AAC valve solenoid and a sound

[dhen]

Hi,

I've been able to drive the car, but I'm still trying to sort out small issues.

1) My car started to idle high (~1500 RPM). Checked for vacuum leaks and couldn't find any. I cleaned the AAC valve assembly and it was really gunked up. Put it all back together and the problem is still there. I unplugged the AAC valve solenoid and now the engine idles fine. Do I actually need this solenoid if I'm happy to adjust the idle manually with the bolt on the side of the AAC valve assembly? It seems like it's an unneeded extra.

2) My car makes a rubbing sound that sounds like it's coming from the intake cam gear. It doesn't sound serious and the sound itself doesn't bother me, but I'd rather be safe than sorry so I posted it here. Anyway, let me know what you think.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPApwY2oUzQ[/youtube]

Thanks,

Darian

[boost_boy]

As for the AAC, you can actually go without it if you want. But that noise sounds nast and you really need to track that down as ASAP.

[dhen]

Thanks for letting me know. Any guesses on what the sound might be? Water pump?

[float_6969]

No AAC is fine. The noise isn't good. start checking for rubbing on the crank pulley and water pump pulley on the lower cover. Also pull the upper cover and make sure there aren't any signs of rubbing. If all of that checks out, it COULD be the bearing in the CAS, but it doesn't really sound like it.

[dhen]

The problem is still there. Here's what I've done

* removed the belt to the alternator and water pump
* tried a different timing belt
* tried a different cam angle sensor
* I found signs of rubbing from the timing belt on the lower timing belt cover. After I removed it, the sound was still there.
* I double checked the adjustable cam gears. They were tight.
* tried a different timing belt tensioner.
* I started to double check the intake cam journals. I broke a bolt, so that's it for tonight.

After I get my intake cam bolted back up, I'm going to try running stock cam gears and see if that makes a difference. The other thing I haven't checked is behind the cam gears for rubbing.

Why is it that my other British car - an '84 Jag XJ6 with a Chevy V8 (LT1) - works fine after 16,000 miles and this thing is constantly giving me grief?

Me and someone else were joking that my car was made from recycled steel from a downed Messerschmidt and the German pilot is haunting my car.

Any ideas are welcome.

[leadpaw]

check for a collapsed lifter, small chance that could be it.

[boost_boy]

That's definitely not the sound of a failed lifter, but I will suggest you check both the timing belt idler and tensioner bearings as they do fail for no apparent reason, albeit a rarety.

[dhen]

Thanks. I appreciate it. Now I busted another cam journal bolt that won't come out. I'm trying to drill it out to helicoil it, but those f*** things are hard as hell to drill. Ideas?

[float_6969]

Your motor IS haunted. I've been on the forum for over 10 years, and you're having problems I've NEVER heard of. You'll get it sorted out though, I have faith.

[biosehnsucht]

My timing belt idler pulley needs to be replaced... actually, it kind of needed it when I built it, but I ran it anyways... still hadn't failed when the car was wrecked. I should replace it before I install it in the new car

[DALAZ_68]

even my motor is idling at like 3k now that i hooked up the mech boost gauge...it was at 2k b4...cant i just adjust the screw and hope if doesnt die on me after getting out of gear.?

[ganma_ca]

Eh mine makes the same noise, only not as bad........ yet. Then again I just let mine run ragged. I don't care lol

I plan on buying another motorset, and just getting all brand new parts and I'm going to let this one just run itself into the ground. Build a CA without all it's little quirks and you have a bullet proof little engine. I just have way to many problems with mine to care about its weird little issues any more. The more you take away from this engine the better.
Get megasquirt run with out aac/cas/maf, go to solid lifters do some head work and a metal hg and some arps stick with the stock pistons/rods get some upgraded bearings, and call it good. It's one thing I've come to the realization of, is it needs a slight upgrade in technology and a reduction of old technology to make a perfect engine. I've tried just about everything you have to get it to stop the noise but not really making any head way it won't stop and I've run out of ideas. Short of taking a screw driver putting my ear to the ground and becoming chief running horse the tracker, to hunt down why this noise is happening. The other scary thing is how awful that noise sounds at startup. Does yours sound like the crank is about to walk out the side of the engine? Man when I start mine up after a cold night, it's scary, may be because of the clutch on it's way out lol, idk. After idle for awhile that noise gets a little quieter with mine made me think oil related, but it seems to be coming from the front cover not the cams. Maybe the cam warped and the added duration is hitting the side wall of the cover, yep that must be it lol. Or a valve guide dropped a little and that cam is smacking it, or the hamster inside just gave up.

[dhen]

Mine doesn't sound as bad as the video when you just listen to it. I have no idea what's causing it, but I don't think it's internal. At this point, though, I'm ready to just let it break. I don't actually think it will, though.

I noticed the large dish that's between the balancer and the belt has a dent in it, so maybe that's the source...

The temperature/time doesn't seem to matter for the noise.