Ticking noise then quit on me... HELP

[jake88maro]

okay i have a 1991 festiva 5 speed 204k. after i put a timing belt on it, it ran great..... for about 3 months. just resently it starting making a ticking noise (sounded like top end). now the more i drove it, it felt like it was loosing power in the low-mid range, still plenty in the upper rpms. so one day after work (keep in mind the ticking has been going on for about 2-3 weeks) i took the valve cover off and adjusted the valves, only very slightly. after i put the valve cover back on i wouldn't start. that was about 4 days ago and i haven't had time to look into it until this weekend. Anybody have any thoughts on where to start? i think i'm going to take the timing covers off to make sure it didn't jump. any thoughts would help! THANKS!

[Movin]

Don't know what you did, but unless you have the rockers off an 88 there is
nothing to adjust under there. If it ran before and you really do have the early
adjusters you likely set the lash 180 out on overlap . This would result in a
windmill crank, the sound of no compression-no start.

If you turn these babies too far you will show us how the non-interference
B block bends valves!!

You will notice that the cam on cylinder one can have the lobes sticking up
like teddy bear ears on one TDC and sticking down like teddy bear ears on the other.
You want to adjust when the teddy bear is hanging upside down. Not sure!!??
Rock the crank 90 one way and back, then 90 the other way. Neither valve
that you are going to adjust should move. Stick that feeler gauge in there,
use the right one paying attention to intake-exhaust and MM specs-.000 specs

[jake88maro]

Don't know what you did, but unless you have the rockers off an 88 there is
nothing to adjust under there. If it ran before and you really do have the early
adjusters you likely set the lash 180 out on overlap . This would result in a
windmill crank, the sound of no compression-no start.

If you turn these babies too far you will show us how the non-interference
B block bends valves!!

You will notice that the cam on cylinder one can have the lobes sticking up
like teddy bear ears on one TDC and sticking down like teddy bear ears on the other.
You want to adjust when the teddy bear is hanging upside down. Not sure!!??
Rock the crank 90 one way and back, then 90 the other way. Neither valve
that you are going to adjust should move. Stick that feeler gauge in there,
use the right one paying attention to intake-exhaust and MM specs-.000 specs

awesome thanks for the info. i'm gonna rip it apart tomorrow and i'll get back with you on what i find! thanks again!

[georgeb]

Post a pic of the rockers. They should be the non-adjustable HLA type. If a carby adjustable shaft has been swapped on you need a manual to know where to set the engine to adjust them. If you don't have a manual I will show you.

[denguy]

Lifter noise

My 91 Festy has what sounds like one lifter that clatters for a while on start up after the car sits a few days. How can I tell which one it is and what do I have to put in a new one?
thanks
OOps.....meant to start a new thread.
What can go wrong if I don't replace the bad lifter?
thanks again

[georgeb]

They always fix themselves on mine.

[Movin]

Thread B : HLA clatter usually is not the lifter or rocker worn..
The oil pump wears first and can draw in little air bubbles during
times when oil is low a little or harder to pump. If the top is off
an unknown mileage source, or the bottom has been done with
a new oil pump then look for valve train wear.

The little 1.3 can usually go thousands of miles this way.
A gasket will get you first!! Just do not run one out of oil.

[milehighbear]

Hey Denguy, I have the same problem with my 93. Here is what I do. I buy a can of STP. I drive the car for about 5 miles and get it good and warmed up. I stop, leave the car running, put in the can of stp and drive the car for about another 5 miles so that the stp blends in real good with the oil. That way it gets pumped all thru the car while hot cause once the car cools off and all oil runs back to oil pan, once the stp cools off, it stays in bottom of pan. But your lifters have already been coated with stp and they stay that way for quite awhile and stops the tapping. At least works for me.

[Movin]

The stp seals the sides of the inner pump gear and the front seal, and
air does not enter the system at that point. Most any car or truck that
uses these systems of oil pump wrapped around crank are susceptible
to this. They are awesome until worn. The new GM V engines are really
bad about this. Ever heard noisy lifters in an old subaru? Pull the oil pump
and reseal everything and the clicking goes away. STP and other great
products can help seals and allow for slightly greater tolerances without noise.

I would only use quality products on higher mileage or specialty built "loose"
engines , never on a newer engine. Nothing like losing a little friction and
preventing seizures at the same time! Note that nothing in here is about
economy, longevity but certain race uses and loose tired engines.

[blkfordsedan]

LOL, I'll throw in a third opinion....just to cover all the bases!

If the HLA is tapping, it could be an issue with air in the oil (like Movin said) but I would think it would effect all the HLA's and not clear up after a short time if that were the case. If the HLA is tapping, then just like a traditional tappet, it is not being pressurized with oil (for whatever reason). These HLA's have very tiny oil passages and can trap any kind of small dirt or debris just like a mini oil filter. They are very sensitive to dirty oil and lack of regular maintenance. It may also not be capable of keeping the "prime" and will bleed off the pressure over time (i.e. overnight sitting in the driveway). It sounds to me like this is your problem. If you remove the valve cover and turn the engine over so the rocker arms/followers are on the "base circle" of the cam (i.e. not on a lobe), you can take your hands and press down on the valve end of the rocker. The offending HLA will be "spongy", soft or even loose. You can either try some Seafoam in the oil prior to an oil change (just 1 or 2 ounces) or just replace the offending HLA with a new one.....or a known good used one. There are several good threads already existing on this topic.

[jake88maro]

Okay sorry for the great delay but i ended up figuring out what was wrong initially. what happened was the keyway on the crank shaft stripped out the part of the crank. so the crank pulley for the timing belt was constantly moving back and forth on the shaft causing the ticking noise and it to go out of time. The engine ran so good before this so instead of putting a new crank in it, i just went ahead and mig welded the pulley onto the crank. i knowe i'll probably catch some crap for that but my thought is once it goes again i can get a 1.3 from the local junk yard for $90(90k on motor). After putting a new timing belt on and putting it all back together, it starts up and runs but is very choppy like. it will stall out for about the first five minutes until its warm. After that it will run rough but stay running. after i take off it runs very strong like there is nothing wrong. Any thoughts from anyone would be great! thanks in advance!

[link5186]

Your valve timing may be a hair off. Did you double check tdc before welding the timing gear on? All may not be lost if not. Use a long screwdriver down the number 1 spark plug hole to find tdc (watch the top as you turn the crank, you'll see it) and set your timing off that. If you can't get close you may have to bust the weld and try again. I wouldn't trust the timing mark on the crank gear after the failure you described.

Sent from the bathroom via crapatalk.

[jake88maro]

Your valve timing may be a hair off. Did you double check tdc before welding the timing gear on? All may not be lost if not. Use a long screwdriver down the number 1 spark plug hole to find tdc (watch the top as you turn the crank, you'll see it) and set your timing off that. If you can't get close you may have to bust the weld and try again. I wouldn't trust the timing mark on the crank gear after the failure you described.

Sent from the bathroom via crapatalk.

yeah thats true but i've had the timing belt off three times to see if it's on time and everytime it's looked good. i will look at tdc this weekend and see whats up