2001 Boxster S Engine Noise

[Homeboy981]

Cool beans!

Thanks for the 'post of experience'. The engine is supported in 2 spots with a large piece of HDPE. Only need to hear it for a few seconds to determine what path to take.

So, Wilson01S, are you fixed then? What did your engine tell you when you ran it? No more "clunking" I hope?

I too heard that by removing the OLD oil from the chain tensioner and replacing it with NEW oil, it may calm down the 'regular' chain startup rattle…yours was NOT a rattle - but the RATTLESNAKE SHAKE!

Bet you'll be doing REGULARLY SCHEDULED oil changes from now on!

[Wilson01S]

Originally Posted by Homeboy981

Cool beans!

So, Wilson01S, are you fixed then? What did your engine tell you when you ran it? No more "clunking" I hope?

I too heard that by removing the OLD oil from the chain tensioner and replacing it with NEW oil, it may calm down the 'regular' chain startup rattle…yours was NOT a rattle - but the RATTLESNAKE SHAKE!

Bet you'll be doing REGULARLY SCHEDULED oil changes from now on!

This car was my "Uncles" and I believe he followed the 15,000 mile oil change interval....unfortunately the car has 36,984mi and its 12 years old!!!!!!!!!

I have always changed the oil twice a year on our 98 boxster base (it only gets ~2000mi/year) so I do a change in the spring and a change in the fall before its stored.

Anyway I pulled the cam cover yesterday...I will take the cams out today. Nothing looks abnormal yet with the clutch, IMS, compression, spark plugs, exhaust manifolds, and now under the cam cover.

ByProDriver- is there a spec or anything I can look at to see if I would have a failed lifter? I will have them all out this afternoon and I am just wondering if there is anything I can look for to see if one is bad?

Thanks again guys and I will keep you posted and upload a ton of pics over the weekend!

[BYprodriver]

Just like the tensioners. Cook at 270 degrees for about 8 hours in new oil, then pump up. Make sure to replace lifters on same valve if they pass the test. Is the tensioner in this pic the one you removed??

[Wilson01S]

That looks just like the tensioner I inspected. What tensioner do I need to remove in order to take the cam gear and chain off the drivers side head?

Also what is the "test" for the lifters? I will submerge them in hot oil, but is there anything I should look for, or is there a certain amount of pressure they should be able to hold?

[Wilson01S]

Ok I removed the cams and lifters and have the submerged in the oil bath now. My question is they are all hard as a rock zero play. Maybe they have to soak in hot oil longer? I would figure even in ambient temp oil they should have some movement?

I was hoping I would find one that looked bad, or acted different from all the others. Now I am back to the drawing board as to what this noise can be.

[Wilson01S]

I never posted on this thread that when I ran the car with the transmission out (I ran it for about an hour with 20w50) the noise went COMPLETELY AWAY for about 4 mins. I recorded it for about 30 seconds. Then the noise gradually came back to where it started from.

This leads me to believe that it really has to be a lifter? What else could have stopped just from a fresh oil change and came back???

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by Wilson01S

That looks just like the tensioner I inspected. What tensioner do I need to remove in order to take the cam gear and chain off the drivers side head?

Also what is the "test" for the lifters? I will submerge them in hot oil, but is there anything I should look for, or is there a certain amount of pressure they should be able to hold?

The 4-6 cyl. chain tensioner is on the top side of the head. In the picture below it's next to the cam position sensor. It's under the A/C compressor.
Let the lifters "cook" for a good 8 hours at about 250 degrees. Press down on the plunger to purge the old oil, you will see dirty oil squirt out, keep pumping until no more dirty comes out & the plunger gets too hard to compress again. You might need to add a quart of Marvel Mystery oil to the pot.

[Wilson01S]

Thanks again for your response. I found that tensioner and removed it, followed all the steps on the pelican parts tech article and got everything apart no problem. I let the lifters cook in oil about 220 deg for an hour and I could not plunge them at all...no pump action, no dirty oil. I will add marvel and cook longer?

[Wilson01S]

Just removed the lifter guide tray to inspect valve springs....all look perfect.

[Wilson01S]

I just noticed that the cam shaft/tensioner/chain assembly I removed from the 4-6 head does not have the color coded links lined up with the index dots on the gears. Did I remove the 4-6 cams with having 1-3 on TDC exhaust? Seems like I am a cycle out. Should I carefully spin the engine and guide the chain and gear that are just sitting for the 4-6 head until I reach TDC for the other side since that is not apart? Whats the safest way to retime this engine now that I have it apart, and what seems to be out of sequence?

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by Wilson01S

I just noticed that the cam shaft/tensioner/chain assembly I removed from the 4-6 head does not have the color coded links lined up with the index dots on the gears. Did I remove the 4-6 cams with having 1-3 on TDC exhaust? Seems like I am a cycle out. Should I carefully spin the engine and guide the chain and gear that are just sitting for the 4-6 head until I reach TDC for the other side since that is not apart? Whats the safest way to retime this engine now that I have it apart, and what seems to be out of sequence?

There is a 50% chance you are 360 degrees off for setting 4-6cyl cam timing. To verify remove the 1-3cyl green cam plugs to visually verify 1-3cyl cams are timed right. If the 1-3 cams are correct for TDC then 4-6 bank is 360 degrees off & you need to turn engine 1 revolution CLOCKWISE back to TDC. 1-3cyl cam notches will now be upside down & 4-6 cams are ready for install & timing.

