Crazy rattling, Need help Fast!

[evol90accord]

Sorry for the rush, but I got about 2 hours until I have to get my loaner car back over to it's rightful owner, so I need my ride!!

I was doing the t-belt, replaced all the seals, belts, everything... and I made damn certain this time the camshaft and everything else was aligned with TDC. I even turned the motor over with all the belts on a few times to double check it stayed in time.

However now I've put everything back together, and I'm hearing a loud as fuck rattling in my valve cover. I didnt do anything with the rocker assembly or valves, so what the hell is making that noise? I sounds like something is hitting the underside of the valve cover, but I tried loosening it and it didn't help. I can't even stick my ear around anything to try to get a better diagnoses because its so damn loud!

WTF could it be?

[i97supratti]

Maybe a valve adjustment is needed?

[ACCORDianate]

I was doing the t-belt...and I made damn certain this time the camshaft and everything else was aligned with TDC. I even turned the motor over with all the belts on a few times to double check it stayed in time... I can't even stick my ear around anything to try to get a better diagnoses because its so damn loud!

Are you sure you have it in time and the noise you hear isn't your valves going bye-bye?

[evol90accord]

It's in time... its probably more in time now than it was with the old belt. I made goddamn sure it was PERFECT. It only took me like 5 tries to get it, but it is perfect. I checked it against the haynes manual and the crappy DIY timing belt instructions I found. Everything matches, looking at it right now it all lines up.

I remember this was the exact same sound I had after I did the spark plug tube seals and did a valve adjustment afterwords. I triple checked everything and it was perfect, and I ended up having to go to the stealership to get it fixed. They just told me my valves were too tight and readjusted them (which is BS because they were in spec), and that the noise was from my alternator belt hitting the t-belt cover. The problem magically went away.

I didnt even mess with the valves or rocker assembly this time though, so why would it suddenly go out like that??

[accordztech]

so u did a valve adjustment when the:

engine was cold
engine was hot
engine was slightly warm or just not cold

cuase i heard people had issues when they adjusted theirs and i hear that when its cold is when they get issues...so they do it when its been sitting ifor about 3 hours or more.

u adjusted it so that the feeler guage just has a slight resistance right?

[mrhonda]

valve are supposed to be adjusted cold, exh - .30mm, int - .25mm is what the specs should be with the engine cold. However, from what you describe I don't think it was a valve issue in the first place. So who told you the valves were too tight? Thats B.S. because if they are too loose they will clatter, but if they are too tight they won't make noise, it will just run rough at idle. I think you may have left the cam bolt loose, it will rattle like hell.

[evol90accord]

i did the valve adjustment like 4 months ago. I haven't touched anything on the valve train since then. It wasnt making any noise when I started this tbelt project, but it sure is loud now. I'll check the cambolt again, we'll see.

[evol90accord]

D'oH!

Okay I totally got it figured out. The noise wasn't coming from the valve cover at all... it was coming from the flywheel area. Turns out when I was replacing the oil pan gasket, I bent the little plate that covers the bottom of the flywheel area. It was hitting the flywheel, making a god awful rattling sound!

I just took the plate off. There was absolutely no hope of bending it back into any kind of usable shape!

Oh, and I snapped one of the four valve cover bolts after I checked all the valves... apparently I don't know my own strength! See my post "*snap* awww CHRIST!"

[accordaffair]

^^ Welcome to the club... I really need to get off my ass and get a new bolt and nut