Engine rattle under load - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

newcelicaowner92 · 08-09-2011, 01:41 PM

Hello again,
I've had this noise on my 92 GT since I bought the car and it hasn't got any worse but I still am wondering what it is in case it's something serious. I hear a rattle/clatter coming from the engine or thereabouts, and it only happens under load (doesn't have to be heavy load, but I can't hear it in neutral or when the clutch is disengaged). It only happens above around 3000 rpm and the frequency of the rattle corresponds to the engine rpm. It's difficult to pinpoint the location of it because it only happens under load. Anyway, I made a short video of it and uploaded it to youtube:

You Tube

Sorry for the camera work, I didn't have any free hands. I was hoping to at least catch the tach but nope

If you're not sure what noise it is I say when it comes up in the video description. Any ideas? Maybe a valvetrain noise?
Thanks so much!

bumperbozo · 08-09-2011, 02:02 PM

It kinda sounds like my engine, but mine isn't exactly the reference, if you know what i mean. it's hard to compare to this audio, tho. I'm actually replacing everything I can on the front of my engine right now, so i can hopefully let you know if it changes the sound. Can you describe the part of the sound that you are most concerned about? is it high frequency stuff, or woofiness?

idler pulleys for the timing belt are known to rattle as they age. that would probably be more of a high frequency rattle or even a squealing. replace them when you do your timing belt. are you on schedule with that?

a woofiness may indicate a leak in the exhaust chain.

keeping up with oil changes and is there plenty of oil in there?

newcelicaowner92 · 08-09-2011, 02:16 PM

Thanks for the reply! Yeah I'm talking about the higher frequency rattling sound. I did the timing belt, water pump and pulleys very recently, <3000 miles ago. I also changed the oil just last week and it's still full (I'm doing very frequent oil changes because the PO put in a heavy oil when he was selling it to disguise the fact that it leaked oil, I'm really angry about that but I got the leaks fixed and now I'm trying to clean out all the sludge that caused). The woofiness is more due to my camera than anything else honestly, although I do have a very small exhaust leak.

bumperbozo · 08-09-2011, 03:02 PM

ok, did you change the tensioner spring as well? toyota changed the spec on the spring, so it will have a different shape than the old one. the following link indicates that insufficient tension has been a recurring problem on the 5sfe. likely the new spring spec was meant to correct that problem, but another remedy is to route out the slot on the tensioner pulley a little to make it even tighter.

http://repairpal.com/rattling-noise-...r-mileages-741

my practical advice would be that if it isn't getting worse and you can live with the noise, just wait another 57000 miles to implement these remedies at your next TB change. non interference engine, so if the belt breaks it won't be too bad.

newcelicaowner92 · 08-09-2011, 03:31 PM

Thanks! That definitely sounds like it could be it, and I can certainly live with it, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't something in the valvetrain beginning to die. Does it sound plausible for the tensioner to just rattle under load?

***BLUEMEANIE*** · 08-09-2011, 03:33 PM

I can't view the clip at the office, is it a metal on metal rattle? Don't over look the simple things, it could be a heat or dust shield (engine, exhaust, brakes, etc). My family's 90 GT had a rattle similar to what you're describing and it turned out that one of the shields was vibrating against something only at frequencies around a specific rpm.

newcelicaowner92 · 08-09-2011, 05:51 PM

Thanks bluemeanie, I did try rattling a bunch of things around and I couldn't get much anything to rattle. I'm almost positive it's not a heat shield, although maybe a dust cover, my first guess would be the splash guard since that's always wiggling around a bit.

However, I did have somebody listen for me while parked in the driveway (my poor clutch

) and they said they couldn't tell very well but that it's definitely somewhere in the vicinity of the valve cover, not sure how deep down. That could still be the tensioner, but also possibly something much worse

although it doesn't really sound like any valve noises I've ever heard, thoughts?

RobMilkshakes · 08-09-2011, 06:40 PM

I honestly couldn't hear anything in the video, there was a little too much noise from other things to really pick anything out.

Dont be so quick to rule out the heat shield. it may not be enough movement to really notice but could still cause it. I chased a rattle for over a year, I was sure it wasn't the heat shield on the manifold, but as soon as I installed my header it all disappeared. So its honestly something to consider.

newcelicaowner92 · 08-09-2011, 07:15 PM

Thanks, yeah I'll keep it in my mind, the other thing is that the noise hasn't gotten any worse in the 4 or so months (and about 5000 miles) since I've had the car. Also, when I hear the noise I don't notice any drop in power.