style but we'll find out.....

 

I agree with the piston slap diagnosis. Could also probably use a valve adjustment - '97 will have solid lifters. Just the fact that it has solid lifters will tend to make them noisy when cold. The factory gap is 8 thou/10 thou on the intake/exhaust and when cold you can get a tapping - especially if they want adjustment and a few are looser than the spec. Solid lifters are always noisier than the '96 and older hydro stuff.

 

Rod knock would only show up under load and would get worse when warm (thinner oil).

 

GD

Edited October 11, 201015 yr by GeneralDisorder

Well it mostly does it between 1st-3rd gear, but when I'm parked it doesnt seem to do it, just put it in neutral and gave it some gas and it didnt seem to make the noise, possible bad Trow out bearing sound?

Hhhhmmmm - they generally don't make ticking noises.

 

I will have to hear it to make my judgement.

 

GD

I dont think its a rod, Ive heard rod knocks and even in neutral you would hear them, I'm going with clutch fork or TOB, I hope, really dont want to rebuild the damn thing, or its just bad piston slap, see what a new oil change does.

In my experience rattling at certain engine speeds is heat shield related. If it was the tensioner why would that change at temperature?

Sorry just saw this thread is a few days old