Ok so my car is making a weird rattling noise while i drive. Its very complicated to explain but i assumed the most common culprits... It sounds like something is loose, and is not properly tightened. That kind of rattling. So... i assumed it was possible one of the following:

Loose Object jumping around the engine bay (trash from the street)
Intake is loose
A hook for either the downpipe, header, or exhaust.
Something that has to do with the flywheel, or tranny. (very tough to say)

And then i find this... i dont know what it is, and i dont know if something is either missing, or was removed before i purchased it (im gonna ask the previous owner, but until then this is all i have). The picture was taking behind the manifold, in a tight spot. Tell me what you think. I also tried tightnin' the nut with my hands... its impossible, so it seems that this object has been loose for sometime (which leads me to believe that this isnt the cause of the rattling).

 

thats a lift hook for your motor.

Captin obvious says it should be tight - hehe

 

yes, that engine lift plate would make a "ting" rattle noise since it is loose. usually that plate is bolted through from the engine side with the nut on the transmission but it doesn't matter much which way it is. you have 2 choices, 1st is to be sure the bolt is tight from the transmission side and take the nut off and pitch the plate and nut or set them aside to reinstall later when you have better access or 2) tighten the 14mm nut down so the plate won't rattle, the nut will be tough to get to so #1 may be the easier alternative since the plate isn't all that necessary.

 

Yea, so thats what it is... now, i tried this not so long ago. Since that was the first thing i actually caught. I wrap'd the nut, with the plate with a towel. To ensure that it was stable, and not actually vibrating, or rattling. So in the end the rattle was still there. I also told my buddy to hold it while i rev'd the engine... and it still rattled.

I know it must be tight, and its difficult to get access to it.. but is there any other possibility? Lets just say while im inside the car and rev'ing the car to see where the rattling is comin from... is just about near the tranny... So i havent had time to check any hooks for the exhaust... and now im beginning to get rid of the fact that its flywheel or tranny related. Why? Because the shifting, and torque has not been affected due to this rattling. Therefore i continue to think its a loose bolt, nut, or screw of some kind.

Thanks for your input, and i will continue to research more of this. Although, its tough to do without the proper tools and accuracy. Thanks again Karack, and classicauto

 

oh one more note... while going at high speeds (freeway 60-75mph) the rattle is completely gone. Which led me to believe that now it has something to do with a stable air flow. But as i begin to move (from a red light) while changing from 1st to 2nd gear, around 2-2.6rpm that rattle is there. Once i move from 2nd to 3rd that rattle starts to descend.. or decrease.

Sorry just thought id fill, or throw every situation i have with this noise. Im just completely troubled, and a bit scared of driving my car. I dont wanna crash and burn now.. heh...

 

Get under your car and start grabbing stuff and giving it a good shake. Could be an exhaust bolt, or a heat sheild coming loose, or a tranny mount, there's quite a few things that could rattle.

 

so.....

You can get it to make the rattling noise when the car isn't moving, correct?

If thats the case, it has to be something loose on or....wait for it.....IN the engine.

Check your pulleys out.....also, jack up the car and makesure all the inspection cover onthe bellhousing are tight. Ive had areal headscratcher that turned out to be inspection plates.

 

Im sorry i dont understand this... please elaborate. Thanks, i see what your saying prior to this plate thing. Thanks again everybody else.

 

well if you look under the car on the tranny by the starter there are "inspection plates" that cover holes in the bellhousing. They are there for the purpose of easy removal to inspect clutch wear.

Since they are thin sheetmetal covers, they tend to come loose if they are abused or just a little mis-shapen, and they can rattle against the belhousing when loose.

IIRC there is one on the bottom, one on the right side and one on-top.

 

Is there any way you can shoot some pictures. I dont wanna stick my hands in the wrong place. This would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for breaking it down.

 

since you can reproduce the rattle while not driving it shouldn't be too tough to find what is causing it, what you need to do is have a friend rev the engine so it rattles while you climb around under the car and poke things or grab them with a towel to try and find what is causing it. if needed jack the car so you can get around under it easier.

 

put a thick sock over your hand, if you see it smoking then you grabbed the wrong part.

 

A heat shield on the exhaust is what i would say. But like others said feel around and be careful when the engines running/warm u can burn yourself on a few things.

 

check your motor mounts.
they are old.

under load, a broken mount will cause the engine to twist, allowing your clutch fan to bang against the shroud/anything near it.

 

Thanks, i will be looking into those parts as soon as i get the chance. Just so you know, once i figure out what it was... ill let you guys know. Thanks!

 

yo, i figured it out.... once i got the proper tools i lifted my car, and it turns out the heatshield for the catylic converter was loose. I havent fixed it yet, but ill get my uncle to reweld it. Thanks for your support, and input.

sorry for bringing this thread up again haha... have a good one!

 

Ok so i got it fixed, here are some pictures of the culprit, and it fixed. Thanks for your input.

 

thats the EGR tube, not a heat shield

nice go!