The car has always had a slight rattle, comming from the area of the plastic timing belt cover on the passengers side bank. In the past I can actually deminish the noise by about 75% just buy pressing slightly on the cover and have always assumed its due to a loosish cover rubbing somewhere down in the depths .... Well after a few years the rattle is now bad and I can no longer 'muffle' it out with my hand pressure, interestingly enough tho the noise only exists when the engine is first fired up, once the temp guage begins to move the noise also begins to dissapate....... When normal opperating temp is reached the noise is completely non-existant If the car is left for a few hours and re-started the noise is back but only slightly, again as the temp reaches normal the noise again dissappears Its much like my old L34, death rattles on start up but once warm ... silence ( the L34 rattled worse than a shagged diesel on an icy morning at Mt Buller !!! ) Have to do a plenum pull shortly so I may look at it then...... any ideas as to what may be the cause of this noise ? Kingy
Idler Bearings can be noisy when cold if they are flogged out. They will tend to get quieter as the metal expands when hot to take up any play in the bearing surfaces. Remove timing cover and see if you can locate the problem pulley.
100%. same symptoms as mine. Once i got it all off, I was out by at least a tooth on the cam gears as well.
I had one car that the noise went away when you pushed on the covers, turns out the left hand belt cover backing plate was bent. But this noise didn go away when hot. As said, check the tensioner and the idlers, they are the likely cause.
The only thing i could find was my timing belt had little tension on it and the belt was flopping around. Its the only thing it can be, it goes away at faster rpm because the slack is being taken up. You can actually feel the belt hitting the cover. At the very least pull a cover off and feel the belt tension. I think you will be surprised.
