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Ebay Score(?)-Miss and Clang


Guest JuniorBaconChee

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Guest JuniorBaconChee

Hello all! Nice to meet you and I hope its likewise! Okay, so I bought this:

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=018&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=280110159026&rd=1,1

 

Figured a miss would be pretty easy to fix. I get there, and when the guy starts it, not only does it miss and barely idle, but theres a metallic clang coming from somewhere up front. I don't think its engine knock and its not constant. It seems to be mainly at idle, when its at speed it doesn't do it. I drove it home(2 1/2hrs) and it drives fine, well, except for the horrible missing. The transmission shifts fine....temp stayed below half the entire time. Oh the engine is a, ahem, rare(for a buick) 3.1. So, any thoughts? I know its kinda vague but let me know what additional info you all need and I'll be glad to supply that. Thanks guys...and gals!

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that metalic noise could be the AC compressor on its way out, pull the accessory belt and see if it goes away.

 

x2... I was just about to post that. A water pump pulley could sound like that too, but not with a belt deadening it.

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Guest JuniorBaconChee

Okay an update...and Im going to absolutley suck at describing this so...took the car over to my buddies garage. The noise is coming from the tranny. He did his thing for a while and decided to throw the front up on jackstands. What we observed is when the car is in Park, the tires still move..not a lot but they do move. It doesnt seem to be completely coming out of gear in Park. In Neutral, no knock but in Park, Drive or Reverse when you rev the engine and it comes back down to about 1500 rpm it seems to catch on something and cause that knocking, clanging noise. We dropped the tranny pan down and drained the fluid out...yeah it was a nice dark color. We also found what looks to be a tiny filter..its really small, plastic with 2 locking clips on one end, and mesh filters on each side, and it was just floating around in there apparently. We didnt find any chunks of metal in there. We then bolted it back up and refilled it and the noise did seem to go away..for a while. We did fix the miss(the 1-4 coil was bad) and it runs great now. He went out and gave it a little test drive and said that it shifts fine..said to just drive it till it gives out. Thats the update, thanks for any comments or ideas!

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Are the torque converter bolts tight where the converter bolts to the flywheel? Loose bolts can cause the noise you are hearing with the engine running. If you find them loose, take em out and put some loc tite on before re-installing.

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Guest JuniorBaconChee

You know Bossman I'm glad you brought that up. The guy I bought it from said he thought it was just that(torque converter being loose)..I just couldn't remember what he said. We'll have to check that. Rockfangd-I didn't do too much checking under there but my friend commented that the tranny pan and oil pan had some damage to them, and sure enough they did..although not too much. The pics posted on the auction were a little misleading. They obviously tried to hide some of the damage to the drivers side by not showing it. He told me a deer had hit them, put his antlers through the drivers side window breaking it, and then rolled along the side causing the damage to the side. Just mostly denting the panels from below the drivers door lock back to the rear fender. The body damage would have cost more than the car was worth which is why it has a salvage title. He had been driving the car to work and back when it developed the miss, so he just parked it and was driving his 4cyl truck. So it sat for no more than a month or two before I bought it. There was some fishy stuff going on I know but for $150, I figured it was worth the try. I'll let you all know what else I come up with. Thanks again!

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Guest JuniorBaconChee

One more update. My friend seems pretty adamant that its NOT the torque converter making that noise...I.E. hes not going to look to see if it really is, so Ill have to do it. I think that might be easier for my fat A$$ to do while the car is on a lift. I have access to one, just WHEN is the question. Beyond that, I think Ill just drive it till it goes kerplooey. Yeah rockfangd, not only deer but we also have TURKEY crossings around here...its always fun smoking one of those going 70 :lol:

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Guest JuniorBaconChee

You know, not that anybody gives a F.F. aboot my Regal with a jillion friggin miles and all but...I think when I wake up later today Ill go out and snap some pics of the damage on the drivers side and maybe take a short clip of the engine running so you all can hear the sound this thing makes. :lol:

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Guest JuniorBaconChee

Pardon my bump but...did anybody have any ideas on the noise? The knock goes away as soon as you start driving, and it doesn't usually return until the car is shut off and restarted or put into Park. Very strange...

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Sounds like a midget with a hammer is in there just radomly tapping on the firewall! LOL!

 

That is the strangest noise I have ever heard coming from a car.

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Guest JuniorBaconChee

Well, I guess as long as he's not attached to a big irish wrestler carrying a shalalee...whatever it is it doesn't really effect the driving bliss that is a 220,000 mile Regal 3.1. :lol: I'm sure it has something to do with the front wheels still moving in Park while it was on jackstands...

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this may sund a little dumb, but see if there is anything wedged between the engine and firewall. I had a customer who had to pull the engne forward and never took the 2 by 4 out and it kinda sounded similair :willynilly:

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Guest JuniorBaconChee

No 2x4 lodged in there. Replaced wires and plugs while I was at it. Cleaned IAC and throttle body. I know none of that has a damn thing to do with the transmission but hey, it runs nice. This week I'm going to Seafoam the Buick and the Tempo, and replace the tranny filter in the Buick. I spose maybe I should start looking for a transmission. I also need some misc pieces. Maybe I should start a new thread and ask about those. We don't have much in the way of salvage yards round here. The closest would be 2 and 1/2 hrs away.

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Guest JuniorBaconChee

Well, as I'm po-folks, it's gonna be a slow process, lol. But it was $150, so I'm thinking $500-700 would be enough to get it where I want it to be, as long as I'm doing the work. And really, its an either or thing...either get a newer car with less probs(maybe) or a cheaper car that needs the work, do the work and know its fixed, ahem, knock on wood...but whatever. I need a driver side headlamp black plastic trim piece, 2 small sections of trim that go on the front fenders up around the hood, and the HVAC as mine no longer lights very well. And of course, a transmission.

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see if the shims are between the starter and the block. may be the starter drive hitting the flywheel?

 

i didn't listen to your audio clip. however, i had a similar problem when i was helping my buddy restore his 66 mustang. turned out the flywheel was clipping the starter drive every once in a while.

 

hope that helps

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IMO, for $150, I'd just do the full tune-up/maintenance to get it running and driving great. It's a good DD, but with that rear fender messed up the way it is, and the high mileage it has, I wouldn't dump a whole lotta money into it.

 

I mean, who knows, it could die in one month, it could die in 3 years. I would get it to the point of where it runs and drives nice, and drive it til it dies. It should easily be able to see 275-300,000 miles.

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