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Zetec Rattle


nelmo

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On a drive today, my 2L blacktop Zetec started a very worrying rattle - seems to be worst on light acceleration and actually doesn't seem to happen at all on hard acceleration. At idle, it's sometimes there but not always, weirdly. Seems ok below 2000 rpm, no smoke, no loss of power etc.

 

I checked for obvious loose items in the engine bay but doesn't seem to be anything - sounds internal :(

 

I've never done any work on an engine before, just bought a crated one for my build. It's done 3k miles since I fitted it...

 

Any suggestions about how I continue? What to try/look for?

 

 

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Theres summat strange going on here.

Its my grandsons 21st birthday next week, so I booked an evening session at Brands

on Monday for him to drive.

I changed to the trackday tyres & went for a checkout run this morning.

I came back with a really worrying rattle too. Top end, intermittent, seems less at higher revs.

Sometimes there at idle, sometimes not. Ive got some hydraulic lifter additive from ECP in desperation

& I'll be trying it out tomorrow. If it doesnt work, I'm knackered & he''ll have to put up with an

MX5 on crappy tyres.

Some birthday treat!

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Wow, that is creepy - so you think that might be the issue, dirt in the oil?

 

I've just gone out and also found a cracked plastic adaptor that the temp coolant sensor screws into :diablo: so I'm not going anywhere for a while - let me know if the additive does the trick.

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Not sure about oil pressure, my gauge isn't calibrated and is always off the scale.

 

Smelt the cap, smells of petrol which sounds dodgy...

I remember you saying it's not been turned and was running really rich. If your oil smells like petrol it's because the extra fuel going in is getting mixed with the oil which is a big problem as it will nacker your bearings as it isn't a lubricant, one possible reason why my big end bearings got destroyed as mine oil was pertoly

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Interesting - but is that likely in 3k miles?

 

I've been considering fitting a wideband lambda to improve the fuelling - looks like now might be the time. And an oil change...and maybe a coolant change as that looks a horrible rusty colour in the thermostat.

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3k miles is alot to run with watered down oil just think how many revolutions the engine has done in that time, you will find when you take the oil out a thick ivory coloured sludge at the bottom just Imagen that going around your engine causing no end of damage.

 

I would drain the oil and check that first if it has metal in it then check your bearings

Edited by Matt brown
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Not sure about your fuelling but I killed a xflow with amateur set up on twin 40s basically too much fuel wipes clean the oil from piston bores. When I say excessive when I drained the oil I have nearly another litre of thinner oil/fluid in the sump. You can smell the petrol on the dipstick.

 

Another issue on current engine ST170 so blacktopish the dipstick with ATR lowered and baffled sump hits one of the con rods and I had to shorten it and remark it full based on measuring exactly right amount in litres. That was a ticking metallic sound.

 

Final two from me check theres no crap between engine and gearbox if no dirt plate fitted and does it happen with clutch pressure, the extend pin on MT75 can rattle.

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