[Chris02]

My Mustang is at 174,000KM , so I just wanna get an idea of what I gotta look out for that might go first. It's acting up on me a bit right now, but some of these noises lead me to believe it's something to do with the clutch, or something in the transmission.

Thanks!

 

[Lefty]

Have you done typical maintenance? How long have you had the car? Take some time and give it a good look over. Change the plugs/wires if needed; flush the coolant, oil change, change tranny fluid, brake line flush. Check your pads. The basics. While you're under the hood changing the oil, I'd suggest pulling the IAC off and cleaning that to save some hassle if it hasn't been cleaned in a while. Just the basic stuff. Then, if you notice something more drastic, get that fixed up.

 

[Chris02]

Have you done typical maintenance? How long have you had the car? Take some time and give it a good look over. Change the plugs/wires if needed; flush the coolant, oil change, change tranny fluid, brake line flush. Check your pads. The basics. While you're under the hood changing the oil, I'd suggest pulling the IAC off and cleaning that to save some hassle if it hasn't been cleaned in a while. Just the basic stuff. Then, if you notice something more drastic, get that fixed up.

Yeah man, lately there has been a strange rattle that I just can't figure out. I put the car away for the winter, but when I bring it back out I definately need to get it checked out. I was having trouble with the clutch before, so I'm hoping it's the clutch I need to replace. My car is a 2002 GT. She's getting pretty old. I've had the car for about 3 years now, never had any trouble with it, but the thing is, this car was my first standard, I always had an auto.. lol I'm 20, give me a break

I'm thinking the clutch has taken a beating, and I need to replace that anyways... haha

 

[Lefty]

Does it rattle with the clutch pushed in? Or just when the clutch is released.

 

[Chris02]

Does it rattle with the clutch pushed in? Or just when the clutch is released.

I guess I can't necessarily say it's the clutch. Just recently, before I put the GT away, I've noticed a strange noise on the driver's side. It makes this "knocking" type sound for about 5 seconds and then it goes away. It doesn't do it very often but maybe two or three times I've noticed it within 3 days before putting the car away.

And for awhile, I've also heard this sound when I get on it, there's a rattle, and when I'm in 5th, if I step on it a little bit, a rattle comes? It's very confusing to me. It's hard to explain and I wish I could capture some sound of it.

 

[03SonicBoom]

I guess I can't necessarily say it's the clutch. Just recently, before I put the GT away, I've noticed a strange noise on the driver's side. It makes this "knocking" type sound for about 5 seconds and then it goes away. It doesn't do it very often but maybe two or three times I've noticed it within 3 days before putting the car away.

And for awhile, I've also heard this sound when I get on it, there's a rattle, and when I'm in 5th, if I step on it a little bit, a rattle comes? It's very confusing to me. It's hard to explain and I wish I could capture some sound of it.

Sounds like the engine is knocking from your description. Have you tried putting higher octane fuel in it for a tank to see if it fixes the problem? Higher octane will be less inclined to knock if your timing is off a little.

 

[Chris02]

Sounds like the engine is knocking from your description. Have you tried putting higher octane fuel in it for a tank to see if it fixes the problem? Higher octane will be less inclined to knock if your timing is off a little.

I have a 91 octane SCTX3 tune right now. If the car is parked and running, I don't hear any knocking, but when I'm driving along, suddenly I hear some knocking for a couple seconds and it goes away. I really hope it's not the engine, but if it is, I guess it will be time to build.

 

[03SonicBoom]

My old Ranger used to do the same thing. It would ping under load in 5th gear. It would run perfectly fine until I was in 5th gear, started up a hill, and gave it some gas. It would start to ping. I let off the gas and it went away. I had to slightly adjust the timing.

Maybe the timing on your tune is off a little.

 

[Eagle2000GT]

My old Ranger used to do the same thing. It would ping under load in 5th gear. It would run perfectly fine until I was in 5th gear, started up a hill, and gave it some gas. It would start to ping. I let off the gas and it went away. I had to slightly adjust the timing.