[Wilson01S]

Originally Posted by BYprodriver

There is a 50% chance you are 360 degrees off for setting 4-6cyl cam timing. To verify remove the 1-3cyl green cam plugs to visually verify 1-3cyl cams are timed right. If the 1-3 cams are correct for TDC then 4-6 bank is 360 degrees off & you need to turn engine 1 revolution CLOCKWISE back to TDC. 1-3cyl cam notches will now be upside down & 4-6 cams are ready for install & timing.

Ok great, Thanks again. Thats what I was thinking. I'm 99% sure 1-3 is TDC right now, and 4-6 are 360 out.

[Wilson01S]

I am about to order the parts for the car- Lifters, sealant, IMSB, install kit, and timing tools. Before I do what else could I inspect and look at to check for failure? I am a little hesistant to spend the money on these parts if in fact I can't 100% verify anything failed.

I know the noise was a 1/2 speed noise telling me valvetrain
I know using a stethoscope, and 3 different sets of ears the noise was coming from the 4-6 cylinder head.
I know all the lifters looked and felt exactly the same when I had them submerged in oil.
I know all the valve springs look perfect
I know the compression is great in all 6 cylinders
I know all the spark plugs look good

I did notice the tensioner below the a/c compressor for cylinders 4-6 had definitely more play in it than the tensioner near the oil filter for the IMS chain. Is this normal? They are two differnet styles, but the one closest to the IMSB and oil filter I could barely move by hand. The tensioner for the cylinders 4-6 chain I could move from a standing 3 5/8" down to 3 1/8" using just the palm of my hand.

[Wilson01S]

This is the tensioner below the A/C compressor.

Does that seem to be a bad wear pattern on the side? It is only worn on one side.

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by Wilson01S

I am about to order the parts for the car- Lifters, sealant, IMSB, install kit, and timing tools. Before I do what else could I inspect and look at to check for failure? I am a little hesistant to spend the money on these parts if in fact I can't 100% verify anything failed.

I know the noise was a 1/2 speed noise telling me valvetrain
I know using a stethoscope, and 3 different sets of ears the noise was coming from the 4-6 cylinder head.
I know all the lifters looked and felt exactly the same when I had them submerged in oil.
I know all the valve springs look perfect
I know the compression is great in all 6 cylinders
I know all the spark plugs look good

I did notice the tensioner below the a/c compressor for cylinders 4-6 had definitely more play in it than the tensioner near the oil filter for the IMS chain. Is this normal? They are two differnet styles, but the one closest to the IMSB and oil filter I could barely move by hand. The tensioner for the cylinders 4-6 chain I could move from a standing 3 5/8" down to 3 1/8" using just the palm of my hand.

Due to the wear & inaccessible location of the tensioner, I would replace it.
Replace the VarioCam chain wear pads even if not showing any wear. The new updated parts are made of a superior material that is far more wear resistant & resonably priced too.
Seems the long oil change interval has allowed the lifters to become clogged.
Really look the vave springs over very well, checking for any broken springs.

[Wilson01S]

OK great. Thanks for the advice- are the chain wear pads available from Pelican Parts? I inspected them all very closely, but I will recheck. Also would I be crazy to just replace the lifters from the drivers side head and not the passenger?

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by Wilson01S

OK great. Thanks for the advice- are the chain wear pads available from Pelican Parts? I inspected them all very closely, but I will recheck. Also would I be crazy to just replace the lifters from the drivers side head and not the passenger?

Pelican has them here:
Pelican Parts - Product Information: 996-105-253-00-M100

Nothing wrong with doing lifters on one side & test driving before proceeding.

[Wilson01S]

Originally Posted by BYprodriver

Pelican has them here:
Pelican Parts - Product Information: 996-105-253-00-M100

Nothing wrong with doing lifters on one side & test driving before proceeding.

Thanks Pro

[Wilson01S]

Originally Posted by BYprodriver

There is a 50% chance you are 360 degrees off for setting 4-6cyl cam timing. To verify remove the 1-3cyl green cam plugs to visually verify 1-3cyl cams are timed right. If the 1-3 cams are correct for TDC then 4-6 bank is 360 degrees off & you need to turn engine 1 revolution CLOCKWISE back to TDC. 1-3cyl cam notches will now be upside down & 4-6 cams are ready for install & timing.

Is there a safe way to turn this engine over without having the cylinder 4-6 cams installed? I can hold the chain and sprocket while someone turns the engine over for me, but I do not want to over pressurize cylinders since all 12 valves will be closed

[Wilson01S]

OK the timing mark on the intake cam (on the rear of the engine) is pointing 90* out toward the cam cover. The marks on the intake and exhaust cam (flywheel side of cylinders 1-3) are perfectly parallel with the seam between the cam cover and the head.

So I will need to rotate the engine 1 full turn clockwise,and repin the crankshaft so that I can then install cylinders 4-6 (which I now have the cams out of) so that they are perfectly parallel with the seam between the head and the cam cover correct?

Once I set the cam to cam timing with the new tensioner pads, and aligning the dots to the color coded index links on the chain, reinstall the cams, install the cam timing tool, reinstall the cam cover, and torque the cam cover down how do I know how to line the chain sprocket that is just dangling back up? Does it just bolt up and because the cams are timed together, and timed with the other head it should just work? It appears that the sprocket has some adjustments so I want to make sure everything is timed not only between the two heads, but with the IMS

Sorry for the long winded question.

Also! Is there an updated tensioner for cyl 4-6 (below the a/c comp)? I ordered that tensioner and it is different than the one I took out. Seems to be about 2mm longer, and it has a large allen bolt instead of a hex head to tighten it with?