2001 2.4L, 79k miles, S/C with additional mods since 30k or so.
So last November (2008) when I started up the car one afternoon I heard this odd ticking sound. It was coming from the engine, but had too many things going on (buying a house) to really look into it. Since then I also bought another car, so dumping money into the cavy wasn't really a "need" for me.
The engine tick comes and goes. Recently though one day it was REALLY loud in the morning and afternoon when I was going to/from work. I could hear it louder than ever in the interior. Once up to highway speed couldn't really hear it anymore, but it's probably because the wind noise drowned it out.
At first I thought it was the noisy supercharger rotors, but it doesn't seem like it. Nor s/c bearings. Then I thought maybe some accessory pulley bearings, but I don't think its that either. I don't think it's a spun third bearing because normally those seem to be slower ticking. It's when I get near the engine head is where it seems to be coming from....
Here's the audio, don't be confused by the noisy intake, noisy s/c rotors....And I'm not reving the engine that high either, it's just more of a fast paced tick.....
http://s372.photobucket.com/albums/oo170/viper98912/Engine%20tick/?action=view¤t=EngineTick.flv
So....ideas?
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
sounds like it's f*****! u should just give that piece of crap to me!
i guess it could be a lifter taking awhile to pump up... since its been getting cold lately i wouldnt put it past it.
what kinda oil u use?
maybe try some lucas oil treatment and see if it goes away....

I must confess... I feel like a monster!
Kinda hard to tell from the vid, but sounds like a sc bearing to me. I had the same problem, a similar noise that came and went. Narrowed it down to something in the timing or in the sc area by holding a pole all around the engine and to my ear, which did turn out to be the sc bearings got damaged from spraying wet nitrous.
Search for m45 sc on youtube, I have a few vids on there I made when I had the problem. That way you can tell if its similar to your problem.
sounds like a haunted lawn mower to me
pop the belt off and see if it goes away if it does i would say SC if it doesn't i would sy water pump or rod bearings
did it make any noises before or did it jus tgo from quiet to that
JBO since July 30, 2001
not a 2 4 had a good idea... pop off the sc belt and listen for it.. kinda sounds like a rod knocking to me, but it comes and goes.. so idk.
- Your not-so-local, untrained, uncertified, backyard mechanic. But my @!#$ runs
Did you have the AC on on that recording?
It sounds like two things:
-Sounds like the S/C-housing case is making a resonance sound, that (can) be attributed when the A/C is on.
-The other sound I hear is a possible alternator is getting faulty.
It is a bit difficult to hear.
Let us know what you find, best of luck.
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

Doesn't sound like no rock knowk I have every heard in a 2.4. I would take the belt off and see. Also maybe a timing chain tensioner causing chain rattle.
FU Tuning
Put it this way, if its not a sc bearing then call me an idiot. I had the exact same problem, have vids on youtube if you wana compare.
Sorry for the late reply guys.
zyaaaa, been using Mobil 1 5W-30 since forever.
icemike, at first I also thought it was S/C bearings. But after listening more closely, you definitely can't hear anything from the snout or body of the S/C itself. I listened to your youtube videos the other day, and the tone and frequency-per-revolution (not frequency in hz) sounds different than yours does. Not sure how to really describe that, if I even made sense with that jumble of words, but it just seems different than yours.
not a 2.4, it started last year, one time when I just started up the car and could faintly hear it. Then it has come and gone whenever it's felt like it over the past year. But once it's on, it's on for a while, normally through my whole drive.
GGT, I think the a/c was on, but it's definitely not the a/c and s/c resonance. I've had this setup for years now and never had that happen. Alternator may be faulty, but I don't think so. When I first got my car I had to replace the alternator because of a bad bearing squeak. That squeak was very different, and you can't hear much when you're near the alternator.
John, chain rattle might be another idea.
Regardless, I'm going to pull off the belt one of these days and try to narrow it down from there. Thanks for the replies, if you have more keep them coming.
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
Does weather play a part in the sound at all? Like I remember after a rain it seems like it would worse, so I was thinking something in the tensioner or belt area..then thought about the timing and was gona go through all the trouble to replace the chain and all. Even sounded more like the timing housing when I put a pole to my ear. Pulled the sc off and sound went away completely, even though it still made boost fine. A buddy got it and sent it to steigmeier and the bearing were bad, they had gotten "wet" from me spraying wet nitrous through it.
It just doesnt realy seem like something motor to me if it comes and goes. What area is the noise coming from?
At first I wondered if weather plays a factor, but I can't really pinpoint it.
A few days ago it rained hard overnight and was around 50 degs. It sounded so loud and horrible, both in the morning and the afternoon.
Today we had similar weather, and I just took it for a spin to the supermarket and could barely hear it.
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
And yesterday it was bitter cold, and when I started her up you could hardly even hear the tick. I don't know wtfbbq.
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
Again, took the car out a couple days ago (two days in a row actually) and you couldn't hear anything at all.
I don't know, I'll just chalk it up to the gremlins again.
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -
Viper. Did you ever found out what it was?
On Saturday night, I had the exact same noise as in your vid. I came back home and popped it in the garage and decided to deal with it on Sunday. I took off the belt, and engine purred, I tried to install the original belt (non-S/C) to try and connect the alternator, but I could not make it to fit.
I started looking at the pulleys, all were stiff and turned well, except for one: the idler pulley (you know the one that came with the kit). I touched it, and it was slightly loose and it moved up/down and side to side (not good). I put the belt back, started car and the noise from your vid was there. I put a loooong screwdriver (to hear) placed on all the accessories and all was generally quiet, except the the idler pulley. I figure this has to be it. I shot some WD-40, and German tacky liquid grease behind the pulley when the engine was off, I started up the car and the noise was gone.
I will look to see if GM sells the pulley alone Idler pulley: #88960493. If the part is not available I will have to get the whole bracket assembly: #12498289.
I don't know if this is your problem, but the noise sounded very similar to mine, and figured it was worth a try.
Best of luck.
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----

i had the same noise on my 01 cavalier did u have your heat on because when mine was on thats when it would do it shut it off and it would stop. it didnt always make that noise every time the heat was on only a few times it has
Hmmm interesting...
As I said, it still comes and goes. The other day though it was roaring pretty bad, and this time it sounded like it was coming from the s/c nose bearing (whereas before it was coming from the block/head). The odd thing is that it definitely sounded different than the other bad s/c bearing video I heard from another member.
So I find it interesting that yours is the idler pulley. Maybe it's the same for me, and I'm just listening to the wrong thing in the same exact area. I'm going to spray some WD-40 as well and some grease and see what happens.
And my noise happens with heat, a/c, neither, etc.
Thanks for your updates....
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- Sold my beloved J in April 2010 -