Maybe the timing on your tune is off a little.

That's spark knock (detonation).

A tapping sound or knock could be anything. Does the sound increase and decrease with rpms? Does it increase and decrease with speed? Or is it just occasionally there?

At 131,000 miles, my 2000 GT has a lot more miles than yours (174,000 kms converts to approx. 108,000 miles doesn't it?). I've had my car in the shop for mechanical failures three times. Once for a bad COP, once for a bad front wheel bearing, and once when I drove through deep water and fowled the MAF. All of the other times its been in the shop were for improvements.

 

[Chris02]

That's spark knock (detonation).

A tapping sound or knock could be anything. Does the sound increase and decrease with rpms? Does it increase and decrease with speed? Or is it just occasionally there?

At 131,000 miles, my 2000 GT has a lot more miles than yours (174,000 kms converts to approx. 108,000 miles doesn't it?). I've had my car in the shop for mechanical failures three times. Once for a bad COP, once for a bad front wheel bearing, and once when I drove through deep water and fowled the MAF. All of the other times its been in the shop were for improvements.

The only time I hear the rattling is when there's an increase in rpms. When I really step on it, I hear the rattle but speed isn't a factor, it's all about how hard I step on it. If I'm going along in 5th, I can hit the gas a tiny bit without hearing the rattle, but if I stomp on it, I can hear the rattling.

The random noise I've heard just recently, that knocking noise, it really doesn't seem like it would be the engine, but maybe I'm wrong. I've had problems with my clutch before, certain pieces were loose or missing when they fixed it last time...maybe my clutch is just crap and I need a new one?

 

[MustangSR330]

Mine developed an engine knock at 21,000 easily driven miles. Luckily it was still under warranty, and I got a brad new engine put it.

 

[01BlackGT]

Sounds eerily similar to a rod? Does the knock happen right when you start the car? Does it only happen under load (ie. when say in gear or neutral and bringing up rpms)? Have you redlined the car hard recently?

Does it sound deep into the motor? Cause if its a rod your days are #ed and it would be best to diagnose it before it completely goes? If not you could have issues with the block as well :dunno Find a motorhead in your area ask him to listen and see what he thinks?

Clutches, from my experience, typically don't knock and you would most likely have a foul smell associated with the clutch?

I threw a rod in cylinder 1 at 72K miles ? And the car was flawlessly maintained with synthetic oil and everything done top of the line? It just depends on the car? When the motor was being rebuilt it got beefed up though stroked and forged, and a new clutch, water pump, motor mounts, and other needed b.s. So basically I have a new car from behind the radiator to the tranny?

Oh and I replaced an alternator and battery at about 58K if I remember right, pretty basic and common though.

 

[Chris02]

Sounds eerily similar to a rod? Does the knock happen right when you start the car? Does it only happen under load (ie. when say in gear and bringing up rpms)? Have you redlined the car hard recently?

Does it sound deep into the motor? Cause if its a rod your days are #ed and it would be best to diagnose it before it completely goes? If not you could have issues with the block as well :dunno Find a motorhead in your area ask him to listen and see what he thinks?

Clutches, from my experience, typically don't knock and you would most likely have a foul smell associated with the clutch?

I threw a rod in cylinder 1 at 72K miles ? And the car was flawlessly maintained with synthetic oil and everything done top of the line? It just depends on the car? When the motor was being rebuilt it got beefed up though stroked and forged, and a new clutch, water pump, motor mounts, and other needed b.s. So basically I have a new car from behind the radiator to the tranny?

Oh and I replaced an alternator and battery at about 58K if I remember right, pretty basic and common though.

