OT gm 3.1 making noise

jeremy in NE · Aug 14, 2010

Pulled out of the driveway today and the car acted like it lost power and then a loud rattling noise. Sound like the valve train is not getting any oil. Drained the oil and it looked good with no filings. Sits and idles just fine except for the noise. Any ideas?????

patsublett · Aug 14, 2010

Could be any number of things. May be a rockerarm slipped off of the push rod, Might pull the valve cover and check.

Anonymous-0 · Aug 15, 2010

CHECK THE BALANCER THERE KNOWN FOR IT SEE IF OUTER SLEEVE IS LOOSE FROM HUB. RENE'

Eric Rylander · Aug 15, 2010

I have one in a '91 RS Camaro that has over 210,000 on it (speedo gear in tranny broke) so I am unsure what it has- but it makes a good rattle and you'd swear it was a rod bearing, but when I curbed the oil pan and had to change it, I dropped one rod and one main and for that kind of mileage they looked great, had the intake manifold off to reseal it and the lifters all looked good too, timing chain was worn and slapping and I thought that was it but the noise persists, the car came with my girlfriend now wife so it's my "stepcar" and has made the same noise since it had 170,000 on it when it came into my life. 60psi of oil pressure on the highway.

As far as your noise, do ya have an oil pressure gauge on it? The fact it was accompanied by a loss of power makes me think it may be top end/rocker arm related. What's it in? Front drive applications use coil packs, my RWD in the Camaro has a distributor.

rankrank1 · Aug 15, 2010

The GM 3.1 Liters fall into what is known as a short skirt piston design engines and as such commonly experience what is known as piston slap under cold start up. We have a 98 Buick Century with 196k miles that sounds like a diesel when you start it but does quiten down as it warms up as the alloy pistons expand some at operating temps.

FWIW the 1999-2002 GM trucks with the 4.8l and 5.3l were prone to the same thing. GM always stated that it does not hurt anything, but they did make some mior changes around 2003 to reduce customer complaints.

MarkWV · Aug 15, 2010

have 2000 lumina 3.1, 195000 miles, at around 175000 harmonic balancer loosened up some, took better part of 2 weeks to find it, look down onto to crankshat pulley (harmonic balancer) if it is wobbling any needs replaced, not expensive, just pull right front wheel, can get puller from auto parts store, Mark

Leroy · Aug 16, 2010

When that happend they will not idle. Had that happen with one at around 65,000 and put over a 100,000 more on it and a second car same with over 270,000 when got rid of them and my miles were not easy miles, 104 mile a day stop & go 6 days a week on a rual newspaper route. After someware between 15 and 18 years of it I quit this past March, could not take it anymore and in less that a month will turn 67.

OT gm 3.1 making noise

jeremy in NE

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patsublett

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Anonymous-0

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Eric Rylander

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rankrank1

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MarkWV

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Leroy

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