Investigating my "death rattle"

2nd Hand Yank · Post by **2nd Hand Yank** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 9:37 am

I have a rattling buzzing sound when my engine is under certain kinds of load and is doing it more easily now. It will buzz a bit in 3rd gear, 40 km/h and lifting the throttle (mild engine breaking). I can't hear the buzz when its not at low rpm, so 2500+ rpm?

I'm thinking of taking off the oil pan to have a look at the bottom end. My Subaru sits a bit high with a 2" lift and 185/70R-14 tyres, so I'm thinking I could do this even without jacking it up, though I might want to do that so I can turn the wheels. I have jackstands.

Does this sound like a good idea?

I'm hoping that by having the pan off I can locate the source of the rattle, and perhaps this might be a simple fix. I'd rather do that than pay big bickies to swap in yet another EA82 in stock form.

Can I access my oil pump by removing the oil pan?

I figure if I'm taking all this off and it's easy, it would be good to recondition the oil pump to alleviate the famous EA82 valvetrain ticking.

Post by **TOONGA** » Sun Jul 29, 2012 10:09 am

Matt your oil pump is on the front of the motor behind the timing belt covers. pulling the sump off will only reveal the oil galleries and oil pump pick up.

I would seriously consider looking at other causes for buzzing noises, like the tail shaft centre bearing or exhaust cowlings. or Save some money and commit to either an EJ upgrade or a replacement EA82 rebuild.

Heck you could go the way I did and carby an EJ22 or an EJ18, EJ20, even an EJ25 with some careful modifications to the subaru aircleaner you wouldn't know what was underneath it

TOONGA

2nd Hand Yank · Post by **2nd Hand Yank** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 8:01 pm

TOONGA wrote:Matt your oil pump is on the front of the motor behind the timing belt covers. pulling the sump off will only reveal the oil galleries and oil pump pick up.

I would seriously consider looking at other causes for buzzing noises, like the tail shaft centre bearing or exhaust cowlings. or Save some money and commit to either an EJ upgrade or a replacement EA82 rebuild.

Heck you could go the way I did and carby an EJ22 or an EJ18, EJ20, even an EJ25 with some careful modifications to the subaru aircleaner you wouldn't know what was underneath it

TOONGA

Okay... I'll live with the ticking.

Hmm... Can I diagnose this with something like a mechanic's stethascope?

How do you carburate a EJ22? That would be interesting.
NSW has a law that you have to have a mechanic inspect your car every year just to keep it licenced.
I wonder if I can do any of these motor swaps and still keep it road-worthy in NSW.

littlewhiteute · Post by **littlewhiteute** » Mon Jul 30, 2012 8:33 pm

2nd Hand Yank wrote:Okay... I'll live with the ticking.

Hmm... Can I diagnose this with something like a mechanic's stethascope?

How do you carburate a EJ22? That would be interesting.
NSW has a law that you have to have a mechanic inspect your car every year just to keep it licenced.
I wonder if I can do any of these motor swaps and still keep it road-worthy in NSW.

I'll bet it's a harmonic of loose timing belts.

If you fit an EFI engine, it has to stay EFI, can't fit carburettors.

2nd Hand Yank · Post by **2nd Hand Yank** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 5:59 am

I doubt that my rattle is loose timing belts. This is a metal-on-metal fast-tapping/rattle/buzz sound.

Exhaust cowlings eh?
I noticed between the catayltic converter and the connection point for the muffler, the exhaust shroud is rusted circumerentially, so it has separated after the cat and is loose.

How much movement does this pipe-area get?

Tailshaft centre bearings? Good idea. I had a look and the tail shaft itself and there is no play in it when I try shaking it with my hand.

A transmission fix could be cheaper than a motor fix. (?)

Keep coming with your ideas.

Post by **Alex** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:52 am

littlewhiteute wrote:I'll bet it's a harmonic of loose timing belts.

If you fit an EFI engine, it has to stay EFI, can't fit carburettors.

its been done before

Post by **TOONGA** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 10:14 am

littlewhiteute wrote:I'll bet it's a harmonic of loose timing belts.

If you fit an EFI engine, it has to stay EFI, can't fit carburettors.

Alex wrote:its been done before

I'm betting Gary is saying that NSW laws state, "that if the motor came out of an EFI car then by law it has to stay an EFI car".

I'm throwing a lifeline here and saying, if it was done well enough 99% of the engine would look like an EA82 but would be an EJ motor with a carby and dizzy hidden under the EA82 factory aircleaner.

Matt I'm not sure of you have read my brumby thread but in between the spam is an insight into running an EJ motor with a carby and dizzy. the 5 things you really need are the right engine (the head must have the keyway for the dizzy to run) the dizzy and coil (escort MK3 lucas dizzy and coil), the modified manifold (EFI manifold or custom built manifold, modified to use a carby) and the carby (EA82 carby, weber 32/36 carby or something of your choice)

TOONGA

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Jul 31, 2012 9:31 pm

Alex wrote:its been done before

Not in NSW without engineering at the very least. In NSW every vehicle goes over the pits every year, if it fails that inspection and it's either too costly to bring it up to standard or there's something found that's detrimentally wrong with the vehicle it's not going to see another year of registration. It's that clear cut.

Cheers

Bennie

sublime · Post by **sublime** » Wed Aug 01, 2012 7:41 pm

El_Freddo wrote:Not in NSW without engineering at the very least. In NSW every vehicle goes over the pits every year, if it fails that inspection and it's either too costly to bring it up to standard or there's something found that's detrimentally wrong with the vehicle it's not going to see another year of registration. It's that clear cut.

Cheers

Bennie

Not quite Bennie! The yearly road worthy inspection is nothing like 'going over the pits'....

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Aug 01, 2012 8:19 pm

sublime wrote:Not quite Bennie! The yearly road worthy inspection is nothing like 'going over the pits'....

What does that mean? In Vic to go over the pits is to have a road worthy done!

Bloody "nation" of 7 countries we are!

Cheers

Bennie

2nd Hand Yank · Post by **2nd Hand Yank** » Wed Aug 01, 2012 9:30 pm

El_Freddo wrote:What does that mean? In Vic to go over the pits is to have a road worthy done!

Bloody "nation" of 7 countries we are!

Cheers

Bennie

Wanna move of Albury, NSW?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Aug 01, 2012 10:15 pm

2nd Hand Yank wrote:Wanna move of Albury, NSW?

Wodonga VIC would be close enough for me. Work's taken me other places though

Cheers

Bennie

Busdriver · Post by **Busdriver** » Thu Aug 02, 2012 8:27 am

Bennie, I think what Sublime was referring to was the annual renewal Roadworthy is only a brake test and check of lights, horn and wipers sort of thing but "going over the pits" here is what happens if a car has run out of rego or needs to be transferered from another state, then that is a complete going over.