92 Cavalier engine noise.

[wtd]

My 92 Cavalier with the 2.2L and 230,700 miles on it has an engine noise. It's had a slight noise for years but recently it's gotten much louder.

The noise is there under engine load but not much at idle in park. If you rev the engine up in park, the noise will be there initially but then goes away.

When driving, you can't hear it when coasting or if you are not giving it much gas.

Here is a video of the noise with the car idling in gear.
https://youtu.be/fvRR4s_cGMc

 

[StevieC]

Sounds like an exhaust leak but I'm on terrible speakers in my office at the moment.

Force air up the exhaust using a Shop-Vac blowing air out the hose up the tail pipe and then listen around the engine with it off.
Make sure the vacuum pipe is tightly fitted in the tail pipe with some something to take up any gap so it can force the air up the exhaust.

 

[mk378]

Which noise has you most concerned? The tapping, the squeaking, or the putting?

 

[wtd]

The tapping. the squeaking is the alternator and I'm not sure what the "putting" you are referring to is.

I initially thought it was exhaust related when I first heard it years ago and took it to a couple of different exhausts shops and they said it's not the exhaust. Last year I pulled off the exhaust manifold thinking maybe the gasket was going bad or the manifold was cracked. I didn't find either and the noise was still there afterwards. The noise has gotten worse lately so it kind of has me concerned.

I'm just trying to get some ideas of what it could be before I have someone look at it. i'm obviously not going to be spending a whole lot of money on this thing given it's age and mileage.

The sound seems to be concentrated on the driver's side of the engine, almost where the engine and transmission meet. I didn't know if it could somehow be transmission related. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[StevieC]

Maybe EGR gasket has rotted away and it's leaking around the valve?

Also you can take a long hand screw driver, hold the handle part sealed against your ear and then touch various parts of the engine with the metal part and see if you can isolate the source that way.

 

[mk378]

The tapping sounds like a valve lifter or rocker. Take the oil cap off and see if it is louder inside.

 

[mattd]

I hear a few things. I do hear some kind of exhaust leak. Check to make sure the egr tube isn't rotted or broken. I also hear as mentioned some type of belt drive squeaking. It's hard to distinguish the tapping from the exhaust leak sometimes they can sound similar. What is the oil pressure? Does they noise change with engine temperature or oil viscosity?

 

[OVERKILL]

Classic! Old beast sounds like a Ford 8N tractor

Definitely sounds like there is an exhaust leak somewhere there, as Stevie noted, I'd check around the EGR, as that seems to be where it is most pronounced.

 

[wtd]

I did use a mechanics stethoscope over everything and the noise that I'm hearing was not picked up by the stethoscope.

I just replaced the EGR valve gasket as well as put a used EGR valve on that I had to see if that was it and that didn't help at all. I will have to check out the EGR valve tube but I have run my hand around everything and I don't feel any type air pushing out or exhaust pressure.

The belt squeak is probably the belt tensioner again as these things are not very durable and I've probably had three on this car since I've owned it. I'm not concerned with that noise or the alternator squeak. The tapping or exhaust sound noise is what I'm worried about.

I'm usually pretty good at figuring stuff out but this has me stumped at the moment.

 

[wtd]

Originally Posted by mk378
The tapping sounds like a valve lifter or rocker. Take the oil cap off and see if it is louder inside.

I put a mechanics stethoscope on all parts of the valve cover and it all sounds the same and not the tapping noise that I'm hearing. The oil fill cap is part of the dipstick which goes into the lower part of the block so it's not that.

 

[wtd]

I looked at the EGR valve tube and as far as I can tell there is no issues with it. I don't feel anything out of the ordinary when running my hands all around and over the tube and can't see any issues with it. It looks new so it's not rotted out anywhere. I also am not getting an EGR valve code which would indicate that the EGR valve system is not functioning correctly.

The other day when the car was running I ran my hands over where it goes into the head and I didn't feel anything.

 

[bullwinkle]

If it's an exhaust leak, you'll see puffs of smoke where it's leaking. Sounds a lot like a lifter/rocker to me, but those old Cavalier motors weren't exactly quiet when they were new. The chugging sounds more like a bad exhaust-cracked manifold, cracked flex pipe, regular exhaust pipe. I couldn't see putting big $ into a '92, unless the rest of the car was MINT!

 

[Propflux01]

Is it an automatic Tranny? Sounds to me like a cracked flywheel (flexplate). If you have access to a door that's used to remove the torque converter bolts, remove it and flashlight up towards the center of the plate. I had one crack on a Grand Prix, and it sounded and acted exactly like yours, mild at first, then progressively louder. And tye fact yours is louder where engine and tranny meet.

 

[das_peikko]

That's a very familiar sound. Collapsed lifter.

 

[dishdude]

I'd pop the serp belt off, I think you're getting a lot of noise from the belt driven accessories. Without that background noise, it might help you isolate it.

 

[mk378]

The definitive test for exhaust leaks is to idle the engine and have someone block the tailpipe with a rag while you listen under the hood. Leaks will make a hissing sound when pressure builds up.

 

[wtd]

Originally Posted by Propflux01
Is it an automatic Tranny? Sounds to me like a cracked flywheel (flexplate). If you have access to a door that's used to remove the torque converter bolts, remove it and flashlight up towards the center of the plate. I had one crack on a Grand Prix, and it sounded and acted exactly like yours, mild at first, then progressively louder. And tye fact yours is louder where engine and tranny meet.

It is an automatic tranny. I will remove the cover and see if I can see anything obvious like a crack. Thanks.

 

[wtd]

Originally Posted by das_peikko
That's a very familiar sound. Collapsed lifter.

If it was a collapsed lifter, wouldn't it make that sound all of the time? When there is no load on the engine, you either cannot hear the noise or it's kind of faint.

 

[wtd]

Originally Posted by dishdude
I'd pop the serp belt off, I think you're getting a lot of noise from the belt driven accessories. Without that background noise, it might help you isolate it.


I took this video when the engine was cold and I had first started it. The other noises go away after the car warms up some but the main tapping noise is still there.

 

[wtd]

Originally Posted by mk378
The definitive test for exhaust leaks is to idle the engine and have someone block the tailpipe with a rag while you listen under the hood. Leaks will make a hissing sound when pressure builds up.

I will try this and see if I can hear anything.