Hi guys, new to the forum.
Have a 1996 jdm wrx wagon, with 146km on the clock. Imported in 2008.
It's had piston slap ever since I bought it. But it has always faded away as the engine warms so it has never bothered me.
Recently when she gets up to temp the slap is gone at idle but a tapping noise can be heard under light acceleration. When I accelerate hard I can't hear the noise???

Really starting to get worried about it and don't know where to begin with this fault? Any ideas?

Have done a lot of reading through past threads etc and can't see anything relevant .
Thanks in advance!

 

could be valve tick or spark plugs ? is it like this ? http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show....php?t=1992157

 

Similar, but it doesn't do it on idle?! Only Very light throttle??
Think I'll check the manifold gaskets and spark plugs today when I get to work!

 

I have this same noise coming out of in the same place (i have a 01 WRX bug with 95k on it)...any ideas what this sound could be? Should i check the spark plug if it's loose?
I red that many scooby owners get this sound...my guess is this is just a loud lifter tick (which actually is not much to worry about ), caused by material fatigue and age.
The sound appeared to be more louder after i changed the oil 500 miles ago and switched from Fuchs Titan Race Pro 5/40 to Shell Helix Ultra 5/40. Just for info...i noticed a drop of around 0.5 bar of oil pressure when compered to Fuchs Titan (1 year old, 5000 miles on it) on warmed up engine!! I guess next time is Fuchs Titan again .

The owner of the car in the video responded like that:
Another one like that..much newer car...even louder

Thanks for any advice in advance!

 

I have the same thing under light acceleration as mentioned in the first post

I very much doubt that the spark plug is loose although by all means check but it would sound to me that its much more likely to be valve train related either a clearence issue (shim) or wear on the tappet.
I seem to remember that some cars (model dependant) have hydraulic type tappets and after high mileages these tend to wear or the oil feed hole becomes reduced or blocked and start to make a tapping type sound (which I think is happening to mine). The same happens to the shim type if the clearence isnt correct (this can be rectified by checking and setting of the clearences and fitting a different sized shim if required) or if there is wear on one of the componenents.

FYI: I think the hydraulic type heads are fitted to the lower models and the shim type to the STI

 

In my case the noise is not heard at acceleration...i just hear it on idle when out of the car. My money is on a slightly worn tappet, as i wrote previously it appeared to be louder after changing oil brand. Guess i will go back to the old brand . Setting a valve clearance is a grand job (engine out), so i really hope that's not the issue.


Aren't all the turbo engine (as i heard) from GD series equipped with shim type heads?

 

i had the hardening come off a cam tip which has worn it down and is causing the same noise...

 

Uf that's quite a serious issue. On which engine? age?miles? Modded?

I guess there should be a residue of the hardening material be seen in the old oil wouldn't be?

 

forged 2.1 stroker 500+hp, and always been driven hard, i geuss so i havent even looked at it for weeks, its due a service and will do the cam cam belt etc all at the same time

 

Ok mine is a lot more docile....just an almost bone stock engine (pro drive style mods (backbox, decated upipe, airfliter,remap)...cca 260-270 hp on crank) and driven normally 90% of the time. So i think that's probably not my case hehe.

 

Haha, no probably not, hopefully it is just a lifter/bucket thats sticky, thats what i thought on mine originally til i took the cover off and spotted the cam lol!

Its easy to tell mate, take the rocker cover off, put a socket on the crank bolt and crank it round and when the valves are shut (Cam off the bucket) try and spin the bucket if it doesnt spin there is possibly an issue with the bucket.

If they all spin get a feeler gauge (like £2.60 from screwfix) and check the clearences between cam and bucket when cam isnt pushing down on the bucket.

Mine were all 0.02 apart from the worn lobe on the ex cam which was 0.025

At least you can rule it out then Oh and make sure to turn the engine in the direction it runs NEVER turn it backwards

 

Hehe, thanks for the advice, i guess i will have to check this and possibly rule out.

Whats the solution for a sticky lifter/bucket anyway (excepts replacement)? A good engine flush + new good oil?

 

Hydraulic or solid?

If its hydraulic you may get away with cleaning it...

 

I honestly don't know what type of lifters are on my engine...never removed the cover or heads from the engine...yet hehe. It's a standard EJ205, the car is 2001 bugeye if it helps to identify.

 

Not a fecking clue, its all a learning curve for me as it is, Will be fairly obvious once you have the rocker cover off, is yours an sti or wrx?

 

Its only a WRX

 

Should be hydraulic then, check clearences first as to get to the buckets etc is a cambelt and cams out job

 

Ok thanks again...i guess i have to start somewhere hehe.