New noise after track day.

[racerjim]

Well I took my 94 rt/10 out to the roadcourse today and had a blast doing it. I did spin out once but that was my bad judgement, I was on my warm up lap and hit a puddle, then around it went right after the puddle, cold wet tires have no traction. LOL but it was cool.

Now to my new noise. I know it was my fault as well but i'm just curious as to what it hurt and what its gonna cost to get fixed, I can wrench on it no problem but i'm gonna need some parts I think.

First thing is some new mounts as i'm sure that's what the root cause was.

I was pulling hard off a corner onto the main straight and shifted from 2nd and caught 1st, the rear tires skidded and the motor over revved i'm not 100% sure by how much but the tach was pinned. I quickly re-clutched and found 3rd. I ran the rest of the day prolly another 30-40 mins or so. Once i started it to head home i noticed a ticking noise, I drove to the gas station and once there I opened the hood and listened closer and found its coming from the valley under the intake, the car still runs like a top and all the gauges were fine on my hour long drive home. Once home it still sounds the same, it didn't get any worse.

I'm thinking a lifter went bad but that should be rattling at the valve cover not the valley, so I figured I'd ask here before I tear it apart to find the problem.

Just a note as well the car is 100% stock and has 50,900 Miles on it.

thanks for any and all help. i've got all winter to get it fixed up for next year.

 

[caseyse]

It would be nice if it were a lifter, but when putting it into first, you forced an over rev. which could have caused valve damage or a bent push rod (the latter would also cause the ticking sound.) I wouldn't drive it any more.

 

[caseyse]

Maybe pull the valve cover having the noise and check for excessive play in the rocker/push rod.

 

[racerjim]

that was kind of what i figured so now to take it apart and see whats wrong, its parked till May in the warm garage.

The wierd thing is the noise is coming from under the intake in the middle of the engine, not from either valve cover.

 

[TexasPettey]

Does it track with RPM? When my lifter went, it would make a very light ticking noise but eventually an intermittent squeal as the roller got too hot. Pulling the rocker arm covers and listening is a good idea. It makes a big mess. If you can find someone with a trashed valve cover cheap, you can cut the top and make very little mess. If you had an over rev, something could have easily happened the valve train.

Lifters are an expensive replacement on the Gen1, as you have to pull the heads, which means new head gaskets. I suggest trying a bunch of other options before centering on a lifter. If you do the lifters, you may also consider a new CAM. I'm not sure, but I think you have to pull the cam to check for wear as a precaution if the lifters went bad.

The lifters are down on the cam, which sits under the intake. If there was something going on where the lifter was sticking to the sides, it might not be fully seated on the cam all the time. Just a guess.

 

[plumcrazy]

could be a bent pushrod.

pull the cover off and take a good look at all of them. sounds just like what one of my friends did on his B/W. his was hitting below the valve cover. it was bent pretty bad and amazing it held in place.

 

[rpm9000]

I bet it is a bent pushrod.

 

[JonB]

Bent Pushrod(s)

 

[racerjim]

Well i tore it apart tonight and i think i got very lucky. It looks like one of the valve keepers popped out of place. Good thing the valve didn't drop into the cylinder.

Do you guys think that by putting it back everything should be fine? I have to go rent an OHV valve spring compressor tomorrow to put it back in place. Also do you think this would cause my noise?

I could hear the noise near the back of the engine so i pulled out the last 4 pushrods on each side and i rolled them on a flat table and there wasn't any that were bent that i could see. the loose keeper is on the 2nd spring from the back of the head on the drivers side.

thanks guys and here's some pics of the damage.

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[caseyse]

I haven't seen this before and don't know. If that missing keeper was the source of the noise, I would have some concern that the valve guide saw abnormal wear, with possible damage to the valve seat. If I didn't see oil deposits on the plug, and if a leak down test was fine, then I would think you probably found your problem and are lucky. Where is that missing keeper?

 

[racerjim]

the keepers are both still there. but one is popped up out of place. so the head of the valve is recessed a bit below the top of the spring. thats why there is the extra wear on the top of the spring and on the rocker arm.

 

[caseyse]

Oh, I see now that you pointed out the sunken half (I probably need to cut back on the evening drinks, maybe I could then see better.) I'm sure you'll get some great advise from others, but I would do the leak down test, and if fine, and if the plug looks commensurate with the other plugs (i.e., no deposits), I would then fix the keeper (and yes, have a few more drinks in celebration!)

 

[dave6666]

Crack?

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[SquadX]

Good find dave and if you look at his second photo the other side seems to look similar.

 

[racerjim]

Its not a crack, just a line, must have been in the casting process or something, because its on every one.

 

[2snakes4us]

Is it a loud ticking noise? is a light ticking normal. I hear a very light ticking noise sometimes but not all the time. are these engines supposed to have no ticking?

 

[racerjim]

a very light tick is normal that the injectors, but my tic was louder after i missed the gear and overreved it.

 

[2snakes4us]

a very light tick is normal that the injectors, but my tic was louder after i missed the gear and overreved it.

I have never reved the car up high...does the viper have a rev limiter?

 

[PaViper]

Yes, but a rev limiter only works on acceleration, not a mechanical overrev caused by selecting the wrong gear

 

[racerjim]

yes an electronic one controled by the computer, my problem was a mechanical overrev situation. the wheels drove the engine faster then it should have turned, becuase i was in the wrong gear for the speed.

 

[viper k]

my 1996 gts @ 6400 rpm hits the rev limiter

 

[Jack B]

my 1996 gts @ 6400 rpm hits the rev limiter

All the Gen I and II's are set at 6200. One of the least robust/crappy areas of the viper engine are the rockers and push rods, that is why so many have changed the rockers and gone to chrome moly push rods, aftermarket springs and keeper assemblies. The 1.7 rockers give you about 15-20 hp, but, just as important they fix one of the engines wort's.