[gpjlytham]

Hi All

A few days ago I bought a 2007 Sky with 80k miles in good condition but it wouldn't rev and it was very sluggish. I was fairly certain that it was a clogged catalytic converter. I got a good deal on the car and drove it home. I have replaced the cat and now the engine has full power and revs easily.

The problem: - I noticed a slight engine ticking when I bought the car, it wasn’t any worse after replacing the cat but after approx. 250 miles the ticking has got worse. The ticking changes with engine revs. As the engine revs faster the ticking gets faster.

It appears to be coming from the passenger side of the engine, at the top.

Is this a known issue with the 2.4L engine?

Any idea what it is and how to fix it?

I believe the mileage is correct and the car appears to have been well cared for. It has a hot air intake that has GM stickers on it so I assume it was a dealer performance option but I don’t know if the car has any other mods, but i suspect it doesn't.

 

[Robotech]

Could be a stuck lash adjuster but would be odd...I'm not sure what a damaged spring or other valvetrain damage would sound like in our cars.

You could pull your valve cover and see if there is any obvious damage there.

 

[gpjlytham]

Update: - I added Bars leaks high milage engine repair. I chose this product because it has the craziest details on the bottle. It states, in engines with seriously damaged components a second treatment may be required. I took that to mean that no matter what is wrong with an engine this stuff can cure it. Heck it might even cure covid... who knows. But I do know that it doesn't cure the ticking noise on a 2007 2.4L Sky engine. So back to the store I go and tomorrow i'm trying Liqui Moly pro-line engine flush. I'm sure the new flush will cure it (well perhaps not sure) but it's worth a try.

 

[lerthon]

Could be the high-pressure fuel pump which is very normal.

 

[sahein]

Could be the high-pressure fuel pump which is very normal.

2.4 doesn't have a high pressure fuel pump.

 

[gpjlytham]

Could be the high-pressure fuel pump which is very normal.

Would the fuel pump tick get faster with the engine revs?

 

[JohnWR]

Would the fuel pump tick get faster with the engine revs?

As @sahein posted in reply to that, the 2.4 des not have a high pressure fuel pump, so there is no ticking from it.

 

[Patrick1958]

Replace timing chain. Classic symptom on these engines. Do it now.

 

[gpjlytham]

Replace timing chain. Classic symptom on these engines. Do it now.

I thought a bad timing chain or tensioners caused a rattle and not a ticking, at least that's what happened to my jag XJS.

 

[gpjlytham]

Another update: - I tried the Liqui Moly pro-line engine flush, I followed the instructions on the can and then replaced the oil and filter. The good news is that the filter and the oil were metal free, but the bad news is that the engine is still ticking. I think I will have to take the valve cover off to see if I can pinpoint the problem.

Do you have to take the camshafts out to remove the lifters and rocker arms or can they be removed with the cam in place?

 

[rjgramps]

If the ticking is not increasing in intensity with more miles driven, I would add a quart of Lucas fuel treatment during your next fill-up, just in case your are hearing a noisy injector.

Also add 8oz of Lucas oil treatment into your engine oil.

No guarantees but worth a try. I hear the product actually works on occasion.

 

[gpjlytham]

I did a compression test and that looked good with the lowest number being 160 dry and the highest 170 dry. It’s a harbor Freight tester so the numbers might be off but each cylinder was giving a close value.

I took the valve cover off to have a look and I cannot see any damage. All the cam lobes look good with no scoring. The springs look good, none appear to be broken. The rollers all visually look good and they are tight to the camshaft. No sludge. The valve cover gaskets are not crispy but don't apear to be new. I turned the ignition on and everything moves like you would expect. No obvious ticking with it not running.

Is the paint normal? I was surprised to see paint on the parts. There isn’t any record on Carfax of any engine work being done but the car has had 6 owners so anything is possible. It seems doubtful that any paint would remain in an engine after 13 years and 80000 miles. Green paint on the springs, Red paint on the Camshaft and Blue paint on the head.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[sahein]

Check for bent, collapsed or broken lash adjusters. Rotate engine by hand while observing. Lash adjusters are the weak point from over revving. It is also easy to remove the rocker shafts to inspect the adjusters.

 

[gpjlytham]

Check for bent or broken lash adjusters.

Do i have to remove the camshafts to inspect the lash adjusters or is their a way to inspect them without removing the camshaft. If the cam has to be removed is their a way to keep the timing in place?

 

[sahein]

If you remove the cams you will need to pull the front cover to reset the timing. The early adjusters typically have two failure modes. The top portion will be bent at an angle or broken completely off. Rotate and observe first.

 

[gpjlytham]

The rocker arms are tight against the camshaft and the valve springs, so how do I remove the rocker arms without removing the camshaft?

 

[sahein]

The rocker arms are tight against the camshaft and the valve springs, so how do I remove the rocker arms without removing the camshaft?

Rotate the crankshaft to observe.

 

[gpjlytham]

Rotate the crankshaft to observe.

I rotated the crankshaft and all the rocker arms move but at no point are any of them lose enough to remove? What am I doing wrong?

 

[sahein]

I rotated the crankshaft and all the rocker arms move but at no point are any of them lose enough to remove? What am I doing wrong?

I don't know if you did anything wrong. I would try a mechanics stethoscope. https://www.amazon.com/HARDK-Automo...uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

 

[gpjlytham]

I tried my mechanics stethoscope but I dont hear the tick unless the engine is running. The starter motor doesnt appear to turn the motor fast enough to make the tick happen.