Hey man, thanks for all your information. The knock does not start when I start the car, but while driving along while bringing up rpms possibly. I just noticed the sound and freaked out. It's a faint sound, it's not extremely loud or anything; not a sound I could hear if my radio was on. I was driving along and randomly it made that noise. I wish I could describe the sound better to you guys, I shouldn't say it sounds exactly like a knock... okay, here's a really lame example, but let's say you take a ruler and put half of it on your desktop and the other half is off the desktop, and you flick that side and it makes that sound..that's exactly what it sounds like. :tomato

More like a vibration, like one of them door stops... "boing" you get the idea...I hope...or either I sound completely retarded. haha

 

[01BlackGT]

Does it sound like metal hitting metal? My rod sounded like a sharp clack,clack,clack and it would only happen when I was under engine load usually from 2500-3500 rpms. As I recall it started out soft. It does it in neutral too right?

Can you get a video of it?

Does this rpm range sound close?

 

[Chris02]

Does it sound like metal hitting metal? My rod sounded like a sharp clack,clack,clack and it would only happen when I was under engine load usually from 2500-3500 rpms. As I recall it started out soft. It does it in neutral too right?

Can you get a video of it?

Does this rpm range sound close?

It doesn't really sound like metal hitting metal, and it doesn't happen in neutral. The rpm range sounds about right, or at least close to that.

As for a video, it's something that I would need the camera there ready to record, it just happens so randomly. And where I'm at there's snow..so I guess I couldn't get a video, unfortunately..

 

[01BlackGT]

Have you toyed with the car in neutral, varying the rpms to see if it will happen?

*disclaimer* At your own risk

 

[Chris02]

Have you toyed with the car in neutral, varying the rpms to see if it will happen?

*disclaimer* At your own risk

No I haven't tried that. But maybe I should bring it into a shop and try to get it figured out over the winter. It's away until next summer, so I have alot of time to figure this out and get on top of this problem. I plan on boosting next fall, so either way I gotta build my engine and tranny lol But hopefully nothing overboard where there's major damage.

 

[01BlackGT]

Yeah, its a sick feeling! Just be vary careful, I babied mine for a month and the shop couldn't believe that it didn't seize, they said my block was in perfect shape and that I was very lucky. If I were you I would determine it it happens in neutral varying the rpms with cation and if you find it make a video or a sound clip then post it here. PM me if you do. Also expect Big$ if you need to rebuild, and you might as well go with a forged setup because the whole motor will most likely be rebuilt.

 

[Chris02]

Yeah, its a sick feeling! Just be vary careful, I babied mine for a month and the shop couldn't believe that it didn't seize, they said my block was in perfect shape and that I was very lucky. If I were you I would determine it it happens in neutral varying the rpms with cation and if you find it make a video or a sound clip then post it here. PM me if you do. Also expect Big$ if you need to rebuild, and you might as well go with a forged setup because the whole motor will most likely be rebuilt.

Just a quick update, but I went out in the garage and started it up just a few minutes ago, and I didn't hear any knocking. I was reving it up in neutral, and it sounds great. I played around with it and there's no knocking, ticking or anything which is great. I still need to find out what's up with it though...

 

[Eagle2000GT]

I've spun the rod bearings in three motors. All three sounded like someone was hitting the block with a hammer when it was under a load. I've had bad lifters. They usually knock when cold and smooth out when the engine gets warm (My truck is currently doing this.) Lifters have a higher pitched knock than rods. I've heard spark knock described as marbles rattling around in a metal can. It usually occurs when the car is under load. The noise is softer than lifters and without pattern. It's most noticable driving normally up a steep hill. New exhaust ticks sometimes exist when the engine is cold but then stop when its warmed up and the metal has expanded. Of all of these spark knock is the most likely. You also could be getting a bad bearing in the water pump, alternator, or air conditioner. But the way you describe the sound I don't think its any of the above.

I have intermittant rattling sounds that sometime occur in my car. I've looked for them and can't really find them. My opinion is that when it gets bad enough I'll find out what it is.