im getting a Crank Angle Sensor code. Also, getting a EGR code. The car idles low at times, even at 20 degrees timing.

 

Question is, can a going-bad disty cause the engine to knock?

The simple answer is yes. The knock sensors on most cars works by retarding timing; if your distributor isn't working right, your timing could be getting too far advanced and causing knocking.

Do 1986 GL's have knock sensors? And when I move the distributor around, the knock does not go away...

wrote:

 

Question is, can a going-bad disty cause the engine to knock?

 

Hey Cracker. Can you describe this "knock" ?

 

Sincerely

 

Doug

it sounds like a mix between a tick, and a knock. i tried the stethoscope out on it, and its coming from the disty more than anything?? its confusing me...

Which engine do you have? My carbed 86 doesn't have a knock sensor, but the turbo 86 does.

 

Anyway, the original response wasn't to say anything is wrong with your knock sensor; it was to illustrate how timing can affect detonation (pinging or knock).

fuel injected ea82, iirc, spfi.

 

like i said, the disty sounds like the main culprit according to the stethoscope (a long wrench) but theres ticking all over the place.

 

get this... my drivers side timing belt is more loose than the passenger side... is this the reason its been ticking all along possibly?

 

how tight are these timing belts supposed to be?! i can pretty much twist the belt... and also, it has about 7/8 inches play in it... the passenger side seems MUCH tighter.

anyone ever had a knocking noise with a loose driver's side timing belt?

Yes, my friends car makes the same sound. He was told

by his mechanic that it was backlash from a loose timing

belt.

Argh... and I friggin lost my 3/8 12mm somewhere in the yard, I'll have to take care of it later then. Hope it gets rid of my knocking!

And it worked, 90 percent of that racket is gone. Now I think adjusting the belt shot me off a tooth on my cam timing I think it's called... So to check that I go!

Check the belt carefully - it may be loose because it is streching and about to break

 

 

GD

if you are going to be digging around in there anyway...maybe time to replace the belts??? and check the tensioners too....

Belts are practically new... I believe that the mechanic which sold me the car, didnt know how to do the timing belts... and the tensioners look fine, they do their job... for now

 

I'm still getting knocks/ticks but it's all good, she runs great!

OK, I did more research and looked over the car... Long one here...

 

When cold, it knocks, ticks, whatever it is, really bad. I get about 55-65 PSI on the gauge. After driving for say... 15 minutes, the oil pressure lowers... to about 10 PSI for every thousand RPM's, which sounds right according to my search. After driving for these 15 minutes, parking the car and letting it idle, I can still hear a clacking noise, much quieter though. Idles at about 700 RPM like it's supposed to, oil gauge registers anywhere from zero to 10 PSI.

 

I've also got a CEL: EGR solenoid. I highly doubt the EGR has absolutely anything to do with this, and plus I already replaced the solenoid itself. Time to get a JY valve and buy the gasket, I guess.

 

I took a wrench (long one) and played doctor again with the engine running when warm AND cold... it makes noise everywhere but geez, its coming more out of the distributor than anything... I used to get Crank Angle Sensor codes but ever since I tightened the timing belts and re-timed it, no more code 16. But I can totally hear a mix of a whirring and clicking noise coming from the distributor... I put the wrench on where the bolt is to tighten it up.

 

Also! Last thing, I am noticing I'm losing oil (well duh, its a Soob) but, its landing on, (figuring out how to explain it) looking down in the engine compartment, where the passenger's side head is, right in front of it, that metal plate sticking out from under the car... like it's coming out from the Valve Cover Gaskets, or the oil pump possibly? I really dont know, but it's losing oil, and a lot of it. And sometimes, it burns off on the exhaust pipe?

 

Why do I have this weird feeling that this isnt the TOD?

the oil leakage can be resolved fairly easily on the passenger side, just needs a reseal - drivers side is a little harder to get at, but still fairly easy. the plate you are looking at is a great catch all for oil, dirt and other crud - took mine off when i did timing belts and never put them back on. havent had them on there in over 2 years, no problems.

 

if most of the oil leakage is landing on that plate, i would be looking at the cam & crank seals ...if the seals were not replaced at the time the T-belts were done, (or done improperly) well...asking for problems down the road in the form of trashed belts (know from experience here)

 

get as much of the excess oil off of the engine as you possibly can, then run it for a little while... then check to see where the oil is dripping from. the location of the drips will tell you where you need to focus your attention.