Possible engine tapping

I've noticed at roughly 2,000 RPM in 3nd, 3rd, and 4th gears what sounds like a sort of tapping noise coming from my engine. This issue also sometimes can also be heard at idle when at a stop but is more pronounced both at idle and when roughly at about 2,000 RPM when I have my A/C running for several minutes. I'm unsure if its "noisey valves" but if that is the case what can be the cause and more so what is the fix for it? As always thank you all for the great information that I'm sure is about to come in

When did this start?

you sure it's not an exhaust leak Nick??  header gaskets?  exhaust pipe loose somewhere??  check all header bolts and make sure some have not loosened up, heat cycles tend to loosen them over time.

That's what I was thinking knowing long tubes..... Also these cars are kinda loud in that area I know some long tubes have shallow wall thickness and you hear it much more after installing

I'll give those a good look over and check, the sound seems to come from the center front of dash/firewall area. I ran a mechanics stethoscope around the engine and while I couldn't exactly hear it in the engine bay, I am able to hear it within the cabin area. I can't exactly tell of the exactly location which is a PIA

Going over everything, it seems as though it is the clutch, as its the only thing I can't pull apart and physically check

Are we talking clutch itself or bearing? Also I have heard some people have an issue where the flex plate makes contact and it gets very noticeable.

nicholasa631 wrote:I ran a mechanics stethoscope around the engine 

You mean long screwdriver? ha



Sounds like gasket issue.  More of a flutter.  I deal with this crap all the time with my longtubes and even with the Stage 8 locking header bolts i still have to replace em every year.  Sitting in the garage now waiting for passenger side header gasket i just dont feel like doing it becuase its a PITA

Yeah I thought that originally. Will be interesting to find where it is really coming from.

Ordered a full clutch set, line, throwout bearing, basically everything related as a just in case

So new clutch is in, noise did go away for about an hour. When I pulled into an empty parking lot opened the hood checked bolts, all are tight. I moved to the passenger side and listened to various areas and have zeroed in on the location being between the shifter and center console. I'm wondering what chance there might be of the thin sheet of metal between the clutch and the engine being the cause

Yeah that's the flex plate I stated earlier

nicholasa631 wrote:So new clutch is in, noise did go away for about an hour. When I pulled into an empty parking lot opened the hood checked bolts, all are tight. I moved to the passenger side and listened to various areas and have zeroed in on the location being between the shifter and center console. I'm wondering what chance there might be of the thin sheet of metal between the clutch and the engine being the cause

I doubt it's that plate Nick, there were no marks on it whatsoever indicting it was rubbing when I had it out..........I need to hear that noise to see what you are talking about........it's a bummer when we were test driving it that it wouldn't make the noise. I wish it would of made this mysterious noise when we were driving it Is it a really loud noise Nick? Does it do it if you are sitting still and rev it to 1500-2000 rpm or does it have to be rolling down the road to make the noise at that rpm ?

Well its definitely not the flex plate. I mean really at this point just give us some more info on when it's doing it.

rgoddard wrote:Well its definitely not the flex plate. I mean really at this point just give us some more info on when it's doing it.

after all the time we spent doing the clutch and fixing a few issues we encountered on the way, I was hoping to hear the noise but the 20 min we drove it around it was quiet as could be......it's like going to the  doctor, your knee never hurts when you're there, but as soon as you get home it starts hurting again..lol

its been ay a dead stop at idle so roughly 750rpm it somewhat sounds like a tapping (almost like a fuel injector but much slower then them) to confirm that the issue is not within the dash somehow I"m thinking of taking it apart to see if there's anything loose in there somehow. the only TSB I found in relation to the noise is the separator plate rattle which we just eliminated which I was sure of, I'm wondering if by some off chance it could be one of the bolts slightly contacting the separator plate in some way. I'm going to dig around as be as I can and see what might be loose or vibrating near anything to cause the noise

nicholasa631 wrote:its been ay a dead stop at idle so roughly 750rpm it somewhat sounds like a tapping (almost like a fuel injector but much slower then them) to confirm that the issue is not within the dash somehow I"m thinking of taking it apart to see if there's anything loose in there somehow. the only TSB I found in relation to the noise is the separator plate rattle which we just eliminated which I was sure of, I'm wondering if by some off chance it could be one of the bolts slightly contacting the separator plate in some way. I'm going to dig around as be as I can and see what might be loose or vibrating near anything to cause the noise

if it were a bolt touching the seperator plate nick, there would of been marks on it before, and there were none....does the noise occur at all with the a/c off?? I wouldn't tear the dash apart on a guess to look for something like that.........is it a inside the cabin noise or definately outside the car noise but heard from inside??

Yes it does make the noise with the AC off, as to your question I can't exactly tell if its inside the cabin or outside of it

next time you're up or close by, i 'll have to go for a ride and see what i ca hear, tough to diagnose without hearing it

I understand. I hate also add to the list but there seems to now be a growling sound from the rear only when I put the car in reverse

When did that start?

Doing a few more tests the noise does go away when the clutch is fully pressed in, however it only makes the noise when the ac is turned to max, coldest setting, and blower speed 2. I have a video I'm uploading to give an idea of the noise

Reverse only started this morning on a cold start up.

Here is a link to the video I shot this morning of the noise

you sure it's not an issue with the new compressor since the prob occurs with a/c on?? with the amount of metal that was in the system and how much we had to flush it.......I was concerned that some metal could of been hiding in hard to flush areas such as the condensor....just a thought.