[Kyle Panda]

Just recently got a 93 Corolla for $500USD.
Nothing really wrong with it other than this noise. It had been sitting for 2 years before I got it.
I want to say it's the Valves needing adjustment, badly. Sounds like a diesel truck when its warmed up. But when its cold it sounds flawless.

Video of the sound:

 

[Bitter]

cover the injectors up and see how it sounds, the injectors on my 93 were so loud you could hear them with the hood closed! Check for any exhaust leaks under the manifold cover . Check the oil weight/condition, check for sludge under the valve cover. How many miles on it?

 

[speedy25]

That noise is self destruction. Find it, fix it! Ignore it and you wont have a running engine anymore. I seriously doubt if its valves. The valvetrain on these engines rareley ever need any adjustment.

-SP

 

[Kyle Panda]

I'll try that, Thanks.
There's 242k on it.

 

[Bitter]

What does it sound like if you rev the engine up a little?

 

[Kyle Panda]

What does it sound like if you rev the engine up a little?

It goes away mostly. I'm pulling the timing cover and crap tomorrow to see what the belt is up to. Probably hasn't been changed in a long time.

 

[Bitter]

Send an oil sample to Blackstone labs.

 

[marpolsdofer]

To be honest my valves are realy loud to and I dont know why. The engine was just fully rebuild about 2000 mi ago. Valves lash was checked during assembly. Valve lash checked after 500 mi, valve lashed checked at 1500 mi. Valve lash all in specs. Valves was load before rebuild to. Maybe bit quite now but before and after the rebuild when given RPM above idle did not hear them.

Is there any sound on the bottom of the engine? Could have spun rod/crank bearing (can always drop the pan to find out).
If you dont get that fixed and quick you could destroy the rest, then the crank is shot.
You can get it fixed with new crank, bearing, lowers or use same crank get ground down (if its not to bad) over size bearings, new lowers.
Either way it going to the machine shop.
Shops in my area are to bad price wise but I took everything apart my self, cleaned my self, did all the work my self. They just machined what I need them to when I did a full rebuild.
They are going to want the block, crank, bearings, lowers.

 

[Kyle Panda]

Well, I took the cover off. No sludge or anything. looks like a well taken care of engine that has 242K on it.
Going to be checking the clearances later.

Looks like the prev owner had a little fun with the gasket sealer crap on the dips to get to the cam bolts.

 

[leakyseals]

Doesn't sound like oil flow related ticking, sounds like the timing belt or its tensioner or guide to me.

 

[Kyle Panda]

Doesn't sound like oil flow related ticking, sounds like the timing belt or its tensioner or guide to me.

Yeah... it started dumping rain so i had to close it up for now... I have yet to check for belt stretch. The belt does look a bit old so I'm adding that to the list of stuff.

 

[Kyle Panda]

So I checked the clearances on the valves, all are within spec. The timing belt looks fine, in almost new condition. When i pulled the spark plugs they didn't look prematurely worn or anything. No real build up.. they just looked like old ass Autolites. The lobes didn't have any excessive scoring wear or anything. So I'm sorta confused.. Compression seems fine too. Still need to actually test it.

Id did sit for a while before I got a hold of it. Could it just need to be driven for a while?

 

[leakyseals]

Something you can test quickly is running with no serp for a minute or 2. Maybe a bearing or pulley is doing that. Were you able to verify the timing belt tensioner or any guides that may rattle when the timing belt is in motion? I hear a lot of noise around the PCV valve, but thats a stretch. Its cheap, may as well replace that anyways.

 

[leakyseals]

Also, when you opened it up how did the engine look? deposits? Varnish? Changed the oil and filter yet?

 

[Kyle Panda]

Also, when you opened it up how did the engine look? deposits? Varnish? Changed the oil and filter yet?

I have yet to do an oil change on it. I was also kinda suspicious of just bad oil/incorrect viscosity. The head looked nearly flawless. not really any build up of crud, no corrosion.

 

[Bitter]

rev it up and let the engine fall back to idle, does the noise go away while the engine is falling to idle?

 

[Kyle Panda]

Some one told me it could be a manifold leak... but the sound is more mechanical than a exhaust leak...
Possible though?

 

[Bitter]

rev it up and let the engine fall back to idle, does the noise go away while the engine is falling to idle?

 

[Kyle Panda]

Waiting on the new valve cover gasket... old one was toast and it was missing the cover/head grommet half moon thing. prev owner filled that spot with gasket sealer crap. So I had to get a gasket kit that was a bit hard to find for some reason. All the stocked ones at the auto parts store don't come with that. Its a $10 piece of rubber..

But from what I can recall the noise goes away when it's revved up a bit then comes back at idle.

 

[leakyseals]

maybe thats part of it. May not have been leaking bad but was rattling the valve cover on the head. but if it comes and goes oil pressure may have something to do with it too. I had a rattling 00 Corolla. Rotella T6 5w40 quieted it down. So did Mobil 1 high mileage 5w30. Its a little thicker than regular M1 5w30