3.4 v6 loud rattling sound, and no power

[rcluv]

hey guys, i have a 1994 olds cutlass convertible. when you first start up the car it makes aloud rattling noise, idles high for a second then goes back to the normal rpm range. the next problem is when you go to leave from a stop it seems to want to flood itself. it does'nt stall or anything just seems to heisitate abit.

[jdcutty]

Glogged cat? Or could be a number of other things.

[rcluv]

well when you satrt it up it sounds almost like it has a hole in the exhaust, but it does'nt.

[jdcutty]

where are you located, maybe someone here that is in your area could check it out for ya.

[rcluv]

i live in sherwood park, right near edmonton alberta. i'm at a loss here. i just bought the car from a buddy, and don't know much about them.

[19Cutlass94]

I wonder if its a collapsed lifter?

[rcluv]

i don't think it is. it's only really loud when it's first started up, but it still ticking pretty good when running. it has throttle hang when you play with the gas pedal aswell.

[GutlessSupreme]

I wonder if its a collapsed lifter?

 

I was kinda thinking that too..a hole in the exhaust wouldn't explain any of this except the noise. Maybe even a bad valve?

[97loudcut]

I'm going to say the rattling and such could be just a bad exhuast in general. Is anything disconnected under the car exhuast wise. Have you hit anything in the road lately that would seperate maybe the cat from the DP?

 

How's your TB and air intake system?

[rcluv]

no, i have'nt hit anything on the road, i just picked it up yesterday. the exhaust is fine, the rattling noise is coming from the right side of the engine. what would cause the car to idle high one second then the next it's running normal?

[97loudcut]

right side as driver side or passenger..

 

 

[rcluv]

passenger side, looks like one of the upper pulleys are off abit.

[97loudcut]

hows the crank pulley?

[rcluv]

i'm not too sure

[Mach 5]

how about the belt tensioner. How many miles does the car have?

[gp90se]

throttle hang = lower intake gasket on the 3.4 typically

[rcluv]

the car has just over 91,000 miles on it. the belt seems alittle loose.

[rcluv]

how much of a pain in the ass is the lower intake gasket to fix?

[birdman]

when you say idles high how high? and when you go from a stop how long does it "flood"? and for the gasket, it takes someone who hasnt done it mabey 4-5 hours. just set aside a day to do it. its really not hard but it helps to know what your doing.

[rcluv]

ok it goes from just under a thousand or so rpms, then roars upto twenty- five hundred, and when you are leaving from a stop it's very sluggish, and it feels like it's going to die.

[birdman]

does it smell rich at an idle or can you see a puff of black smoke when it bogs down? and as far as the noise is it rpm related? and once it gets going is it ok? does it still bog when you hit the gas?

[rcluv]

does it smell rich at an idle or can you see a puff of black smoke when it bogs down? no. and as far as the noise is it rpm related? it's when you first satrt up the car, after alittle bit it's ticking away, like the lifters are going to come out of the engine. and once it gets going is it ok? no. does it still bog when you hit the gas? it's still very slugish and chugs the gas.

[rcluv]

what should be looking for?

[birdman]

well these motors alawys tick some but not loud enough to be noticed in the car so you may very well have a bad lifter(s) or valve problems. is the rattle/tick constant like just one lifter stuck/bad or is it a completely random rattle? and as for the bogging, have you done a tune up? plugs, wires, oil, air filter? other than that it kinda sounds like mabey a vacume leak. id go over the vac lines and check the intake for a leaking gasket. you can take a spray bottle of water or some brake cleaner and spray it around all the gaskets on the intake and if theres a leak the idle will jump.

[97loudcut]

Either seafoam it or L67 swap it. That usually fixes everyone's w-body problems.