Rattly "top end" when cold?

rG-tom

rG-tom

rG-tom

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Hey guys,

It's hopefully nothing major, my old engine did it a bit, and this does it a bit too but it seems louder than i remember recently (maybe it's because i drove another car for 2.5k miles)

Basically, when the engine is cold, there is a slight rattle above 2.5 - 3k rpm from what sounds like the top end of the engine. It goes away when it's warm, but by warm i mean like 10-12 miles of driving rather than the 3 or 4 it takes for the coolant to warm up fully etc.....sometimes it doesnt go away COMPLETELY for a bit longer, and you can still hear a subtle hint of it.

If the weather is cold, it definitely is worse and takes longer to go away.

Any ideas what it could be? It's not loud enough that most people would notice it i dont think. On second thoughts, what's the likelyhood it could be a heatsheild? Something that once up to temperature has expanded back to where it should be.....i dont think it is.

PS it's been in for various bits and bobs to about 3 or 4 different garages and every single one has said "sorry havnt a clue mate, i wouldnt worry about it"....problem is I'm a bit anal when it comes to keeping this car running perfect, shame the world seems against me....

Tom.

EDIT the oil has been changed within the last few k miles, i always keep it topped up and it's magenetc 5w30. Engine is a 2.5l Duratec v6 in my mondeo.
 
im thinking it might be tappets.....it gets quicker with revs etc.


if it was tappets, what kind of price would you be looking at and what would happen if it wasnt fixed?


i suppose ill have to get a sound recording of it really. I said rattly as it is definitely a higher pitched, raspy almost, rattle, compared to when my big ends went.
 
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Use cat *oi no swearing!* oil and it drops out of the head quickly hence a bit of a rattle on first start up.

Not sure whether that's the answer here though from your description but a lot of cars sound tappety for a while after a cold start.
 
Could also be the exhaust manifold where it meets the head!

You should have heard mine when one of the bolts was loose. One of my mates described it as a transit van :eek: :(
 
merlin said:
Use cat *oi no swearing!* oil and it drops out of the head quickly hence a bit of a rattle on first start up.

Not sure whether that's the answer here though from your description but a lot of cars sound tappety for a while after a cold start.
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5w30 is the manufacturer spec? Should i be using something else?
 
is this on the mondeo m8?
the V6 exhaust manifold had a habbit of not being completely flat and let some of the gasses escape past the manifold, on mine it made a ticking sound almost rattly. You could hear it more prominent when driving alongside a wall
 
rG-tom said:
im thinking it might be tappets.....it gets quicker with revs etc.


if it was tappets, what kind of price would you be looking at and what would happen if it wasnt fixed?


i suppose ill have to get a sound recording of it really. I said rattly as it is definitely a higher pitched, raspy almost, rattle, compared to when my big ends went.
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Check the manifold like matey above says.

Get the correct torque and yes a torque wrench or you might snap the studs and that will = major pain in the arse.
 
actually come to think of it last time it was in for tyres the guy put some quickseal kinda stuff around the manifold for me. It's got to go to powerflow soon so ill get them to torque it all down for me. would it make sense that when its warm the manifold expands and it stops blowing then?

Tom.
 
i get this on my mondeo at the same revs. It was the heatshield in the end. But it can also be caused but the cat being screwed.
 
could be anything,


dead cat worn tappets, thin oil, blowing exhaust, rattly heatshield, your imagination, bmw owner sabotage etc etc etc
 
Depending what sort of noise it is it could be the cam chain making some noise. What is the mileage out of interest.
 
there is no cat :D so it's not that. i know there DEFINITELY is a heathshield loose around the mid box, which i'll remove tomorrow and see if that gets rid but it doesnt seem to be from there, sounds can be deceiving in the car though.
 
Dandle said:
Depending what sort of noise it is it could be the cam chain making some noise. What is the mileage out of interest.
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mileage is unknown as it's had an engine from a cougar put in it after the big ends went, and the only breakers yard that could get me one as soon as i needed it couldnt verify the mileage
 
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